reel quality

[ditz2 0]

I am personally a Medalist fan and do use them for most of my fishing. I do own some other reels. Some cheap and one good reel that have on my 9wt for the salt. I don't remember what I paid for the good reel but I seem to remember it was in the $300 range and was recommended to be by some heavy Saltwater users. I have also used my Medalists in the salt 3 or 4 times. I never caught anything to really test them but I am sure they will handle the stress if I am capable. I doubt that there is a fresh water fish that can not be handled by a Medalist used by a skilled angler. Many Salmon and Saltwater fish have been taken on the Medalist in years past. Back in the 60's and 70's there was basicly 2 choices for tuff fish. A $20 Medalist or a $400 Fin-nor. Guess which one the poor folks used........I also still have one of those SA reels that were made by Hardy that Capt. Bob mentioned. I believe I paid over $100 for it back in the 70's and it is a nice reel but I would put a Medalist up against it in the salt and beat it every time for durability. The only problem with the early Medalist for heavy fish was the lack of an exposed rim spool. The 1500 series corrected that issue.....( at the expense of added weight ) I can't prove it but I bet many small and up to adolescent Tarpon have been caught using Medalist and mostly the 1400 series.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

I do love a nice reel, i bought a Canadian made islander i use sometimes but more with the intention of it being used or an heirloom for generations to come other reels i really enjoy most are the lamsons, conical drag which is awesome if a 30 pound fresh king from the sea decides to run downstream at warp speed or mahi leaping across the ocean on class tippets. I like a decent warranty and something that will last, i can be evil to my gear.

[Peterjay 0]

I do love a nice reel, i bought a Canadian made islander i use sometimes but more with the intention of it being used or an heirloom for generations to come other reels i really enjoy most are the lamsons, conical drag which is awesome if a 30 pound fresh king from the sea decides to run downstream at warp speed or mahi leaping across the ocean on class tippets. I like a decent warranty and something that will last, i can be evil to my gear.

 

Ah, another Islander man! I've got a #3 on my 9wt, and it's easily my all-time favorite reel. I enjoy looking at it just as much as fishing with it. That's one piece of gear I'll never have to worry about replacing.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

pretty nice reels! Noisy too

 

Just for you, here is my 3.6 i use for steelhead. Lifetime warranties are for me i think.

 

[Piker20 0]

Noisy? It doesn't make some horrid click click click when you try to wind in does it? I can just about cope with a reel clicking on giving line out but the ones that tell you when you try to gather in line do my nut in. In fact I can't really cope with a reel clicking on the out either. I have even refused a rather expensive reel offered as a gift because it clicked.

[Rocco 0]

The old Scientific Anglers reels were the ultimate in high quality, low cost, reliability. They were made in England. I have many of them in two sizes for 4-5-6, 7-8-9 weight lines. Never had a failure even with King Salmon and hot Steelhead. I usually set the drag light as an anti-backlash and use the palming rim on the spool for incrementally increasing braking power when needed. (Extra spools by the way were also inexpensive back then.) Never have or would use them in salt water. That's where my Gurus come into play.<br /><br />Rocco

[Peterjay 0]

I've got an SA System II (I think it was made in England) that I bought close to 20 years ago, and it's still functioning, although it's pretty banged up. The only problem I've ever had with it is that the drag has failed a couple times when the reel got soaked. Not a major problem - it comes right back, and that's what palms are for. For jetty and boat fishing, it's performed flawlessly.

 

Piker, the only unusual noise I've noticed with my Islander is from the cork drag when a powerful fish like a tuna is on the line. If you keep it lubricated, it's pretty minimal. If the click is noisy, I haven't noticed - the only time I turn the handle is on a fish or when I'm reeling up at the end of the day.

[ditz2 0]

The old SA is a good quality reel. It just does not have the quality drag system of most of todays reels but the exposed spool rim makes up for that. I did make the ignorant mistake of letting the salt corrode mine many years ago. I did a lot of work on it and it is very functional still... if not Purdy. I have still used it in the salt but I learned better how to clean it after a day on the water and I never dunk it in the brine. Yes, the reel does click but I do not find it objectionable. I have an old South Bend 340 and the click on that reel will scare away a brown bear. I haven't used it for years.

[KOKOEK9 0]

Hi thanks for your advice, here are some pics of my reel, does anybody have an idea of the brand and quality

 

 

 

 

 

[JSzymczyk 0]

The Medalists were some of the "original" reels used in salt water fly fishing. Plenty of big fish have been caught with them. They used to cut a hole in the back plate of the frame and cover it with leather, making it into an infinitely controllable drag. Read "Fly Fishing In Salt Water" by Lefty Kreh. As always, he explains that the gear does not make the fisherman.

[utyer 0]

The reel you pictured, is a clone (the phillips screws are a giveaway,) not a Medalist. You can get reasonable service from it. The biggest problem with both the Medalist, and its clones, was that the screws often came loose. The OLD US made Medalists used a 3-48 screw, the newer ones use metric screws. I still have a few of the 3-48 screws left. Its a good idea to put a little loctite on the screws, and keep an eye on them.

[Rocco 0]

Also the white plastic cover on the medalist spool had a Plfueger logo.

 

When the screws come loose, you will know as the rim loses concentricity and the spool rubs. It can be tricky retightening as the degree of tightness on all the screws should be the same or the rbubs begin again.

 

How do I know? Compulsive fixing the unbroken!

 

Rocco

[KOKOEK9 0]

thanks for your information, I keep an eye on it. it don't look like much but it is a good reel for my purpose

[pop-n-bug 0]

That is the main thing. As long as the reel serves its purpose, that is all that matters. People may laugh at my cheap shakesphere but I always catch fish and it has never let me down. I wish I would have kept up with the number of red-eyed bass I have landed with it the past 20 years.

 

Good fishing to ya!

[ditz2 0]

On the loose screw problem. Loc-tite is the correct stuff to use but 35 years ago I used ladies fingernail polish on the threads and none of them have ever came loose since. I still have an old South Bend reel that has a screw missing that I lost before the nail polish trick. No problems since though.