The reel's just for holding the line, right? Well, certainly as far as most of our wild trout fishing's concerned that's probably true and you may as well just use something that feels right with the rod, holds the right amount of your chosen line, doesn't cost too much or maybe just looks damned fine. If it makes you happy, that's just dandy :D
However, there is a genuine requirement for higher performance reels in certain situations and, although there's plenty of information out there, not all of it is objective or maybe even honest. I'm sure many folks write, "This is the best reel I've ever used!" or some such meaningless twaddle because it's either a) the only reel they've ever used (or maybe their second, but you get the idea), b) it's the most expensive reel they've ever bought & by default expensive has to be good... or, c) they were bought it by their wife/ lover/ dead granny & they don't want to ruin their chances of ever going fishing again, quite fancy a shag or don't want to appear a total wanker & review a well-meant present as the expensive piece of crap it actually is..... :lol:
So where I'm hoping this thread will differ is that it will provide a forum where folks can post their own experiences of reel performance openly & honestly without fear of criticism. obviously, feel free to comment and add your experiences, good, bad or indifferent. Hopefully it'll help folks make informed choices if they're looking for a new reel and avoid costly mistakes that have been made already.
Of course if you really have bought a reel just because it looks cool, then feel free to say so! That's cool too! :8)
I'll get the ball rolling with a couple of my experiences; a not so good one for starters...
Sage 3800CF
rrp £225
Pros
it's a Sage!
looks kinda funky
relatively cheap
very light
positive drag setting
cheap spare spools
smooth drag
Cons
looks & feels kinda cheap
easily damaged
noticeable start-up inertia
poor tolerances
drag seized after immersion
Overall Verdict
(relatively) expensive crap, seduced by a quality brand-name
Description
so this is marketed as a high quality sealed drag reel from a top manufacturer. It's got a super-light composite spool which also means it's pretty cheap by comparison with Sage's other reels and the spare spools are kinda cheap, too. We'll return to this theme later. I was advised to buy this as a replacement for the good ol' Okuma Airframe, which had shown its limitations once faced with the blistering runs of Spanish barbel & carp. First impressions were that it looked kinda funky, but in a rather cheap & trashy way. The plastic drag knob didn't help in that regard, but it did have positive settings & boy, was it ever light! It looked like the ideal travel reel, especially with a couple of spare spools. The first year I used it I was pretty pleased; it dealt with some ridiculously powerful runs by some decent fish. One took the backing almost to the spool (best part of 200m!) and did it again just after i'd managed to get it all back on the reel. The drag was smooth & powerful. But I kept coming back to the fact that it just felt, well... cheap. There was a noticeable start-up inertia and a bit of a wobble from the spool within the cage, plus a fairly noticeable gap between the spool rim and the body of the reel. And you didn't feel that it would survive even the lightest of drops. It came to the crunch on the next trip where I had to drop it in the water whilst I dealt with landing a decent fish without a net. When I next went to strip some line ready for casting, it was virtually seized. It was rough, lumpy and graunchy and required a lot of effort to pull line off. This was meant to be a sealed drag FFS! It gradually eased off over the next hour or so as it dried out, but the bubble was burst. Another half decent fish in that condition & i'd have lost it. I made sure I never immersed it after that. I had completely lost confidence in it and i'll never buy a Sage reel again (the rods are a different matter)
[attachimg=1]
Well .............. not stupidly expensive but I have got three Orvis Battenkill BS IV reels and spare spools and these are my normal go to for rivers and float tubing. Fitted with various 4 and 5 wt lines. Always reliable and had then for maybe 12 years. Also have two Orvis Battenkill Large Arbour IV, again a good solid feel to them. The big clonker is a Vosseler S3 !!
For boats on lochs I have Diawa New Era 5/6 because they are a large arbour cassette design that handles easily and Mrs Bobfly gets on well with them.
I reckon that these are simply decent mainstream trout reels at a fair price and with reliable customer support, but not designed for some tropical tarpon battles :shock: :shock:
Vosseler DC3 under £200 with a unique cage design that will not screw up your fly lines. I have seen no other reel as well designed. Being German it is built like a Panzer (oops not very P.C. naughty naughty! :lol: ). As far as stupidly expensive goes, try photography then you will realise how inexpensive quality fishing tackle actually is! :lol:
I liked my Leeda Dragonfly and if it hadn't worn out I'd still be using it. Did everything I've ever needed including rivers, lochs, brown trout, sea trout and salmon. It was dropped, used in salt water, filled with sand and a million other things.
I had to replace it as I had a habit of leaving the drag wound down quite tight and after sitting like that for years I guess the drag system eventually compressed and so the drag became less effective and eventually I decided a replacement was in order.
