(in comparison, big fish wore out the gears on my Mitchell from high school by the time I went to college - and no one could ever accuse a Mitchell of being smooth.)įor spending your money today, I honestly don't think you can beat top-line Tica reels, for spinning or baitcaster. These same China reels are re-branded and sold as high-grade reels wearing other names and bigger price tags. That said, they're still making good Penns, and you won't ever need a replacement.Īnother anecdote about why I like Shimano/Lew's better than Abu. In college I bought a Daiwa Millionaire 6H, a quality Japanese reverse-engineered Abu clone (equivalent to Abu 6500). When I wasn't fly fishing, the Millionaire was my full-time fishing reel, fresh and salt water, though still at the coast accompanied by the clunky Mitchell (the HS Mitchell still works even today, but it sounds like a freight train).įishing the surf at Cedar Bayou in the 80s, sand wore through the Millionaire LW worm gear. The worm gear was nickel-plated brass, and the pawl was 440SS. Even though the reel had only been out of production for 5 years, Daiwa would not support it with parts. That was when I bought my first Lew's BB1NG, marked for Browning. On Lew's, the worm gear is 440SS, and the pawl is zirconia ceramic. My first BB1NG is still going strong with two parts replacements, the anti-reverse pawl, and the handle (parts came from Roy's Bait &Tackle in Corpus) Together they will grind sand, instead of the other way. I had previously bought my dad a Lew's for his birthday, and more along the way.Īll his are still going strong as well, though he has a tendency to crank down the casting drag and wear through bronze spindle pads. No worries, I fabricate replacements from phosphor-bronze sheet I have around for making springs for OP's Meeks and Talbots (I repair valuable antique reels as a hobby business). I have a cheap Okuma baitcaster that I bought as a backup. It's very light and works great with only one complaint. The casting brake adjustment drifts as the reel warms. It begins stiff, loosens up, then goes stiff again. Not a problem as long as you watch your spool in the cast and adjust it accordingly.
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