Pflueger reels

OK I'll bite.

The screws hold the reel together.

Many of the more expensive reels are machined from aluminum and they
are lighter and maybe a bit smoother and just about as durable. Many
of the more expensive reels have a better-than-Pflueger drag if that's
what you need.

Willi uses Pfluegers sometimes and generally catches every fish in the
river and some from dry land too.

bruce h

Hi Bob,

I sold and used the old Pflueger 'Medalist' fly reels for 40 years. Actually
we don't sell them anymore.

You can get very nice old ones on eBay or at garage sales.

At one time they were one of the standard fly reels for most fly fishers in
the USA. 1940s-1980s. Like the Ford Model A.

1492 = 3 line

1492 1/2 = 3/4 line

1494 = 4/5 line

1494 1/2 = 5/6 line

1495 - 6/7 line

1495 1/2 = 8/9 line

1496 = not many

1498 = 10/12 line


The older ones had 6 rivets holding the spool together. The later had 3
rivets. The good ones are made in the USA.

The real old ones had a machined steel drag disc inside.

Old ones had metal drag knobs and metal caps on the center of the spool
where the latch was.

I sold machined naval bronze drag disc that I bought from Herman Voss of
Pompano Beach, Florida.

I have a one piece machined solid aluminum spool for a Pflueger 'Medalist'
1492 1/2 that was made by Herman Voss. I got it from Chico Fernandez.

We also had Hardy nickel silver counter balances we installed in the
Medalist in the 70s and 80s so we could go for steelhead and bonefish with
them.

I sold a product called the 'One Foot' which was an accessory for the
Medalist that was a machined aluminum foot assembly with cross pillars.

Real old ones were riveted together, no screws.

In the '80s they went to metric screws. I called Shakespeare who bought the
Pflueger company and they said we did not need those SAE frame screws
anymore. That really ****ed me off.

I have a collection of old ones that are just for memories.

I have a 1495 1/2 that I landed a 40 pound tarpon on in Venezuela in 1985
with my dad.

With the same reel I was spooled wading at Christmas Island by a rather
large bonefish in 1986.

I caught steelhead on it on the Dean River in BC with it.

I caught big Rainbows in New Zealand with it.

They used them at the Fenwick fly fishing schools in the 60s/70s so many of
them are still around. All of Mel Krieger's old friends have them. We put
bronze drag disc and counter balances on many for Mel's buddies.

They made the Pflueger 'Supreme' anti-reverse models too with a solid
aluminum spool. Kind of a poor man's salt water reel.

They are all but gone from the seen today. We only see a few every season.

I use to install dozens of screws in them every summer for customers. They
would vibrate out. We put head cement on the screw heads to keep them from
coming loose and falling out.

I am sure I could clean and lube mine up that are here on the shelf and go
catch anything on them.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA

Web site: www.kiene.com


"Bob" wrote in message
...

What's up with Pflueger reels. I know some very distinguished casters who
use them. I don't get all the screws that hold them together. Is this a
cost savings, or am I missing something? Yet holding one, they seem sturdy
and well manufactured. I'm thinking specifically of the 1400 series, which
has been around for a thousand years. Does anyone use them? If so, what
are the advantages for the 3-figure reels?

Thanks,

On Wed, 25 May 2005 06:54:30 GMT, "Bill Kiene"
wrote:

Hi Bob,

SNIP some good information...

I am sure I could clean and lube mine up that are here on the shelf and go
catch anything on them.

I didn't see the original post, but I can personally vouch for older,
made-in-the-US Medalists being able to handle just about anything
_normally_ (and rationally) taken on (again, rational) FFing gear, and
doing it for at least 3 generations. Are there now "better" choices out
there? Hey, maybe, even probably - YMMV...

And for the record, no, an 18-weight rod with a reel suited to mainsail
winching, loaded with tug hawser and 1/4" stay cable "tippet," and
tossing/trolling what looks much like a large-ish ostrich coated with
glue, chased around Liberace's closet, and lashed to a salvage grapple
is not "flyfishing"...and on that, no, YMshouldnotV...

HTH,
R

Snipped from Bill's post.
What's up with Pflueger reels. I know some very distinguished casters who
use them. I don't get all the screws that hold them together. Is this a
cost savings, or am I missing something? Yet holding one, they seem sturdy
and well manufactured. I'm thinking specifically of the 1400 series, which
has been around for a thousand years.

I put a dab of glue under the screw head to prevent the screws from backing
out. I never used the riveted model so I can't say with certainty why the
switch to screws but I suspect the rivets worked loose over time and were not
easily repairable. Just a guess.
Though modern manufacturing processes might enable another solution to
whatever problem they had, the design has inertia on its side so I think the
screws will stay.

It has had a pretty good run.
http://flyreelsonline.hypermart.net/...rHistoryII.htm

Does anyone use them?
Yep.
I lost my US made Medalist after a number of good years of use during the
"disposal" of a rod. Bought a new one but by then manufacture had been
switched to Japan. I still have that one though I seldom use it anymore but it
has held up remarkably well over the years I did. Then production was moved to
China with the results one might expect though they have probably improved by
now.
That said, my most used reel is a Chinese made 1492 on my small stream rod,
probably 10-15 years old now. I added a counterbalance on the spool
(essential) and removed the line guard. It takes a real beating over rocks as
I'm not timid with it - I don't hesitate to drop the rod if I need the free
hand to keep from falling and I've used the reel end of the rod for a wading
staff. I'm not sure another reel would stand up under what I've put this one
through.
They're cheap and a US made one off ebay can be had for not too much more than
the cost of a new Chinese one.