I use a Danielsson Dry Fly reel, its one of the original series, for most of my fishing. Been using this reel for somewhere between 7 and 10 years I think. Not a hugely expensive reel at the time and you can pick on up for somewhere around £150 now.
My reel has taken a fair bit of abuse, regularly submerged, dropped and has been covered in mud, silt and all sorts more times than is sensible but has never put a foot wrong. Anodised coating now has many, many chips and marks but this is due to and a sign of harsh treatment rather than a fault with reel.
Drag is smooth with good range of settings and has been faultless to date, not really considered start-up inertias so cant comment on this.
One distinguishing characteristic is the silent operation of the reel, I suppose this could be considered a con in that you will never have a screaming reel. I quite like the lack of intrusive noise as I strip line from the reel.
Just had a bit of a count up and I get to 17 reels :shock: :shock: :shock: Plus quite a few extra spools !!!!!
Goes back for many years that said and shared between two users, but all my responsibility :roll:
Quote from: Bobfly on May 30, 2017, 06:25:02 PM
Just had a bit of a count up and I get to 17 reels :shock: :shock: :shock: Plus quite a few extra spools !!!!!
Goes back for many years that said and shared between two users, but all my responsibility :roll:
that should keep you busy with the reviews for a while, Vaughan! :lol:
would you believe my count is only 7? :shock: might be 8 shortly :wink:
I use a greys gx900, does everything i need but i dont catch anything much bigger than grilse so screaming reels is not really something i deal with so cant vouch for how it handles a real runner at high speed for a decent distance.
Dave,
A lot of the drawer has old BFR Dragonfly reels, 375s and 395s plus spools. Still very workable and reliable but only sometimes seeing the light of day. A few reels were secondhand and a plastic one for a spare for the hill was a tenner. They will have been "collected" over thirty years at least. :? :?
Got one of these for serious work-
https://www.fishingmegastore.com/the-fly-reel-company-rb1-reel~18326.html (https://www.fishingmegastore.com/the-fly-reel-company-rb1-reel~18326.html)
But mostly using either a Shakespeare Trion, Shakespeare President or System 2 on the big rods. They are fine and, despite getting regular workouts, are not falling to bits yet. And it will not be a tragedy if they do!
I've got a trion but don't use it much now because I don't use my 7wt, really solid reel and the drag is good especially for the money, I don't know nuffink about start up inertias though 😝
Quote from: Lochan_load on May 31, 2017, 12:07:02 AM
I don't know nuffink about start up inertias though 😝
get out for carp sometime & you'll learn pretty quickly.... :lol:
Is the start up inertia that important because you are taking bites with straight line, for example river fishing standard across and down?
I usually have at least a few inches of lose line when fishing but am interested in what situations the inertia is so important.
I understand that once any loose line is fed out and the reel takes over there is a small resistance during take up but if the fish is hooked already i cant really see how tiny variences of inertia will be that important.
Be nice to find out where you consider it so important in case i am doing something thats costing me fish, always looking to learn.
if you've got a 15lb+ fish going full tilt for the horizon on a 12lb tippet and the line's flying out through your fingers, so far so good; it's hooked :D
then there's a momentary inertia as the reel comes into play.... los endos; bye bye fish!! :(
admittedly not a common situation with our trout fishing here, but i can assure you that it's an everyday (pretty much every take) occurrence with carp & barbel. and it can happen with much smaller fish than the breaking strain of your line, too
i'll see if i can find a video to illustrate it
wouldnt setting the drag a little lower achieve she same thing, slightly palm the reel during initial take up if need be and slowly crank up the tension. Thats what i do salmon fishing so i dont get smashed takes.
No matter how low an inertia the reel has due to manufacuring, if the tension is set to play a big fish does this not negate the amazing job a manufacturer can produce, or am i on completely the wrong track here?
Take a look at the mechanics of beach casting multiplier reels and the drag systems they use.
There, the principal problem is in the casting itself.
The faster the reel spins, brake shoes move out from the centre by centrifugal action coming into contact with the inner surface of the spinning part and a braking pressure is applied. This is adjustable.
It would not be beyond the wit of a decent engineer to devise a two-stage drag system.
After the cast, a strike-drag is set (at whatever resistance you wish). in setting the hook you would exceed this resistance and the strike-drag switches off and the centrifugal drag clicks in.
The difficulty is getting all that mechanics into the weight and size of a fly reel- look at the size of a decent multiplier.
Quote from: johnny boy on June 07, 2017, 03:01:08 PM
Thats what i do salmon fishing so i dont get smashed takes.
That's a good point. I can't think of any fish that, pound for pound, runs as fast and hard as a fresh salmon. Admittedly the biggest carp and barbel I have caught were only 4 1/2 lb and they fought well, but I would have expected a harder fight from trout of the same weight, certainly a more sustained fight anyway.
