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New Reels - advice wanted

4K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  BonefishBob 
#1 ·
I am going to Crooked Island in October and Los Roques next year. I am looking to buy 2 decent reels, size 8-10 and 10-12 for the trips. The new Nautilus NV looks great with the sealed drag and bearings but both the Abel and Tibor range have a long pedigree.

Has anybody fished with one or more of these and can make a recommendation for me, I don't want to make an expensive mistake. Thanks in advance.

Fint
 
#2 ·
Abel and Tibor should never be an expensive mistake. You might take a look at Danielsson. They get excellent and well deserved reviews here by folks that really put some serious mileage on their reels and the price point is very attractive.
 
#3 ·
Fint,

Danielsson reels is the forum sponsor. You can easily make a search on the subject under "Danielsson"
The reels used to be distributed under Loop name ( with Danielsson engraving on them)
until 2004 when the designer and the manufacturer - Danielsson Innovation AB, Sweden and Loop dissolved their alliance.
Now you can enjoyed the reels with the best drag system( fully sealed) on the market
for $300-420, due to direct sales from the factory.
Before 2004 you have to pay $ 590-780.

With fully sealed drag, you don't have to worry about meticulous washing of the reel after each fishing trip. Danielsson reels with fully sealed, multi-carbon-disk drag have been on the market sice 2000, well before Old Florida decided to make the Nautilus-good reel but not close enough to Danielsson.

http://danielsson-flyreels.se/us/start.php

Look at HD 9-13 or LW 8-12

Good Luck
Salmo
 
#4 ·
Might Consider Holdin Off a While

I know Danielsson and Nautilus are fine reels. Many would say Tibor and Abel are as well, although somewhat technologically dated. If you chose to go the technology route this might be something to consider. There are few people that would deny Jack Charlton wrote the book on advanced fly reel design. Multi disk double sided full contact carbon fiber drag systems, 3 second quick change spools, configurable spool systems ( several line weight spools for a single frame), one turn lock to lock ( min to max drag) oversized palming drag knobs, .002" thick type III hard anodizing, fully hydraulically sealed reels with aerospace elastomers, calibrated drag settings repeatable for the lifetime of the reel, maximum drag settings not to be matched by any maker, and drags that self adjust for wear simply by turning the drag knob during the course of fishing are just a few of the innovations Jack pioneered in 1993 - 14 years ago. This probably explains why over 60% of all current IGFA records on a fly over 100 pounds are held by Charlton reels. OK the big downside: the market reflects the superiority of these reels by the current prices - $1,000 to $55,000! What's my point? It is rumored that Jack is introducing a new saltwater fly reel line around mid-year that that employs all the technologies (most never duplicated to this day by other reel makers) that were used in the original "Signature Series" line of reels --- plus:tsk_tsk: more ! Frankly I would settle for the original since it is light years ahead of what's in second place today but like most , I cannot afford them. Well anyway the rumor is that the new reels will be priced in the Nautilus/Abel/Tibor price range. I was looking to buy a premium Tarpon reel and almost bit the bullet but if for no other reason than the 300% - 400% price increase in Charlton designed reels, I have decided to wait a few months to see if the rumors are accurate. If the rumors are false I havevn't lost anything, but if accurate I'll have some kinda reel to fish and a reel I am sure I can sell for a huge profit if things get tough.

BR
 
#6 ·
Danielsson reels are nice

Salmo,

Let's start with this - Danielsson reels are very good. I went to the Danielsson site but I did not see any mention of self adjusting drag mechanisms - did I miss something? Don't get me wrong, I think Danielsson reels are good and the A/R innovation is very novel. The Europeans have always shown a different prespective on design and Danielsson deserves a high place in the epitaph of fly reel design ! I was just talking about cutting edge technology produced in " THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA".

BR

P.S. I know you have great respect for Charlton reels and have stated so many times. I have equal respect for the Danielsson reels.
 
#7 ·
Bob,

I can assure you that my respect for Charlston reel is extremely high and I would be more then happy, if still available, to own and fish this reel!!!
When I did mentione that self adjusting drag ( may be I used wrong term ) I was thinking about :

Danielsson Innovation AB has developed a new reel series
called Control, which will revolutionize medium-to-heavy
fly fishing. Thanks to a number of innovations, Control reels
significantly improve user-friendliness, reliability, and the
odds of successfully playing and landing big, powerful game
fish.
Explanation:
At first glance, Control reels appear to function like typical
anti-reverse fly reels: when fish run the drag system lets out
line without the reel handle turning. There the similarity
ends, however. Whereas in traditional anti-reverse reel sys-
tems cranking power never exceeds braking power, Control
reels incorporate a unique power converter that automatically
increases resistance (drag) when you crank the handle, and
reduces drag when you let the handle go. By pairing maxi-
mum cranking power with the ability to immediately reduce
tension when fish jump or make sudden, lunging runs, inci-
dents of broken tippets, shattered rods and bent hooks can
be minimized – chances of landing trophy tarpon, sailfish or
salmon maximized.