If so, what are the advantages for the 3-figure reels?
Better drag, palming ring, better finish, lighter, quieter, no oddball reel
foot (but it's fixed now?), styling and importantly, status.

Kiyu

Bill...

Your comments brought back memories. I grew up fly fishing for steelhead
and salmon on the Eel River (Northern CA) using Fenwick glass rods and
Pflueger Medalist reels. I have almost all models in my den...with a number
of spare spools. Can you still purchase the counter balances for them? I
have a very old Pflueger Medalist (with the round line guide) that once
belonged to Zane Gray. He used to fish the Eel River and stayed at the
Weymouth Inn (burned down in the '50's, I believe) and used a local guide by
the name of Frank Dillon in Eureka. He left some of his gear with Frank so
that he didn't have to haul it with him to Eureka when he came. I received
the reel from Ann Dillon, wife of Frank Dillon, when I was a young kid). I
could have had Zane Gray's matching bamboo rod...but I didn't want one of
those "old bamboo rods", I wanted a new glass Fenwick. I don't recall the
maker of the bamboo rod. I also have a couple of the "one foot" adapters
that you mentioned as well.

As an aside, I have a really nice glass rod that was made by Jimmy Green
(his name is on the side). It's a rod that my dad had and he caught many
large fish in its day. Jimmy Green was a rod designer for Fenwick and
others at one time.

I went out onto the lawn last summer and threw a line with some of my old
glass rods...and I liked them. They had nice actions and were pleasant to
use. The Jimmy Green rod was exceptionally nice...throwing a nice tight
loop with an eight weight line. Sometimes, I think all of us chase
technology a bit too aggressively.

I no longer live in Eureka nor do I fish the Eel river as I used to...at
least not nearly as often...as it's not the river of old. I moved to
Hiouchi on the banks of the Smith river and am learning how to unlock its
secrets. It's a beautiful river with very large fish....but not an easy one
to fish with a fly for a lot of reason.

Enough nostalgic babble....g

Barry


"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
...
Hi Bob,

I sold and used the old Pflueger 'Medalist' fly reels for 40 years.
Actually we don't sell them anymore.

You can get very nice old ones on eBay or at garage sales.

At one time they were one of the standard fly reels for most fly fishers
in the USA. 1940s-1980s. Like the Ford Model A.

1492 = 3 line

1492 1/2 = 3/4 line

1494 = 4/5 line

1494 1/2 = 5/6 line

1495 - 6/7 line

1495 1/2 = 8/9 line

1496 = not many

1498 = 10/12 line


The older ones had 6 rivets holding the spool together. The later had 3
rivets. The good ones are made in the USA.

The real old ones had a machined steel drag disc inside.

Old ones had metal drag knobs and metal caps on the center of the spool
where the latch was.

I sold machined naval bronze drag disc that I bought from Herman Voss of
Pompano Beach, Florida.

I have a one piece machined solid aluminum spool for a Pflueger 'Medalist'
1492 1/2 that was made by Herman Voss. I got it from Chico Fernandez.

We also had Hardy nickel silver counter balances we installed in the
Medalist in the 70s and 80s so we could go for steelhead and bonefish with
them.

I sold a product called the 'One Foot' which was an accessory for the
Medalist that was a machined aluminum foot assembly with cross pillars.

Real old ones were riveted together, no screws.

In the '80s they went to metric screws. I called Shakespeare who bought
the Pflueger company and they said we did not need those SAE frame screws
anymore. That really ****ed me off.

I have a collection of old ones that are just for memories.

I have a 1495 1/2 that I landed a 40 pound tarpon on in Venezuela in 1985
with my dad.

With the same reel I was spooled wading at Christmas Island by a rather
large bonefish in 1986.

I caught steelhead on it on the Dean River in BC with it.

I caught big Rainbows in New Zealand with it.

They used them at the Fenwick fly fishing schools in the 60s/70s so many
of them are still around. All of Mel Krieger's old friends have them. We
put bronze drag disc and counter balances on many for Mel's buddies.

They made the Pflueger 'Supreme' anti-reverse models too with a solid
aluminum spool. Kind of a poor man's salt water reel.

They are all but gone from the seen today. We only see a few every season.

I use to install dozens of screws in them every summer for customers. They
would vibrate out. We put head cement on the screw heads to keep them from
coming loose and falling out.

I am sure I could clean and lube mine up that are here on the shelf and go
catch anything on them.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA

Web site: www.kiene.com


"Bob" wrote in message
...

What's up with Pflueger reels. I know some very distinguished casters who
use them. I don't get all the screws that hold them together. Is this a
cost savings, or am I missing something? Yet holding one, they seem
sturdy and well manufactured. I'm thinking specifically of the 1400
series, which has been around for a thousand years. Does anyone use them?
If so, what are the advantages for the 3-figure reels?

Thanks,