Another thing that is slightly misleading in all this is just saying "startup inertia". What is important about that is not the absolute value as that will vary from reel to reel and also depend on the drag setting. What is more important is the repeatably so that once it is set you know it will be much the same next time.
As Dave suggests though this is not really very important for 3 to the pound trout, but then again you never really know when the big one is coming. Unless you are in New Zealand - then you know it's the next one ........and the one after that .........and the one after that ........and the on..............! :lol:
And of course using quality equipment is just a pleasurable thing to do.
Another big advantage in using these reels is that a very smooth drag that will not over run when dealing with a smash and run type take and which can maintain a very light but consistent resistance to a fighting fish will allow you to use ultra light tippets and smaller flies.
Quote from: johnny boy on June 07, 2017, 03:01:08 PM
wouldnt setting the drag a little lower achieve she same thing, slightly palm the reel during initial take up if need be and slowly crank up the tension. Thats what i do salmon fishing so i dont get smashed takes.
No matter how low an inertia the reel has due to manufacuring, if the tension is set to play a big fish does this not negate the amazing job a manufacturer can produce, or am i on completely the wrong track here?
no, to be fair Johnny you've pretty much nailed the concept of "low start-up inertia". a suitable reel will start moving smoothly almost as soon as any tension comes on it, then continue to release line without over-running,as Jim has just said.
the "better" the reel, the better they are at this. better doesn't necessarily equate to expensive tho'; although it should go without saying that the engineering required to achieve this costs a bit more, generally speaking. part of the reason that salmon reels are 1) more expensive and 2) make rather fine big fish reels for other species, too
does also depend on your definition of "better". i would guess someone fishing for marlin might rate the absolute pressure you could apply higher than a light start-up?
and, as Fred says, the consistency of operation is important. so something else that i like is a proper detent on the drag knob; so if i've set it at, say, three notches and i'm happy with it with that tippet, i know i can get exactly the same performance the next day after i've slackened the drag off for the night or even a few weeks later
Unless the drag unit is completely watertight (this is rare in my experience) then a dunk in the water will significantly reduce the drag. The danger then of course is the user might crank it up to compensate. Then it dries out a bit and the drag is set too high.
I have admitted to being a shameless tackle tart in previous discussions but I was going to keep my head down on this one until I saw Bobfly admit to owning 17 reels.
I have 2 Leeda LC2 reels and 4 spools that I bought 30 or more years ago when I used to fish #7 lines. Perfectly functional but nothing special. When I started using a 5-weight rod these reels were replaced in about 1993 by 3 silver Orvis CFO IIIs (made in England) with 5 spools that I bought for an absolute pittance when Orvis were having a sale before moving their London shop to Piccadilly. Beautiful, quality reels that I used hard for many years (including 2 season tickets on Grafham with plenty of decent fish) but they still look like new.
Then I fell for the fashion for larger spools and, again in the sale, bought 2 Orvis Battenkill I large arbour reels and 4 spools. Again, perfectly functional reels with a reasonable drag that have landed me a lot of fish but they do not have a quality feel to them.
I then dropped 2 lines sizes to a 3-weight and thinking that small must be good bought a Hardy Flyweight and spare spool to go with my new rod. A lovely reel but it did not work for me with my style of fishing on hill lochs as the tiny spool meant I could not retrieve line quickly enough when gathering it in on hooking a fish.
Making the mistake of browsing for a replacement in Farlows, I idly picked up a Sage Click II. Simple construction, large arbour, seems to weigh nothing and it just had a wow factor about it. It was love at first sight and I left the shop with a reel and spare spool and my wallet considerably lighter. I am still in love with the Click II and it has landed me my largest wild brownie of recent years (3lb 11oz) being stripped of all line several times in the process.
After using my #3 tackle, I found that my ancient but beloved Sage RPL+ #5 felt a bit heavy when the wind was too much for a #3 rod so I decided to try a 4-weight and this, of course, meant more reels. No thought went into their selection; Sage Click IIIs it was. Having been given a second #4 rod, I ended up with 3 Click III reels and 4 spools (one bought second hand).
I nearly forgot. I also have an Orvis reel for my 7-weight but I cannot remember the type and it is in the garage.
I cannot think why my wife despairs over my visits to tackle shops......
[attachimg=1]
A pile of expensive, quality gear - a sight to gladden the eye indeed. :8)
Quite clearly we only have the best people here on the Wild Fishing Forum. :lol:
Quote from: admin on June 07, 2017, 08:01:13 PM
Unless the drag unit is completely watertight (this is rare in my experience) then a dunk in the water will significantly reduce the drag.
or in the case of my Sage reel, f#*k it up & jam it completely :lol: never again....
