Reel advice

[Anthony78]

If you don't want to go much over 100m then an old Mitchell 300S copes quite easily.No bait runner and no longer very fashionable...............but also no the massive great size of a big pit! The relatively long spool and excellent line lay when used with 6-8lb mono mainline and a shock leader enabled me to fish quite happily at that sort of distance (and measured as well)

 

Hi Budgie,

Is this the one you were thinking of? Please don't take this the wrong way, and I wouldn't consider myself to be a tackle tart by any means, but I wouldn't be seen dead using these reels. I hate the old style Mitchels and think they're some of the ugliest reels ever made. I was given one of these by my dad many years ago and stuck it on Ebay for a fiver. Don't worry It wasn't a sentimental gift because he hated it as much as I did .

 

I do appreciate the suggestion though .

 

Ant

[Dick Dastardly]

Hi Budgie,

Is this the one you were thinking of? Please don't take this the wrong way, and I wouldn't consider myself to be a tackle tart by any means, but I wouldn't be seen dead using these reels. I hate the old style Mitchels and think they're some of the ugliest reels ever made. I was given one of these by my dad many years ago and stuck it on Ebay for a fiver. Don't worry It wasn't a sentimental gift because he hated it as much as I did .

 

I do appreciate the suggestion though .

 

Ant

 

That's a standard 300 Ant.The 300S looks the same other than having a skirted spool. The 300 is a good casting reel but for my money the skirted spool "S" version beats it as the drag on it is far better and nearly use able! Not every ones cup of tea but they are bomb proof and Ive never had one let me down.Still got a better line lay and spool configuration (the secrets to long casting) than many modern reels.

[Dick Dastardly]

Heres a pic of the model Im on about-

 

[Sportsman]

I've started to hear good things about the SPRO range but I, like alot of others, am reluctant to move away from a brand which has proven to be so reliable for so many years.

I needed some small baitrunners for my quivertip fishing for chub and barbel and decided to go away from Shimano for a change and bought some Okuma amazonium's which has a double handle supplied which I do prefer and these are great little reels but they have started to show signs of wear and tear already and they haven't been given any more abuse than the shimano's.

Do you have the SPRO's yourself? How long have you had them? How long has this company been trading as I have only recently heard of them?

 

Ant

 

Hi Ant

SPRO are a Dutch company founded in 1994 and are very popular on continental Europe although they are becoming better known in UK.

 

I have a few SPRO reels

 

http://www.spro.nl/catalogus/UK/flash.html#/8/

 

Red Arc front drag match reel. Probably the best reel I have ever owned. hard to fault in any way. Think of an Okuma Epix but made from decent materials

 

3 Super Long Cast pro 4.000 (page 19) Had these a couple of years and use them on my carp rods. Faultless so far. Cost 40 Euro each on German Ebay

 

2 Hardliner Pro LCS 530 (page 23) Bought for 20 Quid each on UK Ebay and to replace my getting on a bit Shimano 5010s. Like them just as much as the Shimanos for half the price.

 

I haven't owned the reels long enough to be certain about longevity but the seem much more substantial than the several Okumas I own and now seldom use.

[Rob Ward]

Think of an Okuma Epix but made from decent materials

 

You need to be careful when buying Okuma's, the top of the range models are pretty damn good but the cheaper versions can be flaky. The original Epix (Gold) is nowhere near as good as the Epix Pro (Black) and both are now discontinued.

 

The current Epix Pro v2 is a completely different rear drag reel though, I can't comment on that one as I've not used it but it does have an inferior spec to the Epix Pro on paper.

 

Did you know Okuma once made Reels for Shimano?

Edited April 25, 2011 by Rob Ward

[Anthony78]

Heres a pic of the model Im on about-

 

 

Oh ok, that's not so bad! With a little bit of chrome plating and a Realtree spray job I could manage to strap them on to my rod's

 

Sorry! I do get your point about the spool shape/line lay though.

 

Thanks again

 

Ant

[tincatinca]

Hi tinctinca,

That does look like a cracking little real. Does it have a baitrunner? if not how many turns to go from freespool to clutch setting?

 

Ant

 

Hi Ant, it takes two complete turns from full lock to no clutch pressure. The problem is that they are very sort after and always fetch a high price on the few occassions that they do come up on e-bay. They really are excellent reels like the majority of the older made in Japan Shimanos. I also have the smaller sized 3500 that I use for feeder fishing.

[lutra]

You need to be careful when buying Okuma's, the top of the range models are pretty damn good but the cheaper versions can be flaky. The original Epix (Gold) is nowhere near as good as the Epix Pro (Black) and both are now discontinued.

Nothing wrong with the old gold ones, Ive been trying for years to wreck a couple of them. They lived in the back of a builders van unprotected hanging out of a rod quiver for years. Got used about three times a week in all weathers, yet Ive never dried cleaned or oiled them and they still run sweet. The only thing i could say against them is the chrome is coming off the handle a bit, but it don't stop them working and catching fish.

[Rob Ward]

Nothing wrong with the old gold ones, Ive been trying for years to wreck a couple of them. They lived in the back of a builders van unprotected hanging out of a rod quiver for years. Got used about three times a week in all weathers, yet Ive never dried cleaned or oiled them and they still run sweet. The only thing i could say against them is the chrome is coming off the handle a bit, but it don't stop them working and catching fish.

 

Must admit I didn't think that either, until I bought the black ones

[andy_youngs]

I will hesitate to return to my "resting not retired" 300S's

I'll have em, how much?