# Which reel is your holy grail?



## chednhy (Feb 8, 2012)

Grandpa’s stash!!


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## chednhy (Feb 8, 2012)

probably one of the first anti-reverse fly reels


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## -db- (Jan 12, 2016)

Sublime505 said:


> I’ll throw this out there. Tibor makes the best sounding fly reel out there.


Impossible...unless it somehow perfectly mimics an old Pflueger Medalist.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Not sure when I'll be able to get around to it, but I hope to get it fishing soon.


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## pescadero (Mar 31, 2006)

pescadero said:


> Visser No. 3
> 
> ...but I won't pay $100 for a reel, so $700 is out of the question.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Zebco 202?
🤣

Was at 7th grade camp being told how to work the infamous Heddon Hula Popper when a 20" bass gulped it down...
The ink stain on my brain still remains!

Mostly $100 range reels here for most of them but I like my carbon fiber #30 reels at 6.6 Oz just for the comfort.


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## Manolin (Feb 20, 2021)

I keep looking for an old shakespeare 1810, anyone got one that could pass a TinCanary test? Lol…..


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Manolin said:


> I keep looking for an old shakespeare 1810, anyone got one that could pass a TinCanary test? Lol…..


If you can find one I'll go through it for you


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## kaplan (Dec 26, 2011)

Ross CLA. Bought it at the Dundee Cabelas 20 years ago. Still clicking.


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## Manolin (Feb 20, 2021)

Hey TC!

Can you fix it? Lol


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Manolin said:


> Hey TC!
> 
> Can you fix it? Lol
> 
> View attachment 848582


If I can find a frame, yes. If not, I can booger weld it with some JB Weld! Lol


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Saw this same thing happen once very late.
A good buddy loaned his rig to his BIL and he was dozing off and a walleye smacked his bait rather hard, the hookset was indeed vicious, but when you're thumping the bottom of the gunnel as hard as you can IDK even JB Weld can help you - it was glued back on but fell off the next time out just from the vibration under way in the holder!
😂


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## Grinnell (Nov 20, 2019)

Love my Calcutta 251. Had been bulletproof for 20 plus years. Might need a little TC love though. Fished all over the country with it.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Story time! Wrenching on reels tends to put you in touch with a variety of people. One of those is a collector. A fellow that lives in Pennsylvania with a collection of higher end reels numbering over 300, with most of them new in box or very lightly used. He has been wanting to downsize and periodically offers me to buy something of his, and this is one I've had my eye on for a bit, but not at the price he was initially asking. He isn't one to deal with eBay or any of that, so his pool of potential buyers is very small. Last year, he offered to sell me this Daiwa Millionare Ringa SSS for $500, but it was an immediate pass for me. A couple weeks ago, he texts me and says "Hey Bob, I still have that Ringa for sale if you're interested. $375", and I said I would think about it. As I was sitting in the hospital waiting for my wife to be induced, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and now I have it. I won't say what I paid, but it wasn't the $375 he asked. These were made exclusively for Daiwa's own Heartland Club members in Japan back in '08, retailed for $700 at the time. It's super light for a round reel, about 6.8 oz. That's lighter than many low profile reels.

I have no idea how many were made, but I wouldn't imagine very many because they were never sold on the open market here nor Japan. You had to be in Daiwa's own club to have the chance to get one. It was the last factory tuned Millionaire put out by Daiwa. The good news with this reel is that it is built on the tried and true CV-Z 103 platform, and thus compatible with a wide range of parts such as spools for the Zillion, Ryoga, and Steez, and gear sets from the Alphas/Pixy line, so much room for modifications. As is my usual mode of operation, I will make it a trout reel because that's what I do.


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## motoscoota (Mar 9, 2021)

What a beauty TC!

That drag control really stands out
The lettering stamp on the spool is super cool too!

Thanks for sharing.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Daiwa Millionaires (I have two in different sizes)
Abu Records (another pair)
Are my favorite reels of all time. I am a simple man of simple means...
The sound of a Mitchell 300 anti reverse pawl makes me feel like I'm 14, it's 1973 again and the walleye are cruising the shoreline at night eating floating Raps........


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

motoscoota said:


> What a beauty TC!
> 
> That drag control really stands out
> The lettering stamp on the spool is super cool too!
> ...