Quote from: admin on June 07, 2017, 08:34:07 PM
A pile of expensive, quality gear - a sight to gladden the eye indeed. :8)
Quite clearly we only have the best people here on the Wild Fishing Forum. :lol:
indeed! :D absolutely nothing to be ashamed of :8) thanks for sharing Arawa!
In defence of 17 reels I can offer the sound excuse that they are shared with Mrs Bobfly.
Quote from: Bobfly on June 07, 2017, 11:19:18 PM
In defence of 17 reels I can offer the sound excuse that they are shared with Mrs Bobfly.
is she aware of this? :lol:
As the old joke goes 'let's hope that when I croak, the missus doesn't sell my tackle for what I told her I paid for it ' :lol:
Quote from: corsican dave on June 07, 2017, 12:10:58 PM
if you've got a 15lb+ fish going full tilt for the horizon on a 12lb tippet and the line's flying out through your fingers, so far so good; it's hooked :D
then there's a momentary inertia as the reel comes into play.... los endos; bye bye fish!! :(
admittedly not a common situation with our trout fishing here, but i can assure you that it's an everyday (pretty much every take) occurrence with carp & barbel. and it can happen with much smaller fish than the breaking strain of your line, too
i'll see if i can find a video to illustrate it
Eh? Are you fishing with a fishing rod or a fence post?
Quote from: Laxdale on June 08, 2017, 09:13:23 AM
Eh? Are you fishing with a fishing rod or a fence post?
Sage TCX - that would be a fence post. :lol:
Quote from: rannoch raider on June 07, 2017, 11:28:42 PM
As the old joke goes 'let's hope that when I croak, the missus doesn't sell my tackle for what I told her I paid for it ' :lol:
Unfortunately (for me at the time), we have moved past this stage. Sorting through some paperwork, my wife came across a fishing rod receipt and guarantee that I had not hidden well enough. The conversation went something like this:
"What's this??? I thought you said you bought that rod in a sale" (I had!). "How can you pay this much for a fishing rod? Why did you need another one anyway? How many rods do you have?".
I then made the cardinal error of referring to something she had bought and was rewarded with a (quite justified) fresh volley based upon the number of "green jackets" I have and why did I need them all (I don't).
Almost as bad a moment was the indiscreet comment from a salesman at House of Bruar that we call into when travelling to see our son in Moffat. On several previous visits I had been playing with a lightweight Sage but jokingly told the salesman that I could not buy it because my wife knew perfectly well that I did not have a red fishing rod. As my wife and I walked through the tackle section he said "Hello sir. Have you come to collect the fishing rod I put aside for you?" Nothing I said would persuade my wife that it was a joke.
Quote from: admin on June 08, 2017, 09:25:34 AM
Sage TCX - that would be a fence post. :lol:
hardy pro-axis, actually :lol: but the problem was resolved by using a quality reel with a lower start-up inertia.... QED :8)
A sub-thread could be the need to fish with a fishing rod as opposed to a casting stick.
Quote from: Laxdale on June 08, 2017, 11:04:08 AM
A sub-thread could be the need to fish with a fishing rod as opposed to a casting stick.
to a certain extent, you have a point, Gordon :lol: the thing with sight-fishing for carp & barbel is that you're dealing with big, powerful fish that are incredibly spooky and very finicky, effectively taking fairly small flies very delicately in shallow water. so you need a rod that's got a pretty fast action so you can fire off a quick shot, often at distance, yet is soft enough to land a fly delicately & also cushion the blow of a big fish hitting you hard. plus you're often casting over quite a few yards of shoreline before your line hits the water (so a double hander, which could be perfect in many regards, is out of the question) basically, it's a combo that doesn't exist. unless anyone knows better....?
it's one of the reasons that, in addition to trying to buy the best (as in performance)reel i can afford, i'm now looking at a much softer action rod, specifically with these guys in mind; presentation & cushioning the initial run. i've got an Epic 888 on the way.
however, that Hardy Pro-Axis is a superb rod for big flies for pike & swff, and is an absolute casting machine. i'll miss it! but i can only justify one #8wt. i know that Liam (claretbumble) is gonna' have a lot of fun with it :8)
Quote from: Laxdale on June 08, 2017, 11:04:08 AM
A sub-thread could be the need to fish with a fishing rod as opposed to a casting stick.
I think there is something in this Gordon, to be honest I find that "cheap" rods work much better for me and I'd guess this is because they are softer. Now I'd guess part of this is that I'm not good at casting, but then I don't go fishing to go casting, I go fishing to enjoy myself and find that a softer rod seems to work best for this.
