...I had to build my own. This was a great feat in experimentation and came out a big success. I have an affinity for round baitcast reels; the timeless looks alone sell me on them, but I also appreciate the fine craftsmanship inherent in this type of reel. Round reels typically showcase the best of the best a manufacturer has to offer. Ambassadeur, Morrum, Millionaire, Ryoga, and Calcutta Conquest are all familiar names to those of us who enjoy fine fishing tackle.

The reel in question is none other than the Daiwa Millionaire Ringa SSS. Originally sold to the members of the Daiwa Heartland Club out of Japan, but became popular enough that a small run was put out on the general market. This one came by way of a collector friend of mine. I was looking for a nice I'ze Light, but after searching for months, I kind of gave up and Kevin came through and offered me this Ringa for a price I couldn't refuse. It did show some signs of use, but was in great shape for a 12 year old reel that saw heavy use. Kevin takes good care of his stuff, so I had no qualms about the purchase.



What started out as a bass reel for throwing stuff from 3/8 on up, is now a creek machine. Make no mistake, this thing is still just as capable of handling the bigger fish as it was before, it just holds a lot less line, and finer line at that. With a lightweight spool and swapping of brake magnets, it fishes great back in the spinach. Additionally, swapping to a set of 7.2 gears has it bringing in 30" per turn, screaming fast for a round reel and great for fishing upstream. To round it out, a clicking drag so I can hear that sucker scream when a fish runs. The sole purpose of the drag clicker is to make you smile, that's all, and thankfully they are making a comeback in baitcast reels. Some of these parts I already had on hand, namely the gears and bearings. All I had to order was the drag clicker, spool, Millionaire CT magnets, and a longer pinion shaft to center the spool properly. It turned out fantastic, pretty much exactly what I was hoping for.


Break it on down. Make note of the spurred washer and click washer, that's the drag clicker courtesy of AliExpress. The clicker setup is very similar to what Abu uses in their JDM line of Revos.


A new lighter weight spool from Roro lure. They make these spools for most anything out there. It holds about 80yd of 2lb mono. They were intended to be run with braid, and 0.165mm braid is about the same diameter but breaks at 20lb. The factory spool weighed three times as much.


The factory magnet assembly installed in the side plate. The bearing is a micro silicon carbide, they start up a lot faster than larger bearings. The price on them isn't too bad either, $8 to $10 each depending on where you get them. They too are made by Roro.


The magnet assembly I needed to use was from a Millionaire CT, which is finesse capable reel but with a weaker magnet. That magnet would end up being necessary as the factory installed part was too strong, making the brake all or nothing. 2 clicks in on the brake, backlash. 3 clicks, choked off cast. I then decided to pull the magnets from my Millionaire CT and compare them to what was in the Ringa. The factory Ringa magnet is on the left, the CT on the right. That was my problem, too aggressive of a brake. I went ahead and ordered a Millionaire CT magnet assembly from PLAT as I wanted to keep my Millionaire CT as is. It too is a fine reel.


My next step was to install it. This was my very first attempt at removing the magnets from this reel model. The first time I did it, it was a little testy as there's a large snap ring that holds the outer magnet assembly to the side plate. I figured out the technique and now I can do it in minutes, easy peasy now.


Bonus, now it has a black brake settings ring. A lot easier to see. The old silver ring could be difficult to see depending on light and cloud cover. Now I have the full range of braking I need. I feel this really came out beyond my expectations. At a new weight of 6.8 ounces, it's certainly one of my lightest reels. It's fun, it casts great, and it was a fun build that taught me a lot on the Daiwa Magforce braking system.

Indexing the magnets was the easy part; line up the notches in the inner and outer ring and ensure the brake is set to zero. That large snap ring was the real challenge. Removing it was easy but getting it back together was a whole different ordeal.

Very interesting, and beautiful work ! I've been wondering about those Daiwa magnets.

The AliExpress drag clicker kits look interesting -- I installed a Sagisi customs kit on my Alphas SV but am not sure he is still making them and wanted another one for my Alphas Air.

Also curious about the work trays you have shown in your pics. Those would come in handy for me at times to keep random parts corraled.

Putting reel parts in a tray reduces their tendency to wander across the bench. Metal trays are great because they stay in place despite minor bumps and knocks. Metal trays will dissipate a static charge, which can be a problem with small springs and plastic parts. But as unfinished projects proliferate (and who doesn't have too many projects?) metal trays get pricey. Also, at times it is nice to have a cover.

Another option is to reuse disposables, such as the take out container in the first image. The snap on cover allows me to stack multiple projects. I reuse cardboard boxes and flats, such as the second image, as project and drawer organizers. When a box gets too dirty, toss it and grab another off the pile.


Tom

Thanks all for the tips on various options for work trays. I bought a 3-pack of the Amazon ones, and they sent me two for some reason, so now I have six, which comes out to ~$1.50 each.

I was going to add cigar boxes,my local tobacco store sells really good wooden ones 1.00 each.They have a huge humidor and sell a lot of cigars.Great for storing most everything.