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any float fishing reel recommendations ?


grayling4me

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If it's a open faced reel your leaning towards then the shimano stradic FJ in 2500 and 300 sizes are good. They are near enough to the rod so your finger can reach the spool rim easy enough. They're a front drag reel and are great well made little reels. Failing that there are quite a number of suitable open faced reels at a lower price than the stradics if your on a budget, you just need to go look and see if you can reach the lip of the spool easy enough with your finger.

 

If it's a centrepin your after someones already mentioned the okuma sheffield, then there's the cheaper Okuma aventa pro which is a cheaper option than the sheffield but just as good.

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A cheaper but similarly good in term of design reel is the Shimano Exage in 2500 size. Some decent Daiwa smallish fixed spool reels also available at a good price circa £60 - the 2508 size is the one to get - the Whisker model would be a decent choice.

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As you already have what is considered the best reel for the job why not consider the changeover to centre pin? Then you always have the back up of your old reel at times that the sheer frustration of the pin overwhelms you. Eventually, with perseverance, you will love the pin and, like suggested above, you will only use the closed face when it is too windy or tactics require a very light stick float.

 

I have a 706 and the gold max. The 706 has been used twice since new and I must have had it now for 8 years.

 

I actually prefer the gold max but the elastic band things have gone brittle and the drag system has a nasty habit of falling to bits when a large chub takes your bait. The only real failure of the pins, apart from wind issues, is my thumb not being set right!!

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I grew up with a couple of 506's and a B&W CTM match rod. Sorry to say but they are and always were crap.

The crappy drag, the bedding in of line and the unreliable bail pin made them a bloody nigtmare to use.

Give me a cheap modern fixed spool any day of the week.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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I grew up with a couple of 506's and a B&W CTM match rod. Sorry to say but they are and always were crap.

The crappy drag, the bedding in of line and the unreliable bail pin made them a bloody nigtmare to use.

Give me a cheap modern fixed spool any day of the week.

 

No idea about your rod Ken i've never had one, i've never liked the looks of the B&W rods for some reason. Yeaph the drag is shyte on the 506 that's why a lot of people removed the paul and backwound with 'em. On the other hand the 501 is a great reel as it is and the line stick isn't so bad when you use a slightly heavier/thicker mono. It's easy enough to add a low diameter bottom if you need to.

In fact the 501 is my all time favorite reel and I often use one for night fishing with a float for tench etc. I used to use a 501 for all my trotting at one time and it was great!

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I have the Drennan Red Float reel (Link below) But haven't used it for trotting. (Because I don't do rivers much at all these days)

 

Very smooth running with a crisp Bale & no backlash, great value at only £28.95 though I only paid £20 a couple of years ago with spare spool.

 

I also have the Feeder version - also comes with spare spool. A slightly larger reel - so the spools don't interchange.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjjwuaRkKzSAhWIJMAKHfLGCfgQFghoMAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.harrissportsmail.com%2Fen%2Fgb%2FDrennan-Red-Range-Float-Fish%2Fm-18357.aspx&usg=AFQjCNFZO53FjIiLRLz7kjzJoYXAL_oduA&sig2=guPhw8KPmc8RKaer0e29wg

 

Spools also feature a small depression to bury the connecting knot in so it won't catch on the rest of the line (especially the shallow float spools)

 

Slightly off subject, I also like my Drennan Red 2.4 m Landing Net Handle.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiT-rmwrazSAhXhJ8AKHbznAvIQFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrennantackle.com%2Fthelatest%2Fdrennan_product%2Fred-range-x-strong-2-4m-landing-net-pole%2F&usg=AFQjCNFOKb06NBZ5EfBAF0yQ_bm2lCix8A&sig2=zLRP6yn7a1ltgE2vVUcQ-g

Edited by Martin56

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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All,

 

This is a volume of discussion we don't see much of anymore. Fishing reels under $50.00; closed faced. The American Sportfishing Association estimates 60 million Americans of all ages consider themselves to be anglers. The reels being discussed are the reel of choice for 90% of these anglers.

 

I would not think you would need to restrict yourself to a British reel like the 501 and it's new counterpart(s). Abu Garcia makes a dandy at about $40.00.

 

But all the old timers on AN know I cannot let this pass without mentioning the finest reel on the planet. ZEBCO - The top of the line (last I knew) was the Omega Pro at about $70.00. I have owned no fewer than 5000 Zebco 33's.

 

Phone

Refreshing thread

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Phone - Abu Garcia is now made in China - Not Sweden, as the lack of quality sadly reflects.

 

Believe me - I've been caught out on Fleabay (The guy I purchased one from gave me a £20 refund - AND allowed me to keep the reel)

 

That was on Mitchell Match.

 

Mitchell were originally French, & may I add Mechanical Engineering was at its peak in the 1970's to 1980's. though I have to say the Intricacies & finer points are somewhat lost these days.

 

I'm an Engineering Inspector of some 35 years, but I'm finding it more & more prevalent to see the manufacturing skill sets somewhat eroded!!

Edited by Martin56

Fishin' - "Best Fun Ya' can 'ave wi' Ya' Clothes On"!!

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Phone.

 

I'm not aware of any US equivalent of the ABU reels.

We are not talking spincast reels here..

Tne ABU's and their imitators sit under the rod and allow finger tip control of line leaving the spool when trotting.

Species caught in 2020: Barbel. European Eel. Bleak. Perch. Pike.

Species caught in 2019: Pike. Bream. Tench. Chub. Common Carp. European Eel. Barbel. Bleak. Dace.

Species caught in 2018: Perch. Bream. Rainbow Trout. Brown Trout. Chub. Roach. Carp. European Eel.

Species caught in 2017: Siamese carp. Striped catfish. Rohu. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Black Minnow Shark. Perch. Chub. Brown Trout. Pike. Bream. Roach. Rudd. Bleak. Common Carp.

Species caught in 2016: Siamese carp. Jullien's golden carp. Striped catfish. Mekong catfish. Amazon red tail catfish. Arapaima. Alligator gar. Rohu. Black Minnow Shark. Roach, Bream, Perch, Ballan Wrasse. Rudd. Common Carp. Pike. Zander. Chub. Bleak.

Species caught in 2015: Brown Trout. Roach. Bream. Terrapin. Eel. Barbel. Pike. Chub.

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