A good fly reel? / Topic veer - hammers

[imfishin]

 The Danielsson reels out of Sweden are about the best value for my money.
 They are worth looking at for any wide range salt or fresh water application.
 Small privately held company with exceptional customer service.
 Very high quality at really competitive pricing.

[jurelometer]

I have been eyeing the Daneilsson reels for awhile now- which one(s) you got?  The spey guys sure love them.

Machined in-house in Sweden, not outsourced.  The current direct from factory pricing (including shipping to USA) is an excellent deal compared to other reels of the same class/construction.  Prices are about the same (or more) for used Danielssons on the auction site now. 

Interesting (if sometimes quirky) designs. The form factor on the larger reels tend to be more spey focused (wide and heavy) than bluewater (narrow and a bit lighter). I'm not in love with some of the design choices for bluewater fishing, or the use of roller clutches(AKA one-way bearings).  But they have one of the few field serviceable sealed reels.  Pack an extra one way bearing, and you are probably in good shape if you don't need a monster drag.

For a sealed reel for beach casting, I would definitely consider a Danielsson H5D ($260 USD +$22 shipping) over a $600 Hatch or a $700 Nautilus- but that's me.

-J

[imfishin]

     I fish a 6nine for Bonefish and a 8twelve for Jacks and Permit.
  I fish these reels more than I do an Abel.

  I dont think there is a better value out there for these applications.

[jurelometer]

I'll keep my eyes peeled.  I will hopefully be able to lay hands on a Danielsson.  I need a beach reel. 

Not sure that Abels are worth the current retail price, but you would have to pry my Abel Supers from my cold dead hands. But they are not so great at keeping blowing beach sand out.  Where the  Abels shine is at higher loads and/or when long term reliability is important.

I was doing trips with the same group for a few years for yellowfin and (sometimes jumbo) roosterfish.  A lot of them left Abel because that didn't like to maintain the cork drag and ball bearings.  I have watched their newer, well-regarded modern sealed reels get overwhelmed when they had to crank down on a large fish.  Frames flexing/spool scraping, drags too weak, one way bearings locking up, you name it.  I just keep turning up the drag knob on the 15 year old Abel until I can stop the fish. Works like new.

If you still have any of those awful Abel Supers, let me know.  I will trade you for a nice  brand new Danielsson  6nine or 8twelve

-J

[MarkT]

Enough of the fly reels... who's rocking a Stiletto or Martinez?

[G8trwood]

Also fish several Danielssons, 3w 4-7 for trout and the 7-10 for inshore salt.  They have been sound. No complaints at all.  I haven't tried the 5HD for bigger fish. But they list geets in the description:)

[jurelometer]

Yeah, I saw that: "bluewater species like tarpon and sailfish"

Kinda tells me that this guy doesn't get around the bluewater (or probably flats) scene much.

The challenge for this type of design in saltwater is prmarily an eventual seal failure compromising the roller clutch, then getting enough drag out of  a low COF "polymer" (presumably Rulon) stack that has to fit in a relatively small diameter  sealed chamber. And then a few other questions about spool locking.  Except for the seal challenge, none of these are going to be an issue on a decent reel until you get into the higher end of usage.

On a non hammer topic veer (sorry Mark),  I don't understand the mythic status for GTs.  They are a fine game fish, and it is a blast to watch them race through a flat, but they are only about middle of the road on the toughness scale when it comes to Jack species. If you put the screws on a GT hard enough, it will just give up.

A jumbo GT on an Abel Super that was about eight years old at the time. Still going strong 7 years and lots of fish later: 

https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,19715.msg210849.html#msg210849

[happyhooker]

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Hardy Lightweight Series and all the clones thereof may be the most flattered fly reels ever.  Simple (no drag, except what you apply yourself with your hand, and some click pawls), well-built and you can buy good used ones for $50-75 US.  Thinking specifically of the LRH model (lightweight-medium) clones specifically, including the Heddon 310, Daiwa 720, and the one I have, a Berkley 540.  Zebco, Alford, Roddy, Garcia, Compac and L.L. Bean are others who cloned.  All are IDd by the iconic 6-rivet spacing on the side.  Most will convert easily between right and left hand retrieve.

Frank