WOW.

Thanks guys.
A happy purchase at the current exchange rate, and takes persistance to score an affordable example on Yahoo.
The handle is NS Craft (another better buy on Yahoo than most vendors listing stock), and the brass parts and fasteners came from Bright River.
BC720SSS is 5500C-size, though feels more compact for the same spool diameter

Of course, used my long-time broker Masamichi at noppin.com. I submitted a Bright River shopping list (never expect them to have stock of everything). When he contacted them, they were out of the L/S spindle cap I ordered. He followed through and ordered the top-hat cap, and gave me the option of letting him return it.

Isuzu reels are nice inside, too, though this one needed a lot of TLC (mostly cleaning 10x excessive old grease + new drag washers) - and a photo of where it started. But the used condition, no box, and aftermarket handle together got me a good deal in the Isuzu Yahoo.jp market. A big part of the demand is that Isuzu sells all their marked reels in batches by lottery


Bright River calls the round drag wheel LK, giving a nod to Lefty Kreh for machining his own brass one for his 6000C


I have a goal for the rod and niche, which is down the road...

As Festus Haggen from "Gunsmoke" would say, "Prettier'n a spotted dog under a wagon."

Dang, that's a nice reel...!!

I am slightly poorer because of the desire to purchase stuff you've exposed me to on this page, but I'll resist chasing one of these down for the time being.

However I'm intrigued by the "LK round drag wheel." I never knew that about Lefty and it makes me admire him even more!!

OT & not casting tackle related but:

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/ ... 419bb.html

Sexy!!!

Very, very pretty !

Finished installing my last 2 upgrades.
Taking down the LW, which is held in place by an e-clip on the worm shaft.
There's a ball bearing retainer and a sleeve that shoulders on the bearing inner race and spins with the worm shaft and e-clip


The parts I received and LW assy going back together.
The ball bearing and retainer first, worm sleeve and rider;
most booger e-clip I've ever installed (remembered from my BC620) - bent one and had a spare.
The pawl bearings and washer are the smallest of either you've ever handled.
The ball bearings drop the pawl into the worm gear groove like a vacuum is sucking it in.


Dual-BB idler gear - the slickest and longest-spinning result I've ever seen in an idler gear upgrade.


The result made a noted improvement in my spool spin - as I found on my BC620, the ball-bearing pawl upgrade bounces the rider direction change at each end.
First front view photo of my project reel.

This is off topic now, and ends here (guess not) - cathodic plating on brass doesn't improve its corrosion resistance, it makes it more susceptible to pitting. The brass requires a certain amount of care to allow it to patinate over time. I'm a licensed PE, metallurgist, corrosion engineer, monitor and predict life on those gas turbines and plant systems. Education, 40 years experience, and over 20 years in antique tackle hobby. I may be the only guy you know who applies continuum mechanics to rod tapers and reel inertia. I promise not to bore everyone by stating this more often.

If anyone has reel photos they feel belong on this thread, please feel free to post them.


There's more fallacy above. OEM parts are heavily chromed brass, and are simply heavy. (Modern reels go the other way, sacrificing structure and life for light weight on paper.) There are lighter aftermarket parts to choose, but there's no significant weight difference between an OEM star drag and the LK brass drag wheel. After the spool and cast inertia, the most important weight to shed is in the handle, because of leverage and torsion on your grip.

You can get an Ambassadeur 1500C down from 9 ounces to 6 ounces. The first ounce from the spool, which is most important in cast performance.
From there, it's about $200/oz to shed more weight, so use it judiciously.

Nice model effort. I've been inside so many turbine half shells, frame 3 to frame 9, Alaska to Africa, I'd rather have the OP reel for a presento.
Consider the gas turbines the means to get to the reel.
A case and rotor lift is an impressive sight - the lift supervisor is the sharpest millwright on site.
The crane operator is the highest-paid individual on site, usually wearing gold chains.



On BR forum, received a query that I'm surprised no one asked here.


The aftermarket add-on (Glass Eye) is a line/hook keeper, It was on the received reel, though installed backwards.
It swivels to pinch the line, and has a hook notch in the back.
The Japanese just don't put hook keepers on rods - their approach of wide on the reel has the advantage of keeping your line from twisting on the rod tip.
I'll also add the handle nut is titanium KDW, which ends up on all my bait reels (and has a sticker on my kayak cooler).

Thanks for posting Robert, that's a beauty.
your bikes made me throw in my '57 Raleigh Lenton bike porn (it was a hit again today on the Sunday morning Alamodome sprint, and we had a good group for coffee after)


Robert, those are also great rod choices for your small water, big fish niche.
Mine will be inshore dog-walking 1/4 oz (++), and I'll add it later this month - I've ordered my rod handle (grip) so the batch doesn't get away, and matches nicely - rod blade and details later, when it's all in hand.

thanks Rob - I'll be on a bike tomorrow and Sunday morning...
Last spring, Lou and I had a good bike-fish expedition to the Pedernales headwaters.
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viewtopic.php?f=33&t=74031&p=410019#p410019

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editing this post with the rod I matched to my BC720SSS.
The rod grip is Bright River Rivermaster. The rod blade, Headhunters 1800 IM6 4-power, 1/4 to 2 oz.
Tenyru blank finished for Headhunters by Bright River.
The prismatic mylar wraps grow on you


This is my favorite hook keeper ever


I added the brass thumb rest to the reel, and swapped the knob for Avail green marble.



Have it lined with 8-lb YZH to get out this afternoon for initial mag brake set



With 8-lb YZH and 1/8 oz for mag set, this rod casts like it's supposed to cast the light weight (MH rated 1/4 to 2 oz).
It's lighter in hand than my 7' Crowder IM6 ML, and notably lighter than my S-glass MM - I'm going to enjoy this.
Braid next.
Ambassadeur combos and Isuzu combos.

Thanks Mike - clearly, Headhunters was aiming this rod at Isuzu silver finish.
The 1800 is OL in mm (with a single grip - my double grip makes it 4" longer). They also just ran a 1650 version, a niche I have covered.
Both rods are called Kingfisher, the 1800 Pied Piper, the 1650 Highliner.
The label font was an allusion to Fenglass 2000.


I couldn't be happier with the feel and casting this combo.
With the weight in the grip and reel, the progressive IM6 tip feels light.
It feels like the most versatile dog-walking rod I've ever handled.
Today, I have the reel lined with my Varivas Si-X PE#1.5, but dreary slop outside today - clears up tomorrow, but too windy - maybe Monday to proof-cast my mag set.


and here's that hook keeper holding a wood plug that's a perfect first-light mullet pattern.
The action - weight in the rear drops the tail, and the flukes dive the nose - it will make a great wake.