Help! I need a new reel for light waggler fishing.

[Mark Wintle]

I cannot remember ever using the spool drag on a Mitchell Match back in the day. The only time I used it at all was using a Mitchell 300 on Dryad Lake where the prolific small carp would pull a rod in when swingtipping and I devised a way to fish with a slack spool - a baitrunner in effect - and tighten up the spool after letting the carp run a bit and then slowly draw the carp in which resulted in losing less than one in ten of carp hooked on a venue where most were losing half the fish they hooked, many by cracking off on the strike. Because the Mitchells backwind sensibly without over-run - unlike Shimanos with backwind allowed - it was easy to let a hooked fish go under pressure if needed - often the case with very big roach in a heavy current or seatrout.

 

[Molehill]

I do like the design of the drennan FD reels and having 3 large shallow spools is a major plus. If they could manufacture something similar but twice the quality (and price!) and a few minor modifications, that would do me fine.

 

[sam vimes]

I'd find it and link it if I could manage to do so on a phone.

Here's a pic of a couple of X-Ship type wide spools in comparison to standard sized spools from the same sized Shimano reels. I appreciate that it's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison with some being front drag, but it does show that the X-Ship type spools are a fair bit bigger than their standard equivalents.
View attachment 5074
Top left = Stradic Ci4+ 2500 FB, Top right = Super GT 2500 RD
Bottom left = Twinpower Ci4 4000 RA, Bottom right = Stradic Ci4+ 4000 RA

Not the exact picture I was looking for (I have posted a pic of Original Stradic 4000GTM (smallest spool)/Twinpower Ci4 4000RA (middling size, current Shimano standard)/Shimano Ci4+ Stradic 4000RA (biggest, current Shimano oversize)) somewhere, but I'm damned if I can find it. However, it does show how much bigger than current standard Shimano spools the ones on the Stradic Ci4+ RA and Super GT RD are.

The spool from a Super GT2500RD is of greater diameter than the spool from an old original Stradic GTM4000.

However, it's all rather academic, as the reels concerned are rear drag. The equivalent front drag reels are the Aero Match and Aero Feeder.

 

[Keith M]

I cannot remember ever using the spool drag on a Mitchell Match back in the day. The only time I used it at all was using a Mitchell 300 on Dryad Lake where the prolific small carp would pull a rod in when swingtipping and I devised a way to fish with a slack spool - a baitrunner in effect - and tighten up the spool after letting the carp run a bit and then slowly draw the carp in which resulted in losing less than one in ten of carp hooked on a venue where most were losing half the fish they hooked, many by cracking off on the strike. Because the Mitchells backwind sensibly without over-run - unlike Shimanos with backwind allowed - it was easy to let a hooked fish go under pressure if needed - often the case with very big roach in a heavy current or seatrout.

Dryad Lake! (Next to the shore station HMS Dryad) That brings back fond memories of when I belonged to the Royal Naval & Royal Marines Angling Club and we dredged the lake with a ‘mud cat’ sucking the silt into a pond next to it and Dryad lake was full of small Carp.
That must have been around 1973/74-ish.


Keith

 

[sam vimes]

Keith,
in one of the numerous tackle shop emails I get, I noticed an interesting looking reel with a genuinely shallow spool. However, I know they have a nasty habit of using stock pictures that don't necessarily reflect reality or the reels actually imported to the UK.

The reel in question is a Shimano Sahara FI. Going through the specs, there are four models that take either 115 or 100yards of 4lb line. The SH2500HGSFI, SHC2000HGSFI and SHC2000SFI are the most likely candidates for you. The spools are unlikely to be particularly large in diameter, but they are likely to be at least as large as the old Shimano GTM 3 and 4000 spools that have been waxed lyrical about. As a bonus, they all come in at the £60-70 mark. The downside is that they aren't supplied with a spare spool.

Worth a coat of looking at, at least.

 

[Keith M]

Thanks Sam. :thumbs:

Keith

 

[Keith M]

In the end I went and had a look at the reels in my local tackle shop and got myself a Shimano Aero Match FA reel (See pic) which has two large diameter spools with line reducers to enable lighter lines to be loaded onto them.
I did have to spend a little bit more than I had originally budgeted for it though.