Thanks, the only thing that puts me off on it is the chrome rings. I'll see if I can track down a brushed aluminum pair from a Millionaire CT or brushed gold from a CV-Z. I also want to put in a drag clicker, it's more fun when you can hear fish pulling line.


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## Grinnell (Nov 20, 2019)

So, how’s your wife and child????? And congrats.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Grinnell said:


> So, how’s your wife and child????? And congrats.


Thanks for asking. Wife is doing great, our daughter is getting there. She has had fluctuating bilirubin levels the last week, had to have 2 rounds of phototherapy thus far, but now it appears the bilirubin levels are finally starting to drop. It has been hard being away from home the last week. I only stopped periodically to feed our cats and get the mail then head right back. I'm glad things are finally turning around for her, we were worried she would have to live under the blue lights for a bit. Originally we were told it could be up to 6 days.


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## Grinnell (Nov 20, 2019)

tincanary said:


> Thanks for asking. Wife is doing great, our daughter is getting there. She has had fluctuating bilirubin levels the last week, had to have 2 rounds of phototherapy thus far, but now it appears the bilirubin levels are finally starting to drop. It has been hard being away from home the last week. I only stopped periodically to feed our cats and get the mail then head right back. I'm glad things are finally turning around for her, we were worried she would have to live under the blue lights for a bit. Originally we were told it could be up to 6 days.


Fairly common and rather benign. Rest easy brother. May you all be blessed with peace and health.


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## WALLEYICE (Jan 25, 2018)

My #1 for almost 2 decades


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## Grinnell (Nov 20, 2019)

I had a quantum platinum PTI for years also. Would still have it if I didn’t throw a temper tantrum over losing a fish once upon a time.


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## GhettoSportsmen (6 mo ago)

I got hooked on the Shimano Stradics seems like many thousands of years ago! lol Brought 5 or 6 when they first came out. Can't afford em now though!


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

WALLEYICE said:


> My #1 for almost 2 decades
> View attachment 849128


All I used to use until they came out with the magnetic anti reverse. They may have fixed it now, don't know, but moved on to Shimano because of it. Nothing worse than setting hook on steelhead and the reel free spooling into a nest. Shame too, because they had one of the best drags made at the time.


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## WALLEYICE (Jan 25, 2018)

Bought mine in probably 03 04 maybe, I've never had an issue. Caught everything from Kings to Cats on that thing. Ive been checking ebay hoping to find another


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

I probable would not fish if I could not use








my Daiwa Leobritz S 500 J Truly awesome technology.
Have six E reels Just love'em

Hal


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## whiteymalone (Apr 11, 2021)

The Shimano Symetre FJ was the best spinning reel for the dollar ever made, IMO. They were $99 when they were still being made (I think around 12 years ago). You would have to spend over $300 today to get the performance of that $99 reel.


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## whiteymalone (Apr 11, 2021)

Ranger Ray said:


> All I used to use until they came out with the magnetic anti reverse. They may have fixed it now, don't know, but moved on to Shimano because of it. Nothing worse than setting hook on steelhead and the reel free spooling into a nest. Shame too, because they had one of the best drags made at the time.


They used a magnetic bail trip, not anti-reverse. They were marketed as part of their "Performance Tuned" line of reels. Their Hot Sauce lubrication caused the roller bearing to fail in cold weather, causing the bail to "free wheel". The Icon used a magnetic bail as well. It was not part of the Performance Tuned line, so it used a conventional lubrication. I have 3 of them that have only been used as ice fishing reels. None of them ever free wheeled. Those $50 Icons weren't the Swiss watch that the $130 Energy was in warm weather, but they were a high-end Timex in cold weather.


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## WALLEYICE (Jan 25, 2018)

whiteymalone said:


> They used a magnetic bail trip, not anti-reverse. They were marketed as part of their "Performance Tuned" line of reels. Their Hot Sauce lubrication caused the roller bearing to fail in cold weather, causing the bail to "free wheel". The Icon used a magnetic bail as well. It was not part of the Performance Tuned line, so it used a conventional lubrication. I have 3 of them that have only been used as ice fishing reels. None of them ever free wheeled. Those $50 Icons weren't the Swiss watch that the $130 Energy was in warm weather, but they were a high-end Timex in cold weather.