I have two Sage rods, one is an 11 foot 6 weight and I'm given to believe that Sage built this as a "softer" rod for UK anglers and the other is a 10 foot 4 weight which is, in my view, a bit on the stiff side for the fishing I do. I guess stiff means fast.
For the fishing I do my old Leeda 11 foot 7 weight, or even my new Leeda 11 foot 7 weight, seems ideal to me. I also have a new Leeda 11 foot 4 weight and it is very soft but I'm enjoying fishing it as well, it is a much better Lewis rod than the 10 foot 4 weight Sage.
stand by for the PSFGC guide to stupidly expensive rods you might actually need.... or not :lol:
although to be honest it'll be a far shorter thread!
:lol:
[attachimg=1]
:D
I like your style.
Quote from: corsican dave on June 08, 2017, 08:41:52 PM
to a certain extent, you have a point, Gordon :lol: the thing with sight-fishing for carp & barbel is that you're dealing with big, powerful fish that are incredibly spooky and very finicky, effectively taking fairly small flies very delicately in shallow water. so you need a rod that's got a pretty fast action so you can fire off a quick shot, often at distance, yet is soft enough to land a fly delicately & also cushion the blow of a big fish hitting you hard. plus you're often casting over quite a few yards of shoreline before your line hits the water (so a double hander, which could be perfect in many regards, is out of the question) basically, it's a combo that doesn't exist. unless anyone knows better....?
it's one of the reasons that, in addition to trying to buy the best (as in performance)reel i can afford, i'm now looking at a much softer action rod, specifically with these guys in mind; presentation & cushioning the initial run. i've got an Epic 888 on the way.
however, that Hardy Pro-Axis is a superb rod for big flies for pike & swff, and is an absolute casting machine. i'll miss it! but i can only justify one #8wt. i know that Liam (claretbumble) is gonna' have a lot of fun with it :8)
A lot of my salmon hunting in the summer months involves stealth, with a bit of casting over grass and heather.
I broke a Hardy Elite 10.5ft, 7 weight last summer and replaced it with a Hardy Swift 10.5ft, 7 weight. Little did I know that the Swift was a poker! It is nowhere near as good at the critical changeover from hand lining to reel from a running fish, which is not to my liking.
Similarly, the difference between Guideline casting sticks and a Meiser fishing rod became pretty obvious over three weeks last May. I went from big to small hooks and lost a few due to the stiffness of the Guidelines. The Meiser was also very good when I hooked fish stripping in flies using mono running line. I never lost any at the point when the reel came in to play as fish scooted off.....fast enough for me to get burnt fingers from the mono line. The rod did the job rods are supposed to do and acted as a shock absorber.
back on topic, this is well worth a watch. an amazing story and quite something to see the machining process about half-way in
https://vimeo.com/105772946
Winston Rods
excerpt from a review. i thought it was kinda' cool :8) :
"Winston is the kind of place where employees take pride in their work and feel an ownership in it. Any employee can, at any time, take any part out of production if they find it to be anything other than perfect. They are expected to do it, and what's more they are expected to take it back to the person responsible for the imperfection. It's the kind of place where if you do your job well, you get more responsibility. The kind of place where your work ethic matters more than your resume
Nothing I saw on my visit to the Winston rod shop summed up the company culture more than a young man named Jessie. Jessie cuts the precise sheets of graphite, boron and fiberglass which are rolled to make a rod blank. It's done by hand and must be within a few thousandths of an inch. "What's your fuck-up rate?" asked my friend Steve Duda. Without hesitation, Jessie reached for a clip board and pointed out a column titled "waste" with a string of zeros.
"This goes back for years," Jessie replied. "My fuck-up rate is zero." "
[attachimg=1]
Love it! Whenever I can afford one my next rod will be a winston, things of beauty!
So heres a question. If you had 200 quid to spend on a reel for trout fishing what would you buy?
Has to be robust, this will get knocked and dropped.
Will get dunked under water every trip
Ultra lightweight not necessary, has to balance 10 and 11' rods
Good drag
Spare spools not needed.
Large arbor
Asking for a friend :D :D :D
well, from experience i would maybe go for a Danielsson.
i have one and i like it. for what it's worth i'll do a personal review tonight. i was going to at some point, anyway
meantime, here's a pretty objective review online. these guys seem to have a good take on things
https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear-review/2014-8weight-reel-shootout-nautilusnv-einarsson-galvan-tiboreverglades-hatch-ross-orvis-tfo375-tfobvk-hardy-danielsson-islander-abel-cheeky-loop-bauer-sage-lamsonreels (https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear-review/2014-8weight-reel-shootout-nautilusnv-einarsson-galvan-tiboreverglades-hatch-ross-orvis-tfo375-tfobvk-hardy-danielsson-islander-abel-cheeky-loop-bauer-sage-lamsonreels)
i think Fred (and others?) would endorse Vosseler. Fred's one looks like it's seen a lot of service! :8)
Quote from: corsican dave on June 21, 2017, 02:44:29 PM
i think Fred (and others?) would endorse Vosseler. Fred's one looks like it's seen a lot of service! :8)
I'd say it was virtually indestructible. It's German though so might suffer from faked performance stats and high emissions. :lol: Spare spools are very expensive.
ha, pesky Germans.
