Reel-ly

Infomative as ever, and plenty of good advice. One thing that puzzles me is how much input (if any) the manufacturers require from real (pun!)anglers.

As you say far more reels are designed down to a price, than up to a specification. In order to keep unit costs down they are shipped over by the container load and dumped on the market.

Although these reels appear to be getting ever more sophisticated, they are also getting (relatively) cheaper, and whilst we wont quite get down to the 18 ball bearing/?1.50 model, are we getting near to it now?

The factories will only continue to churn out these reels if we keep on buying them, and if they keep on improving the quality, where is the obselescence, or do we just throw away perfectly good reels on a fashion whim in future?

Kevin,

Perhaps it's not so much whether we keep buying them as the huge American and far East markets, which is why so many fixed spool reels are really spinning reels not float or feeder reels. Contrast that with the tiny production runs of some handbuilt centrepins...

Mark's comment re: the American market is spot on. Last month I was in The States and visited a medium sized "Bass Pro" outlet (twice actually!).

The sheer number of reels on display was mind blowing, the majority set up on "butt size" rod handles and all available to try on a variety of rod fittings.

Every category of reel had literally hundreds of different models and variations and encompassed a price range of a few dollars to around $180. I bought a "Stradic" for the equivalent of just under ?50 after a bit of haggling.

Biggest range was obviously the "bait caster" mini multiplier type but the fixed spool "spinning reel" range was huge, perhaps well over a hundred models.

This outlet was "out of town" in Tennessee which as far as I'm aware is not a hotbed of Bass fishing or any other fishing for that matter. God knows what the size of their market is!

You could by a "Complete Bass Fishing Outfit" in a box for $4.99!

Interesting article. Thanks Mark. Like you, I persevered with my (older, french-built) Mitchells for years (still have them), before admitting that the world has moved on and switching to Shimano. Buying from the same manufacturer gives versatility in that spools are interchangable between all reel bodies - another reason for my sticking with my Mitchells for so long. The Stradics in 2500 and 4000 sizes are excellent. The Aero Super Match is 99.9% as good (1 less bearing) and cheaper. 2 of each size do all I ask of them.

yes sound advice mark when i was starting to replace my mitchell matches in 1986 i was speaking to my mates jonny rolfe and he had told me that john dean had bought 2 shimano 2500 match reels i think they was blue colour so.. i rang john dean and popped up to his shop to have a look at one and he sold out so i ended up buying a dawia harrier whisker superlight rod with a 3000 reel but i came back and ordered a 2500 match reel but it needed reducing because the line got stuck in the roller (john dean had cottened me in to buying that reel)