I wanna say I bought mine around 2005, never ice fished with it being the size 40.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

whiteymalone said:


> The Shimano Symetre FJ was the best spinning reel for the dollar ever made, IMO. They were $99 when they were still being made (I think around 12 years ago). You would have to spend over $300 today to get the performance of that $99 reel.


The Symetre is still alive, they just changed the name to NASCI. Kind of like how the Stradic was renamed Vanford with minor changes. Still $99 too! Shimano NASCI FC Spinning Reel - Tackle Warehouse


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## whiteymalone (Apr 11, 2021)

Today's $99 Shimano isn't half the reel of the Symetre FJ. The frame on the FJ was non-flexing aluminum and it also had an oiling port. The flex in graphite frames just drive me nuts. I keep reaching down to tighten the reel seat nut because it feels like the reel is coming loose. Magnesium and aluminum are far superior to carbon and graphite for spinning reel frames. Shimano's marketing tried to say other wise. If you look, they never used graphite or carbon frames on their flagship Stella. There's a good reason for that.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

whiteymalone said:


> Magnesium and aluminum are far superior to carbon and graphite for spinning reel frames.


That was true many years ago but not so much today. Shimano Ci4+ and Daiwa Zaion are both carbon composite materials used on all of their higher end stuff, much of that for inshore saltwater fishing. These materials are now used more in high end reels because aluminum and magnesium aren't saltwater friendly once something scuffs the surface finish. As long as your drag is properly set, you shouldn't have frame flex regardless of material.


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## motoscoota (Mar 9, 2021)

tincanary said:


> That was true many years ago but not so much today. Shimano Ci4+ and Daiwa Zaion are both carbon composite materials used on all of their higher end stuff, much of that for inshore saltwater fishing. These materials are now used more in high end reels because aluminum and magnesium aren't saltwater friendly once something scuffs the surface finish. As long as your drag is properly set, you shouldn't have frame flex regardless of material.


Yep, that aluminum and or magnesium material slowly becomes chalk when exposed to salt water - esp where dissimilar metals meet each other. Anodize helps, but it degrades over time. I can't prove it, but I believe sun also breaks down anodize over time. The graphite (carbon) materials don't seem to care about any of that. Even though we live in a "fresh water" fishery here in the great state of Michigan, it's not salt-free. Basically all water you see in the wild has some dissolved salts, and so does the well or the tap. Rinsing helps, but we're never really "salt free".


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

I'm trying to get my hands on one of these guys, love me a Cardinal 3. They were a limited production model released in December of last year. They seem to range in price from $250 to $600 depending on retailer. That's a big spread. The Cardinal 3s have been made in limited runs every year since about 2011 due to demand from Japanese trout fishermen who hold them in the highest regard in spinning reels. There are some small upgrades from the originals; now they feature 2 additional ball bearings, a SiC line roller to work well with braided line, and a quieter anti-reverse setup. Other than that, it's the same as the Zebco Cardinal we all love.


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## two_trac (Dec 22, 2013)

I’ve wanted a Paine Falls Demarco for a few years. I’m now the proud owner of this one. Favorite color combo too!


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

two_trac said:


> I’ve wanted a Paine Falls Demarco for a few years. I’m now the proud owner of this one. Favorite color combo too!
> View attachment 871328
> 
> View attachment 871326
> ...


I love that orange, really nice color. I wish more manufacturers used it, I'm kind of burned out on red and blue.


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

the Shimano Tekota line gotta be up there. im talking the older ones. acquired my salmon trolling spread before they were too expensive to get


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Tekotas are excellent, well worth the price of admission. You can buy a new Okuma every two or three years for $100+ or you can be one and done with a Tekota. I understand Okumas are very popular due to their cost and many just throw them out and buy another once they have an issue. No need to do any of that with a Tekota. Get it serviced once per year or two depending on use and it'll last many years.


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## VetHuntRookie (Sep 18, 2021)

It isn’t exactly exotic or vintage but I would love a DAIWA TATULA LT in 2000D for trout. Super light and quick but I can’t justify the price. My wife just bought me a DAIWA LEGALIS LT 2000D for Christmas and I’m excited to try it out.


- VHR


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

This time of year:


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