Derek Moody wrote:
In article ,
wrote:
Since using these reels regularly, for a number of years, I have become
even more impressed with them as time went on. They are all still as
good as new, even though their five year warranty has in the mean time
run out. Spare spools, or even a second reel as backup is not a problem,
I'm planning major replacement of reels and lines sometime soon, probably
in the new year. For general fishing I standardised on a cheap graphite job
and bought several along with spare spools and have replaced with the same
model as required (I'm pretty hard on tackle and I don't look after it
properly.) This makes it easy to mix and match and keeps things
straightforward. It was one of the early models and although they are still
available I am well aware that there are new and better reels out there. I
need to replace a back and three spools this time* so it's a good time to
think about changing the standard. I've added your suggestion to the check
'em out list.
Cheerio,
* How well do the Okumas take to being dropped and left soaked in salt,
oily, bilgewater for three days foul weather?
Indeed, prior to getting my first one of these reels ( also after being
allowed to borrow one for a dayīs fishing ), I too generally used a set
of very cheap graphite jobs ( four reels with spare spools in
lightweight reinforced carbon fibre.Donīt think they are available in
the UK) in the salt, for quite a few seasons, mainly because no other
reel I tried stood up either very long or very well to my particular
style of "aggressive wandering" ( as a mate of mine describes my usual
type of beach fishing). One "ding" and most metal reels were either
completely useless or no longer worked well, ( spool jams, drag jiggered
etc) even worse if they got a heavy bash on rocks etc. Bit of a bugger
when youīve hiked a few miles to a spot, slip on the rocks, and jigger
the reel. Also, many of the metal reel finishes, and indeed often the
internal workings themselves, are of material which simply will not cope
with salt water for long, or even the slightest rough handling.
Those carbon fibre reels were also very cheap at the time,( 4.99 Euros
apiece, but that was over ten years ago now ) and although adequate for
a while, were in no way comparable to the Okuma Aiframes. I have passed
these reels on to "beginners", in the meantime. They still work.
With regard to the Airframes in use, dropped on rocks, bashed when
stumbling over stones and beaches, full of sand, sea-water, etc etc etc
my Airframes have proven indestructible so far. Initially I always
rinsed in clean fresh water after use, and then cleaned and lubricated
the reels, but it is now quite a while since I bothered much. All I
usually do now is rinse them off occasionally, and a couple of times a
season I wash them off in clean water and lube the main shaft. I have
never had a single problem with any of them. I have also loaned ( I
always have one Airfrane specifically as a "loaner") these reels to many
people, and they have not managed to damage them either. Most people
have also liked the reels in operation, although some did say that they
"....were OK, just not 'flash" enough", or similar ( never been a
criteria for me).
Anyway, I now use these reels, ( I have five of them and a number of
spare spools, all at least five years old), for all my fishing with the
exception of small stream fishing, for which I generally prefer to use
Vivarellis. ( Bit expensive, but I prefer them for small stream stuff).
There may well be better reels than the Airframes out there somewhere,
although I have tried and handled very many reels, I have not tried them
all, but I have never found one even nearly as good regardless of price.
For a salt-water man, the fact that the reels are quite impervious both
to salt-water and rough handling makes them a natural choice anyway. I
donīt know how they would stand up to sloshing about in
diesel/bilge/multifarious crap etc over any period of time, as I have
never tried it, but I strongly suspect they will be quite impervious to
that as well.
Three years ago now, I loaned one of the reels to a companion, and we
tackled up at the top of a long rather rough concrete slipway, which led
down to a jumble of rocks at low tide. My companion fumbled while
attaching the reel, and it bounced down the whole slipway,over the
rocks, and finally came to rest in a rock pool with a splash. Good that
it splashed, or we might never have discovered where it landed!
He ran down the slipway for quite a way trying to catch it, and was
extremely apologetic when he failed! I actually did not expect it to
survive that, but it did, and apart from a couple of faint scuff marks,
no damage was visible, and it still operated perfectly. He fished all
day with it, and most of the next, playing a number of decent seatrout
from the reel. he wanted to buy it "just in case", but I said there was
no need for that. He ordered two himself, and spools, the following
week. That same reel is still working perfectly, and the scuffs are
barely visible.
It is very rare that I am so impressed with tackle like this that I
would give it what I realise is a glowing recommendation.
Some people donīt like the large arbour, some donīt like "plastic"
reels, some think "itīs too cheap, canīt be any good", some donīt like
"the cosmetics", some say "itīs too light"( Which I consider nonsense in
any case!
) and none of these things have ever been serious criteria
for me. As I believe somebody else in the thread pointed out, the fish
only sees the fly, ( if you get things right!
), and so the actual
cost of equipment is not a serious criterion in that regard anyway.
Although I could simply do without the drag, it is in fact a really
excellent piece of equipment, most especially for larger seatrout, and
allows one to fight such fish from the reel, also good for larger
pollack, and most especially for carp fishing. May also come in handy
for larger pike. Not essential of course, but can be nice to have, and
as the reel has a very good one I am not complaining about it.
I can find no fault with these reels at all. I would very much like to
see them produced with an offset reel foot, but apart from that (
something very few have anyway, excepting very high end expensive custom
jobs), I think the reels are very close to ideal equipment, and if I was
not so fixed on my Vivarellis, I would also use them for small stream
fishing. The low price is of course a bonus, as is the five year waranty.
Anyway, I am sure if you try one that you will be enthusiastic. Please
do let us know what you think.
TL
MC