How it works:
The multiple disc clutch type brake is developed from our
earlier systems, and has proven to be very reliable under harsh
conditions. The main drag knob and a fine-tuning knob allow
for extremely precise drag settings. The big news, however, is
the fighting brake, which automatically significantly increases
the drag setting as soon as the handle is cranked a mere 1.5
centimeters; stop forcing the handle and the brake immedi-
ately reverts to the original drag-knob setting. Because of this
engineering breakthrough, anglers no longer have to let go of
the handle when fighting fish, providing hitherto unattainable
levels of control.
Example:
When fishing for Tarpon it is important to brake hard during
the run. After the run he will be airborne, and under these high
jumps there is a high risk that he will cut the leader. A Tarpon
fisherman tries to prevent this by leaning forward, giving him
some slack line. With this movement he gets another 1.5meters
less line tension, but the fish might be 250meters away so the
effect is minimal. If you instead could rapidly decrease the
brake, much of the tension would go away.
This is exactly what our reel does: when the Tarpon jumps,
you stop forcing the handle and much of the tension goes away.
Your chances to land that dream fish just went sky high.
The power converter also has a built-in safety guard that
prevents the reel from getting overloaded. Too many reels break
under extreme stress – in other words, at the exact moment
anglers rely on them the most. With Danielsson’s new Control
reel, we can’t guarantee you won’t lose the occasional big one;
but we can guarantee it won’t be because of reel failure.
Other features:
- Control reels afford the unique benefit of having the handle
on the frame side. This prevents the risk of finger injuries from
rotating spools: remember, some species can run at speeds up
to 100km/h.
- Control reels are waterproof to 100 meters, another important
feature of reliability. By placing the handle on the frame side
we only need two sealant rings, minimizing idle friction.
- The frame-side handle also makes changing spools a breeze,
as opposed to the complicated, time consuming chore typical
of other anti-reverse reels.
- The overall mechanical feeling is smooth and tight; just
cranking the reel is highly addictive.
Twenty-five years ago we began making large fly reels
capable of tackling some of the world’s most explosive game
fish. With Control, we now raise the bar yet again, changing
the way large reels are designed and manufactured, and more
importantly, how they work to make fly fishing more user-
friendly, reliable, and effective.
Summary features.
• New user friendly anti-reverse, with built in fighting brake
through handle
• Totally Waterproof
• Saltwater resistant
• Heat resistant brake
• Clicker sound in outgoing direction
• Easy spool change
• Retrieving direction change by following manual
• Min-max setting on drag knob within one turn
• Handle on frame side, securely away from the spool
• All mechanical parts well balanced against each other, no
weak links.

For pictures see also this link:
http://www.speypages.com/speyclave/showpost.php?p=177631&postcount=2
 
#9 ·
It's a Pity

If the Danielsson claims are true and then the product stands the test of time, it would truly be an inovative reel. The pity is though that they will likely find that less than 5% of flyfishers have an interest in A/R reels. At least that's what most every other manufacture of A/R reels has found regardless of quality or innovation. I suppose this is because many feel an A/R is nothing more than a heavy, large diameter bait fishing type reel. Who knows, but one thing is sure, for most companies anti-reverse reels have proven to be low profit and usually loss leaders in there product lines. I suppose the advantage Danielsson has in this regard is that making a profit is not the objective since the Sweden takes
up to 90% of it anyway due to their socialistic form of government. I wish them the best with this one but after the initial curiosity sales, I fear volumes will be minimal.

BR
 
#10 ·
The 7-12 ( 8.80 oz) and specially 9-13 ( 10.6oz) will find lots of application for double handed rods and as a tarpon reel. The 8-13 has plenty of capacity for long bally lines ( UK , NW and BC) and is grat for tarpon. The 7-12 will be the right reel for Scandinavian Shooting Heads and light/medium salt water fishing. The weight of those two reels in within the current HD 9-13.

The two largest reels are only for sea leviathans ( 15-16 oz weight).

Knowing Tomas Danielsson enormous attention to details and quality as well as simplicity and reliability of the current LW and HD reels I would be shock if the new reels will not performed as described in the brochure.

The current LW and HD reels have the simplest and most reliable sealed drag on the market. It takes a technically impaired person
about 5 minutes to fully disassemble and assemble back the reel, including the change of retrieve.

Salmo

P.S.

