Van staal fly reel

[Benni3]

Going down a rabbit hole 🐇 abel $1300 for a cool looking one and it's got cork drag washers,,,,, van staal is discontinued good prices so I got a 5to7wt with sa mpx line,,,, I had to upgrade because cutting corners was a problem for this rainbow,,,,,,

[jurelometer]

Nice!  A very light reel for the size. 

I'd check with Van Staal about getting some backup seals - the bottom one too, not just the o-ring.  This is what eventually fails on these "sealed"reels with a one way bearing.   These reels were made in China for Van Staal for just a couple years, and no schematic, or even product mention on their web site, so finding parts might get tricky as time passes. Freshwater only use should get you a longer lifespan on these reels.

You can see the seals in this video:

https://bearsden.com/blogs/how-to/how-to-change-the-retrieve-on-a-van-staal-vf-series-reel


Personally, I'd take the Abel, but not at that price either.  Simple cork drag designs  don't get the respect they deserve.
 
Now go out a catch another slab!  With the crowds you are drawing, I expect that you will be attracting  some tackle company sponsors soon. 

-J