Is it the DC2 you have?
DC3 I have Mark, it's an old model now.
Another vote for the Vosseler, Whilst not owning one I have had a loan of one for a few days (DC2) they are a well made reel. If I was buying a new modern reel I would go for one without any qualms.
Having said that I am probably not the best to answear this question as I have never owned a large arbour.
All my reels are click & pawl with most made in the 60s/70s (J.W. Young) I have a thing about older stuff.
Manufacturer I would recommend though is the American Ross Reels . I had a Ross Cimarron C1 for about a week on loan & it is a superb bit of kit & would not break the bank.
If you really want a stupidly expensive bit of kit go no further than this.
http://www.houseofbruar.com/saracione-deluxe-sd-salmon-reel/ (http://www.houseofbruar.com/saracione-deluxe-sd-salmon-reel/)
I have to say though they are beautiful bits of kit. You can get the "cheaper" Trout reel for £850 if you like.
:roll:
I would happily recommend a Danielsson reel, well made and reliable. Orvis Battenkill and Hydros reels also fall into that price bracket and may be worth a look.
Maxcatch Avid 7/8
these are made in China and have some glowing reviews, not the least from some friends in Oz who have used them regularly for big, predatory fish in both fresh & salt water.
they look remarkably similar to a mid-high end branded product.
for the sake of £40 delivered, it had to be worth a punt, right?
ordered on 16 september, turned up today. on the face of it a nicely machined bit of kit. unfortunately it doesn't work. the spool has been machined off-centre, so doesn't rotate properly
i have requested a refund
[attachimg=1]
Looks great. Do they do a Celtic model? :lol:
i shall be adding another £150 to it and ordering a Vosseler DC2 when i return from Gran Canaria. and i'll know it'll be money well spent :8)
Quote from: corsican dave on September 26, 2017, 07:43:37 PM
i shall be adding another £150 to it and ordering a Vosseler DC2
A good choice. A well made reel. :8)
At the risk of opening some flood gates of knowledge or opinion, I have a Stillwater something or other, 15 quid at a boot sale with an un named reel 8quid outa some charity shop. Had them for years and caught plenty of fish. I'm I blissfully unaware of what I'm missing? I'm I one those jammy feckers? Or is it just that you don't need a 200 quid reel to catch a fish?
Now spinning and pike is where I'm usually at but i do get huckled out regularly with a fly mad friend. So while I'm no expert I manage a decent cast with semi decent results with no real idea of what fly is what either.
They're not essential but it's nice to fish with good stuff, I've got stuff that's somewhere in between and you do notice the difference but yo don't catch any more fish. Suppose it's the difference between driving an old banger (which I do) or a spanking new merc, you'll get the same place but it'll be nicer to handle.
Ps if you're happy with what you've got do not try your mates sage one or winston, you'll suddenly realise you hate your rod :roll:
Quote from: Lochan_load on September 26, 2017, 11:07:48 PM
you do notice the difference but yo don't catch any more fish
i don't get to fish for big carp very often, so i need to have gear that's 100% reliable for when i do get the chance
of course the counter argument is "i don't get to fish for big carp very often so what's the point in spending big bucks on something i'll only use once or twice a year?" which would be fair comment
i can't imagine anyone here would contemplate going on that once-in-a-lifetime bonefishing holiday with a second-rate reel?
Quote from: Captain conger on September 26, 2017, 09:28:35 PM
At the risk of opening some flood gates of knowledge or opinion, I have a Stillwater something or other, 15 quid at a boot sale with an un named reel 8quid outa some charity shop. Had them for years and caught plenty of fish. I'm I blissfully unaware of what I'm missing? I'm I one those jammy feckers? Or is it just that you don't need a 200 quid reel to catch a fish?
Now spinning and pike is where I'm usually at but i do get huckled out regularly with a fly mad friend. So while I'm no expert I manage a decent cast with semi decent results with no real idea of what fly is what either.
ahoy there Captain! yes, you're quite correct. most of the time most of us could carry our line around in a stripping basket & not bother with a reel at all.you'll see i touched on this on the first post on the thread :8) the thread is intended to allow folks to share their experiences of reels good or bad, expensive or otherwise :D
just a quick follow up to the Maxcatch experience; full refund within 6 hours of raising the query. certainly 11/10 for customer service :D
to be fair to the manufacturer one of our machine engineers has looked at it and says that it looks as if it's had a heavy weight on it in transit, which has warped one of the inner spokes supporting the spool. He says the machining of the reel is generally excellent.
