New Float Reel Recommendations

[Matthew Nightingale (ACA)]

Looks like my son is going to beggar off back to Uni with my favourite Shimano 3000 series reel. Every cloud has a silver lining so I think I will treat myself to a new float reel. Nothing fancy just one good enough for a bit of light pleasure fishing on a pond with a waggler and maybe a bit of river float work. Probably lines up to 4 lb . Anyone got any recommendations?

TIA

Matthew

 

[greenie62]

Looks like my son is going to beggar off back to Uni with my favourite Shimano 3000 series reel.......... Anyone got any recommendations?

Hi Matthew,
Yeah - Disown him! Remind him that your money is yours - and that his debts are his own!
Kids - Grrrrrrr!

 

[mikench]

Matthew I am in awe of you! According to your profile you are 11 and yet you have a son at university is this a genealogy world record?

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

you know you're going to buy another Shimano - just do it

 

[greenie62]

...According to your profile you are 11 and yet you have a son at university.....

Reminds me of Zaphod Beeblebrox who was allegedly his own Grandfather - due to an accident with a contraceptive and a time-machine! [H2G2]

 

[S-Kippy]

Back on topic....Daiwa Procaster.

 

[mikench]

I concur! £49 or thereabouts for the Evo; a very nice reel!

 

[Matthew Nightingale (ACA)]

I was an early developer.....

 

[greenie62]

Back on topic.....

As per S-Kippy's reminder - How about an Abu 506mkII - ideal for trotting, and waggler work - lines ideally around 4lb.
The extra bonus is you can use them one-handed for most of the time to enable you to keep a hand on your wallet!

 

[robtherake]

Daiwa Ninja - a reel that's likely to be my next purchase after seeing good feedback on here.

Daiwa Ninja Match Reel | Angling Direct

 

[tigger]

my favourite Shimano 3000 series reel.

Why not get one of the above.

The stradics are better now than they used to be ....imo.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Diawa Ninja 3000 or Procaster 3000. I have both, my Procaster is the 4000 size, Ninja 3000. Very nice small reels that won't break the bank, and won't give you any problems.

As for the Shimano, well they are not the reels they used to be, but it's each to their own.

 

[flightliner]

Drennan rd 4000.

 

[trotter2]

I had a drennan fd lasted a couple of trips out before the bail arm knackered up.

Daiwa reels are ok but imo the drag systems are not as smooth as shimanos.
Good thing about the daiwa is there robust and the handles fold up without unscrewing stuff.

The smoothest drag is on the rovex ceratec robust little reels at a bargain price.

All the top makes have nice reels that do the job with wallet catching extras.
Some of which make practically no difference on the bank.

Reel manufactures need to address the issues which make a positive difference like quick folding handles and push button spools as mandatory without costing an arm and a leg.

 

[Keith M]

I had a drennan fd lasted a couple of trips out before the bail arm knackered up.

I've had a Drennan FD 4000 for around 3 years and never had any problems with the bail arm; however I do get the line going behind the spool quite a bit which is a real pain. My old Mitchell Match never did this Lol.
I do like having 'three' different capacity spools all taking around a little over 100 Mtrs of 3lb, 4lb and 5lb line though, I wish my stradic had this feature.

Keith

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

I had a drennan fd lasted a couple of trips out before the bail arm knackered up.

Daiwa reels are ok but imo the drag systems are not as smooth as shimanos.
Good thing about the daiwa is there robust and the handles fold up without unscrewing stuff.

The smoothest drag is on the rovex ceratec robust little reels at a bargain price.

All the top makes have nice reels that do the job with wallet catching extras.
Some of which make practically no difference on the bank.

Reel manufactures need to address the issues which make a positive difference like quick folding handles and push button spools as mandatory without costing an arm and a leg.

The procaster and ninja Diawa reels have digi drag, far better than the shimano's. With the new shimano's i have yet to find one that is a match for the Diawa. Old Shimano's yes, but not the new. Like most tackle is what you feel is right for you.

 

[tigger]

The procaster and ninja Diawa reels have digi drag, far better than the shimano's. With the new shimano's i have yet to find one that is a match for the Diawa. Old Shimano's yes, but not the new. Like most tackle is what you feel is right for you.

That's complete nonsense, i've only recently got shut of my older stradics (some stradic X models still unused in their boxes) because they weren't a patch on the latest versions.
Daiwa ought to stick to making rods and seatboxes etc and leave the reels to those who know how to make good ones.

 

[mikench]

A slight exaggeration there methinks. I am very happy with my Diawa reels despite the abuse I no doubt give them! Opinions can be so divisive

 

[binka]

I've got to admit that my Daiwas are all going strong, some for as long as eighteen years now with regular use and I don't get a peep out of 'em generally.

Three things have always struck me with Daiwa reels and those are the build quality, the drag quality and their general robustness (especially in my clumsy mitts)

The one time I dipped a toe into Shimano was a few months ago when I bought an entry level reel for around £65 and the spool collapsed when loading the line mg:

Although I think that must have been an isolated incident, it's just that it happened to me lol!

They do go with a terrific crack though

 

[tigger]

They do go with a terrific crack though

Lol, like the hardy reel seats, and the fox chairs etc etc etc....your just not safe Steve mg:....the dangerous man

I take it back about daiwa reels, they must be good!