Keith

 

[sam vimes]

You've done well to get one. They are showing as discontinued and are sold out at many retailers.

 

[John Keane]

In the end I went and had a look at the reels in my local tackle shop and got myself a Shimano Aero Match FA reel (See pic) which has two large diameter spools with line reducers to enable lighter lines to be loaded onto them.
I did have to spend a little bit more for than I had budgeted for it though.



Keith

Lovely reel Keith.

 

[tigger]

A m8 of mine has one, they remind me of the x aero baotrunner reel.

 

[sam vimes]

A m8 of mine has one, they remind me of the x aero baotrunner reel.

The X Aero Baitrunners came after the Aero Match/Feeder, but there are lots of similarities.

 

[tigger]

The X Aero Baitrunners came after the Aero Match/Feeder, but there are lots of similarities.

Yeah, I remember the aero match reels coming out first. Tell me if i'm wrong Chris, I think you'll know, but do they have an anti reverse? I'm positive my m8's didn't have one.

 

[Keith M]

Yeah, I remember the aero match reels coming out first. Tell me if i'm wrong Chris, I think you'll know, but do they have an anti reverse? I'm positive my m8's didn't have one.

The Aero Match FA which I bought today does have an anti reverse switch tigger.
I checked that before I bought it.

Keith

 

[sam vimes]

Yeah, I remember the aero match reels coming out first. Tell me if i'm wrong Chris, I think you'll know, but do they have an anti reverse? I'm positive my m8's didn't have one.

As Keith has already confirmed, the Aero Match and Feeder reels do have an anti-reverse switch. The suggestion that some folks make, that none of the Shimano general coarse fishing reels have an anti-reverse switch, is a load of codswallop.

 

[tigger]

The Aero Match FA which I bought today does have an anti reverse switch tigger.
I checked that before I bought it.

Keith

That's good then Keith, I hope it works out well for you, they look like really nice reels!

 

[tigger]

As Keith has already confirmed, the Aero Match and Feeder reels do have an anti-reverse switch. The suggestion that some folks make, that none of the Shimano general coarse fishing reels have an anti-reverse switch, is a load of codswallop.

I was actually with him when he bought the reel, it was about 8yrs ago now (I think).
There was deffo' something I didn't like at the time, could have sworn it had no anti reverse, or no backwind, or something.
I'll have to try to remember to ask him next time I see him.

 

[Keith M]

I’ve just ordered a couple of 300mtr spools of the ‘Dave Harrell Pro Float’ line to load onto my new reel spools; instead of my usual Drennan Floatfish which unfortunately only comes in 100mtr spools.

Dave Harrell Angling Pro Float Fishing Line - Matchman Supplies

Ive never used it before but if Sam and Mark Wintle use it and they think it’s a good line then it should be good and well worth a try.

Keith

 

[S-Kippy]

Bit late now but I've just got back from my local TS and they are neck deep in excellent little reels with shallow spools. The new Korum really grabbed my eye with its distinctive green trim. Smooth as you like and no money at all...the 3000 size was £34, the 4000 £37.

I was also distracted by the latest incarnation of the legendary Mitchell 300. Cracking looking reel and ( again) as smooth as you like. Those that persist in maintiaining that the vintage 300's are still great reels need to get out more. They are junk by comparison.

 

[nottskev]

I didn't notice anyone saying Mitchel 300's were still great reels - I saw posts that said that they were the best in their day and didn't deserve to be rubbished, and that some are still working now. With some of the reels just coming out from companies with no reel history, we can't be sure they'll be working in 4 years, much less 40. The invention of the skirted spool solved one of the biggest original Mitchell bugbears - the line getting behind the spool, and nobody would want to go back to that, although the problem was mitigated by chenille edging and various home-made methods. It's nice when reels look cute and spin smoothly, but the proof of the pudding involves standing up to regular use for a long time.

 

[Keith M]

I’m not sure that Skippy was necessarily referring to the guys on this thread when he said that Kev. Although I may be wrong

Keith