bought this rod new in S. Africa in the 70s sometime, labelled as a 'bream' rod made of good old tobacco glass. Believe it to be Conolon, though the label has worn off and my memory isn't what it used to be either. Mostly fished it with a DAM Quick 220 for light salt and some carp/catfish. Not entirely sure why I hauled it across the oceans to languish in my basement for thirty years, still there it was.
Hauled it out last fall to fish with a refurbished Orvis 150S for pike. No pike but liked the outfit.





So when the ice went off the local reservoir, took it for an airing after walleye. Got six, more than I've ever caught in one sitting, but tug and flatten and pose them as I might, couldn't get them up to the 18" legal limit. Dagnabbit.



We had those walleye surrounded, a dozen boats in the foreground and more in the distance, rotating cast of shore fishermen around me. Two morons came stamping up with bright lights shining on the water and shut down the fishing. About 20min after they left I got my last 17", then left tired.



The 150S is an excellent reel but not braid safe. The 10lb Pline copolymer is good though. I was stuck on braid for several years but find the mono/copolymers work just fine as long as distance casting isn't essential.

Getting this reel back into working condition was a long labor. The highlights:
- straightened shaft in vise, as it was bent and spool caught on rotor, also did not lay line evenly since one side of spool higher than other.
- manufactured new antireverse pawl spring from 27lb wire. No sign of original spring except there were several bits of stainless steel wire embedded in the old grease..
- line roller had a gap between roller and bail arm which trapped the line. Line roller screw had been brutalized, unscrews then clicks, can't extract. Screwdrivers and pliers required. Bent the bail arm back and forth to eventually get a fair fit on the roller.
- the spool went too high, line builds up on back of spool. Though it does lay pretty even, all the shaft bending worked that far.
Took washer out under spool but now spool hits rotor. Cut a thinner washer from plastic lid, and sanded down the bump of lead counterbalance in the rotor so it no longer hit the spool.

Paid $20 for the reel, put in about $500 of labor ;-) Now it's running smooth and fine..
Back to the 11Mile Res in May for pike, if we're all still here..

Nice rod and combo. I have two old Conolons. Fun to use with the Mitchell 300 and 308. Hope to refurb an Orvis 101 (left-handed 100) and put it on one of the Conolons soon.

Were these Orvis spinning reels Italian made?

Here's a brown Conolon 2808 for comparison.