I buy quality reels second hand. I have several hatch reels including spools for less than £200. The drag is amazing and the wind up rotation is almost frictionless.
I'll use these reels for years. Sometimes I use them for salmon and a good drag is needed. Are they really necessary? I don't know but I do know that there are occasions, which are rare, when you do need to crank up the drag.
I am amazed at the second hand price of this gear. It's also quality and I'm my view worth paying for. Most second hand reels are less than the price of a pair of good boots.
Quote from: bibio1 on September 27, 2017, 09:40:56 AM
Are they really necessary?
IMO absolutely, definitely not, not for trout fishing in Scotland anyway. However, owning good quality gear can be a pleasure in itself and good reliable performance turns one variable in the equation into a constant.
My Sage rods don't catch any more fish than a Greys of Shakey, but they are are absolute delight to use and I'd hate to go back "downmarket".
If you can afford good gear then why not? There are worse things to spend your hard earned cash on.
Quote from: corsican dave on September 27, 2017, 09:05:02 AM
ahoy there Captain! yes, you're quite correct. most of the time most of us could carry our line around in a stripping basket & not bother with a reel at all.you'll see i touched on this on the first post on the thread :8) the thread is intended to allow folks to share their experiences of reels good or bad, expensive or otherwise :D
Fair point, I am bad for a wee tangent here n there. Suppose my point should really be I generally have a good experience regardless of the kit and I can't offer any review cos I don't even know what is I use. It may come back to haunt me some day.
A bad days fishing is better than a goods day working as they say
so, please do feel free to review any reels you have used or owned, folks; expensive or otherwise :8)
Quote from: corsican dave on September 27, 2017, 10:44:03 AM
so, please do feel free to review any reels you have used or owned, folks; expensive or otherwise :8)
I used Leeda LC 40 reels for many years that were very cheap and perfectly functional. I still have them and if I need a line other than a floater on my #7 Sage rod then I use them to this day. I expect they will still have plenty of useful life when I have to hang up my rods.
However, I find there are some items – especially fishing tackle - that if you pick them up have a mystical ability to transmit "buy me" orders direct to your credit card without any intervention from the brain. One such item for me were Sage Click reels to go with my #4 and #3 rods for fishing small hill lochs. They seem to weigh nothing. They are almost works of art in their design and simplicity. The noise of the ratchet when a decent fish strips line is thrilling. Although just a reel, and stupidly expensive, and they do not enable me catch any more fish than the LC40s, I just love them!
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There is also an Apple iPhone / Nike trainer element to this, but I'm not sure everyone would like to admit it. :lol:
Quote from: admin on September 27, 2017, 11:29:16 AM
There is also an Apple iPhone / Nike trainer element to this, but I'm not sure everyone would like to admit it. :lol:
I wear Nikes, Have an iPhone and use a sage reel :gay4
Quote from: Element on September 27, 2017, 10:29:51 PM
Are you sending the reel back to them dave - or did they just say keep it / bin it? - If the latter - have you considered the possibility of having it repaired? In 6 months time ( :lol: ) I will have finally finished building the work bench in the garage, after I have tiled the floor, emptied said garage into the big workshop shed - which will have been insulated and ply clad on the inside roof and walls - and have built the work benches in it... point is - eventually after some time yet, I will have his metal lathe rebuilt and working in his garage & I dare say he'd be delighted at the prospect of maybe milling a tiny 2/1000" off a surface so it spins as it should... Maybe someone else might have a lathe and could do the same job before we could... Downside (if it is one) is that the nice shiny blue powder coating might not be quite so pristine after it has been fixed...
E
said engineer is in the process of constructing a mandrel to try to fix it :lol: the central spline & spool over-fit is fine. we've already got it working, it's just the spool is a bit wonky. to be honest, a new spool would fix the issue. Maxcatch refunded the money immediately and told me to keep the reel. can't say fairer than that. :8)
At the end of the day people buy what they can afford. Price is what most people have to consider, the fact that rod or reel "A" might last 3 times longer than "B" is irrelevant if you can only have enough money to buy "B".
Ryanair.
Once my Shakey salmon reels fall to bits, I am going to move on to reels from here-
http://danielsson-flyreels.se/en/
I know a lot of guys who fish a lot of hours with them and have never had any problems. Not overly daft money involved either.
