Comments on assembly, disassembly, # of parts, and parts availability

[GClev]

Gene Tolson, the YFT record holder for many years with a 308# fish he caught on a black 9/0, once told me, "Boy, what are you doing with those 'Yacht' reels."

Now, almost 50 years later, looking at the complexity of the tuturials on this site, and the sheer number of parts in the newer reels, and especially, springs and clips and spacers, complex assemblies and sub-assemblies, I was just wondering what you, the collective of knowledgable reel guys, thinks of the new reels??!?

Smaller? Stronger?  Lighter?  More Complex to Repair?  Too many parts? Too tricky by half?  And what do you think of one-man companies?  Will they go the way of the Studebaker?  Pontiac?  Saturn?  Scion?  Sheridan Tank?

Would you rather have a reel where the handle is actually easy to change?  One that with a drag washer that is easy to inspect? 

Did you know a Glock has half as many parts as a Sig?

Comments? Questions? Some uncommon common wisdom?

[thorhammer]

That's a great question and you will get as many opinions as people, for different reasons. Just because I like refurbing old stuff that's still good, I like old stuff. It can be bought used cheaper. I never buy a new fishing widget, except these folk's outstanding hot-rod parts . I still fish SS's and Z's, Mitchells, Quicks, and thirty year old Japanese spinners because they are beefy, simple beasts. I will not buy a Stella because of all the fancy parts and on principle a thousand dollar reel should be capable of a thousand lb fish....I feel the same about vehicles: I had to buy a Jeep with a bunch of other techno gadget crap that keeps breaking just to get towing package. And they put black carpet in Jeeps and trucks now.....what a stupid idea. That said, many improvements are there in terms of modern reels having monster power and strength in smaller packages so we can fish plenty of heavy line without a truck winch. But we still like our winches too. Don't we, Sharkhunter?

[Cor]

For nearly 35 years I fished with fairly basic designed and heavy reels.  In my early days Penn 49's mainly, then from 1990 onwards Daiwa SL50SH and or Shimano TLD star 20/40 which I still rate as the best durable work horses around in their class.

I now have a few other reels of which The Shimano Tranx's and Penn Fathom 25n's rank in the top, but they also need the most maintenance and also give more trouble.

With the Tranx I expected that being a level winder, but the Penn Fathoms look so nicely designed and built inside, but have been disappointing.   I moved to these two reels as I needed to go lighter in weight and they were the only ones that ticked all the boxes.

I would prefer the older more simple reels with less parts.

[Tightlines667]

My experience with servicing heavily used 80+class offshore trolling reels suggests that the more rugged, simpler reels with slightly looser tollerances stand up to long-term heavy abuse better then the newer high performance, tight tollerance, heavily engineered  (i.e. more parts) machines.  The later may have slightly better performance and features, but require more regular maintainance and parts need shimming/adjusting/ replacing more frequently.

John

[Keta]

Avet reels are not complicated to work on, like an old VW beetle.  They work well too.

[0119]

I was just wondering what you, the collective of knowledgable reel guys, thinks of the new reels??!?


Did you know a Glock has half as many parts as a Sig?

You present a true conundrum to all I hold dear and true and I find this truly upsetting.   I find every reel developed today to be total and utter garbage.  Engineered simply for short lifespan and used as a 'drug' to hypnotize consumers to constantly buy new.  But then to tell me that the foulest firearm ever developed holds to a doctrine I hold so near and dear is perplexing.  All I can say is that my Sig's even with their made in India MIM internals, are infinitely better than a firearm developed by an appliance maker who acknowledges they only have a 5 year life expectancy and makes them out of the same material we despise being in our reels.

[Shark Hunter]

Everybody has their own opinion. That's all it is.
I really Like Sig rifles and pistols, but I also have many others, including a Glock.
I own mainly Vintage Penn's. From a little 185 to a 16/0. I also Like my Everol's, but I only have three of those. A Maserati, Ferrari and Sherman Tank!
The new Daiwa spinners are almost entirely made of plastic. They just don't make things like they use too.
Some still do. Penn and Everol Have stood the test of time and they make the Big Boys that I like.

[Rancanfish]

Holy Cow Shark!  I've never seen such a large wooden plinthe, lol.

[Gfish]

My Dad's favorite gun was his Browning simi-auto 12 gauge. He also had a war trophy from the So. Pacific, a 6.5 mm Japanese Army rifle. He showed me the rather complicated beauty of his shotgun, the external cosmetics(wood, etching, etc.) and its internal mechanics. Then he showed me the army rifle with its extra long barrel(used like a spear with the bayonet connection), metal butt(used as a hammer), the bolt sticking straight outta the action and the looseness of the action("will still fire with dirt in it"). The thing was a field action beast", really a thing of beauty in the eyes of the beholder - me. Reminds me of a very few( mostly Penn) modern reels and most of the name brand stuff pre-70's. I got some modern stuff and some older stuff and a few antiques. Probably the most all around dependable, simple, yet tough, and definitely beautiful, would be my 1904 B.F. Meek, "No. 25 BLUEGRASS". No freespool, direct drive, clicker, spool tensioner, w/ bushings ,  a 3:1 gear ratio and still spins as good as my jigmaster w/ bushings(even w/ that cute little handle spinning 1/3 as fast). Talk about craftsmanship, and tight tolarences! It's really a pleasure (and a possible knuckle buster) to own.
Gfish

[oc1]

I like to use the old classics and that is the default starting point.  But there are instances where a modern reel is just more functional, more comfortable and a better fit for the fishing situation.  I'm into light baitcasting now and if there was a classic baitcaster that is as fast, long, light and ergonomic as a modern low profile, I would use it.  In the end it's all about landing more fish.
-steve

[0119]

I'm into light baitcasting now and if there was a classic baitcaster that is as fast, long, light and ergonomic as a modern low profile, I would use it. 

In the end it's all about landing more fish.
-steve

I prefer light baitcasting myself.  Ultralight even. Abu 2500c's with 2 and 4lb. mono and sub 1/4oz lures for baby tarpon and snook.  I cannot find a 'modern' reel that can do that since shimano discontinued the Calcutta 50.  Its not about catching more fish for me anymore, especially since my home waters are extremely depleted.

[oc1]

0119, I love my old ABUs.  But, the gear ratio is too slow, the synchronized levelwind slows down the spool, there is not fast cast button, etc..  Have an original silver Calcutta 100 too that was my modern reel to replace the Ambassadeurs back in its day.  Presently I use a Curado 70 to throw 1/4 oz at bonefish.

Perhaps reels are like music in that we tend to gravitate back to the reels and music of our youth.  My father refused to fish with any reel with a clutch or drag.  He started with knuckle busters and ended with knuckle busters. 
-steve

[handi2]

I don't use any of the older reels. The only Penn reels I use are the Baja or US113HN and occasionally a Penn Spinning reel.

My trolling reels are all Shimano. My multipurpose reels are Avets and Trinidad's.

[Keta]

  I cannot find a 'modern' reel that can do that since shimano discontinued the Calcutta 50. 

I use my 51's for 6" kokanee to 20lb steelhead and hope to catch a 30# plus mackinaw with one.

[GClev]

When you consider the demise of Newell and the scarcity of parts now (similar to Saturn cars), what does anyone think of one-man or two-man reel companies?  I am a Calstar fan since their founding and have been a fan of Leon's work for half a century.  I dare not ponder Calstar without him.

Penn seems to have thrived under Jarman ownership.

The only thing of which I'm sure is that things change.