In message , matthew walker
writes
Hi All,

I am just getting the bug for fishing after a 20 year absence. i have a good
match course fishind rod and some good olds skool reels. Iam comfortable
with lake and river fishing, but would like to catch some pike! I have a
cheap pike rod and trace, linr etc. I would like to know whicth of my old
reels would be the best for the job - i have abu506m, mitchell match 440a
and mitchell 840. some may not be able to hold sufficeint strong lines. Any
advise would be appreciated.

Cheers
Matt

p.s. carp fishing has taken over, i need to get back to basics before i
expand to carp


Not the Match - far too light a reel (and one of the all-time classics).
I'd expect the 840 should be fine, for spinning. I'd load it with 30lb
braid (seems heavy, but similar diameter to 8lb mono) as this will give
better feel than mono and allow you to retrieve most snagged lures (the
hooks should straighten before the line breaks). Just make sure your
clutch is set appropriately so you don't overload your rod.

Will
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