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Reels that surprised you
Post 27 Apr 2021, 10:17 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
There are "hidden gems" out there, and also "over-hyped duds".

Which are your best examples of each?

For me:

Hidden Gem = Diawa 730.
This reel, with it's solid build, and Hardy clone innards, is a great little small stream knock-around reel.
And given its typical sell price in forums and the auction site? Even better!

Over-hyped dud = UFM Catana
This reel is, upon first glance, an over-seas sister to the famed, but short-lived, Cortland C.R.I series.
In reality, they *look* pretty similar, but the operation tolerances, smoothness, and just general feel of the manufacture are all pretty deficient in comparison to the C.R.I.


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 14:55 • #2 
Sport
Joined: 11/16/08
Posts: 99
Location: US-NJ
I recently acquired two Scientific Anglers System "Two L" reels, a 5/6 and a 7/8. They both have the bright Aluminum color spool latch cover, black finish and are marked made in England. I got them as part of multiple reel deals and yes I was surprised how good they were. Very smooth disc drags that seem to be very adjustable and good line capacity. Nice sounding clicks and right/left convertible. Maybe slightly heavy for their size but they seem very sturdy and well made. I looked around on eBay and they seem to sell for under $100.00 when they come up for sale.

As far as duds I think I would have to say all the "made in Japan" or "parts made in Japan" Hardy clones sold in the 60's,70's and 80's. I know a lot of folks like them and that's fine but I've handled a bunch and I never found one I liked or one that came close to the real thing.


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Post 27 Apr 2021, 20:30 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 01/19/11
Posts: 223
Location: Ontario, Canada
The reels that really surprised me were the Valentine Single Action trout reels that were available in the mid-to-late 80s.
I was searching for a reel that would "sort of" look like an iconic Pflueger Medalist & would still be made in the United States. Valentines were not readily available in Canada, except for a few big planetary models, for salmon.

After reaching out to Larry Valentine, I was assured that I could purchase his trout reels directly, from the factory. They're not "beginners reels", said Larry. Starting at 125.00 USD, more with shipping, these Single Actions were more than what I could afford at that time. No matter, I scrimped & saved to get them.

My first Valentine was the smallest of the Single Actions, the #76 (3" in dia.) I ordered a spare spool for it. For DT5F & WF6F lines, I then purchased a Single Action # 83 (3.25" dia.), with a spare spool as well. By 1995 I owned five of these surprisingly tough disc-drag reels, including a whole complement of spare spools & parts. In more than 30 years of steady service I have not been able to wear out a single part of these reels. With constant use, eventually one issue did crop up: the spools started to develop sloppy side play. I've had a Hardy LRH with this kind of spool end play. (Bill Archuleta tightened up the Hardy for me.)

After taking apart a BFR-made Orvis spool's latch, I noticed that there was a small felt pad that pressed onto the reel's spindle. This gave me an idea. So,...I punched out some tiny felt pads & installed them into my Valentine's plastic latch caps. A drop of oil softened up these pads & tightened up the spools just enough to stop any end play. That was almost a decade ago, with no spool fit problems since
I love my Valentine's put-put click while cranking in & the silence when a fish is on the run. I can't wait to get out this year & fish these reels again.



Last edited by blueprof on 28 Apr 2021, 12:37, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 27 Apr 2021, 22:23 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
the Valentine single action reels are indeed very nice and bullet proof. I only own an 83. Wish I had a few more...


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Post 01 May 2021, 11:46 • #5 
Guide
Joined: 01/19/11
Posts: 223
Location: Ontario, Canada
Valentine #76s & #83s are becoming quite rare, as they've had limited runs of these small reels. According to Larry, the 3.5" #89s & the 3.75" #95s were popular among surf fishermen, with the #98 having the longest production run amongst all of the Valentine Single Actions.

At one point I asked Larry about how these reels were made. What surprised me was the number of operations it took just to manufacture an S.A. back plate. After stamping this component out of a sheet of aircraft aluminium, the part was annealed then drawn into a dye form, to produce that hump in the back plate. This part was then hardened to T6, machined & drilled out, before anodizing. Even with experienced hands it took many steps to assemble these reels.

By 1998, when I bought my last #83 (assembled from parts manufactured before '94), the price of this reel increased to 250.00 USD. Knowing how these reels were made & how well they fished, I didn't blink.

"Corlay", if I decide to start to thinning my herd any further, I'll reach out, to see if you're still interested. I'm now down to two Hardy-built reels, a Hardy LRH plus my herd of Single Actions.


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