Fishing - Which Are The Best Reels?

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:45:09 -0600, ray wrote:

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:20:45 -0500, Rick wrote:

"Russell D." wrote in message
...
ray wrote:
On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:43:11 -0500, Wolfgang wrote:

"ray" wrote in message
...

I don't fish for tarpon. For your average freshwater fisherperson
pursuing
mostly trout and an occasional bass - what's the point?

I agree. My thirty dollar reel holds my line just fine. The only time
I've ever lost a fish that I could blame on the reel was years ago when
I fished with an automatic.

Russell

Wouldn't mind have the chance to start a fire with my reel though.

How did you like that automatic? I inherited a few from my grandfather...
Was thinking I might try them out on the river for some smallies

Rick

One comment I've seen about them (never tried them myself) is that they
work fine - until you drop one in the sand.

IMO, most (but see below) "automatic" fly reels are poorly-made and more
trouble then they are worth unless there is a physical reason for their
use. And the ones from the 60s-70s-80s are no exception - few are
particularly well-built and most were more inexpensive novelties rather
than true fishing tools. AFAIK, the most widely-available automatic in
the US, still made is the Martin, still sells for under $30USD, and that
alone should tell one something. Springs break, winders bind up, the
line loads in a "wad," etc. Many/most? flea markets and "antique malls"
have one or more broken automatic, often a Martin, somewhere in the
building.

OTOH, there is one, the Vivarelli, that is a well-made reel. And its
quality is reflected in the price, something along the lines of $200USD.
It isn't widely available in the US, and because of its Italian origin,
exchange rates will figure into the price in US dollars - they are over
100GBP in England. This is one of the few areas of FFing where one
really must spend some extra coin to get something that really works for
the purpose intended - a Vivarelli will be a working fishing tool when a
crate of Martins have long since broken down or been abandoned.

Even given the quality of the Vivarelli, and again IMO, it is still
best-suited to someone with a physical "handicap" which would
necessitate its use. If you are perfectly capable of reeling in and are
simply too lazy to do it, then perhaps FFing is not your sport.

Since Russell has a few, there's nothing "wrong" with giving them a try,
but I think most will find that they simply aren't worth the hassle for
someone who has no physical need for them. The only caution I'd offer
is that because they were inherited and perhaps meaningful in their "as
inherited" state, using them even once could cause a failure, but they
have little monetary value working or not so if they have no sentimental
value, there's no monetary harm in playing around with them. If they
can be disassembled, cleaned, and oiled, I'd recommend that before usage
if you wish to try to keep them working. Any that cannot be, I'd oil
the bejeebers out of it with a plastic and rubber safe lube, allow it a
day to "soak in," and then, GENTLY begin to operate it, sans line,
building up to a full wind and release, followed by a wipe down and
"blow drying" it with clean air. I'd not use a good line in any of them
unless you are prepared to either lose the line or destroy the reel to
get it off.

IAC, over the years I've played with several, including the Vivarelli,
and I actually have a few (all incidentally acquired)...in a box in the
top of a closet - unlined, unused, and unmissed...but hey, as always,
YMMV...

TC,
R