The Swidish Government takes a lot but not 90% !!!!!!!!
50% range or so
 
#11 ·
Wouldn't Live or Do Bussiness in Sweden on a Bet

Salmo,

Here is the reality of taxation in Sweden. Let's start with the base tax of 28% on profits made by the corporation. Next the corporate owners will pay 60% on moneys they derive as income from the business. Add to this an imposed VAT (value added tax) on sales plus high capital gains taxes on company growth evaluations. Then add Swedish "wealth taxes" and add that to the average 32% taxes extracted by regional and local governments. Truth is the Swedish business owner or average citizen doeesn't have a pot to you know what in at the end of the day. Just a job and a "cradle to grave" socialistic promise of security is the payback. It is no wonder over 50% of the Swedish GDP is from foreign trade. Might as well put products out the door at basement prices as to see the government take it all. Don't mis-understand me. Danielsson is a fine product and I hope they sell a million reels. I for though am leaving this now infomercial (thread).

BR
 
#12 ·
New Reels - advice

Salmo, Bob and all other posts

Thanks for the advice, followed the links and saw the marketing on the new Danielsson reels. Obviously the link is a pre release, has anyone fished with the older models eg the HD and can recommend it from personal use ? Similarly the Abel, Nautilus and Tibor reels - can any one call it from a personal reference as all the competing marketing material obviously makes claims and counter claims.

I have never used an A/R reel to date - any afficienados out there who think its the way to go ?

Thanks again for the feedback.

Fint

PS - I live in Ireland so have no problem driving Swedish cars (Volvo driver for 9 years...) Corporation tax good - 12% but income tax 42%, levies 7% and Value Added/ Sales tax 21% so total tax take close to 70% if you are a business owner and 60% if you are an employee...:(
 
#13 ·
Fint,

Back on subject, I own a number of Tibors and Abels and love them both. Don't think of them as being outdated, it's the simplicity of the design that makes these reels the reliable work horses that they are.

Bottom line is the less parts, pieces, springs involved the less chances for corrosion and with their big open drag systems a quick rinse and you'll have them for decades.

BTW the Tibors sound awesome when those Crooked fish take off. They have the best outbound click I've heard on any reel.:lildevl:
 
#14 ·
I think the tibor, abel, nautilus or danielsson is a coin flip. They all will perform. Just got a couple new nautilus reels last year with the new drag setup and am very impressed. All I fish nowadays are nautilus or daniellson. Good reels.

I liked sealed drag systems mainly because my reels tend to spend a lot of time in the water due to how/where I fish. I am also lazy and even minimal cleaning would never get done. Both the danielson and nautilus reels are ones I clean once a year.

However, I really like the Tibor reels. If/when I get a boat I will defintely be getting a couple to keep as boat reels. They have all those records for a reason...

-sean
 
#15 ·
I really like the Danielsson HD 9-13 I got a year ago. Its not a delicate reel and you could fish for anything from permit to the big tarpon with it.
If I was buying another reel for bonefish I would consider the LW 7-9 instead of the HD. With those two reels you would be set for anything you would find on Crooked or Los Roques short of a Marlin.
The sealed drag systems are important to me. I like being able to just hose them down and not worry about them.
I purchased a Sage 2580 reel last year for bonefish which also has a maintenance free drag. I use it with a 7wt. Makes a nice, light weight, outfit for when you are wading all day on the flats.
 
#16 ·
Fint, looks like a tossup between Tibor, Abel, Nautilus and Danielsson. I have Tibors and last year purchased Nautilus CCF reels. If you wade fish, my preference is a sealed drag system, e.g. Nautilus and Danielsson. Having said that, dunking a Tibor requires only a quick splash of sweetwater for maintenance.

Nautilus and Danielsson have the nod over Tibor and Abel in terms of price point. Unless you decide on the Tibor Quick Change, changing spools on the Nautilus and Danielsson is easy without a handful of parts.
 
#18 ·
New Reels - advice

Thanks for all the replies to this post, will now surf for the best deal price wise online as I want to pick up 2 spare spools for each reel to cover intermediate and sinking lines as well as the std floating lines.

Any pointers on stores with good prices would be appreciated.

Thanks again for your help, anyone coming to Ireland to flyfish, drop me a PM and I will help out with guides/ venues for you.

Fint
 
#20 ·
Hey Fint, I just noticed you're based on Lough Mask you lucky "son-of-a-gun" :smokin:

How is it fishing these days?

I heard that Conn was having a tough time with polution a few years back.

It has been way too long since I wet a line in the Western Counties.

The spot I remeber best on Mask is the "Religs (sp?)".

Watching a 3lb wild brown rocket up through 10 feet of crytal clear water and nail my Bibio ........yesssssssss! :smokin:
 
#21 ·
Shilton's are my next Reel

With the price of Charlton's going threw the roof, I've decided to put mine in the safe. End of April will be trying the Shilton 8 weight for two weeks in Eleuthera. If it is all they say it is, I will be getting their 10, 12, and 14 weights as well. The recent pending world record YFT was landed on a Shilton so that does say something about the reel. You can check them out on Jim William's web site, Just-Reels.com. I have fished all the reels mentioned on this thread and all are quite adequate for the Crooked Island Bones.
 
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