I am sticking with my System 2 for single handed work. Bullet proof and perfectly adequate.
they're very nice Gordon, you won't be disappointed :D
very smooth & incredibly well engineered. plus the delivery service direct from Sweden is nothing short of remarkable. i think it was two days from order to delivery :shock:
only (very minor) niggle is that the handle is a bit on the wee side (L5W series)
EXCEPT .... many problems with the "Original" series of their reels which were running on three rollers into which all sorts of grit and fine sand would work its way and eroded the inner spool frame. Quite a few jammed according to a chap I was speaking to who had had to return them to the makers and give customer refunds. They appear to still make that type. Loop had something very similar and stopped making them.
a quick review of the Danielsson L5W
Danielsson L5W (6nine)
rrp £213
Pros
made in Sweden
direct from the manufacturer
fast delivery
high quality engineering
mid-range price
suitable for saltwater use
positive drag setting
smooth drag
Cons
small handle
slight start-up inertia & slight resistance on winding
drag knob shallow
Overall Verdict
very high quality reel for a surprisingly low(relatively) price
Description
straight from the packaging this reel exudes quality. The whole construction is solid and the tolerances are tight. The finish is brushed rather than polished and there is a logo & model description discreetly etched on the back-plate rim. There is a neoprene pouch which is a bit tight, but perfectly usable.
In use the reel is smooth. The drag adjustment is positive but as the knob is quite shallow it could be tricky for folks with large hands or in the cold. There is a slight start-up inertia and the drag noise is not very audible. There is a similar resistance on winding in, which takes a bit of getting used to. The handle is definitely on the small side and it's quite a specific design so not easily replaced.
As far as fishing goes, the drag is lovely and smooth when a fish takes line; but there is a (barely) noticeable pause before the spool starts turning. Just enough for a bit of extra tension on the rod. A softer tip rod rather than a super-stiff casting stick would probably help.
These are very minor issues & make no mistake; this is a very high quality reel. I'm not surprised it's the choice of many professionals
Thought it worth keeping adding a reel review / warning to this.
I have been looking at buying a reel recently and had put a reasonable amount of research and ground work into the purchase. Bit the bullet last week had splashed out a bit on a Ross Evolution LTX. I was swayed but a couple of things, firstly and most significantly in about 2013 Ross Reels were bought by the same company that own Abel and productions of both companies reels were moved Tom the same business park / premises. The reel also includes one or two neatly though out details which suggested a reassuring level of design.
When the reel arrived I was initially very pleased, as you'd expect of a reel in the price bracket the finish was very high. It looks are also good enough to please any tackle tart. Unfortunately I soon noticed some play in the spool, it moved about 0.5mm. Lightly shaking the reel resulted in a clicking noise as the spool contacted the housing.
I contacted Ross Reels to confirm whether this was a defaul and also sent a similar query to the dealer I purchased the reel from. The dealer, Sportfish, were brilliant and couldn't be more helpful. Turns out that other reels in their stock had the same play in the spool.
I also exchanged several e-mails with Ross Reels, to be fair their responses were prompt and courteous. The long and short of it is that the play is apparently part of the design of the reel and intended to minimise start up inertia. However, I was not convinced and have return the reel and received a full refund from Sportfish.
This is a reel I like, all be it an old model with the non ventilated spool. Bit heavy by todays standard but something I like my reels to be.
(https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f233/Algie123/wfs-dscn2057.jpg) (https://s48.photobucket.com/user/Algie123/media/wfs-dscn2057.jpg.html)
(https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f233/Algie123/wfs-dscn2058.jpg) (https://s48.photobucket.com/user/Algie123/media/wfs-dscn2058.jpg.html)
fair play, it's too much money for a reel to not be completely happy with it. Not sure id be happy with that either.
Not used my loop q in anger yet but I've had a cast and a play with it in the garden/house and I'm really happy with it. The drag seems good and it feels really well put together. Looks the part too. Will have to see how durable it is with the cast rather than machined body. That is an issue with the sage reels I have which are cast as well to keep the cost down. Drop one on rock (or in my case a tiled floor :roll: ) and they bend quite easily. Hopefully won't be an issue with the new one.
That looks brand new Alan!
That's a shame about the Ross LTX, I've been eyeing them for a while but planning on picking up a new Abel TR or SDF instead now. Have an old green evolution LT that is rock solid and makes a really nice noise when paying out line and retrieving.
The spool movement is interesting as I have a Harfin that has the same 0.5mm or so movement but when I had the new Orvis mirage which is designed for the same job at a similar price it was rock solid. I sold the mirage due to it being a tad heavy but the Mirage LT they're bringing out might be a winner.
QuoteThat looks brand new Alan
Aye it does, but it hails from the 80s. Having said that has not had a lot of use, I do look after my kit has something to do with that. Has minor paint loss on the rim which pictures do not show. A first class reel with a bullet proof drag.
Tight Lines
PS Like your Patagonia flies first class tyings.