Float Fishing Reel

[dubsiew]

Hi

I've just started fishing again with my daughter because she wanted to go fishing.

Her first day out was on the Trent catching roach and baby chub and she appears to enjoy it.

Now my old Mitchell Match which I love needs a repair so I'm looking for a good shallow spool reel for now.

Can anyone recommend a good reel that's easy to use and isn't prone to tangles please. She likes float Fishing so I'm not after a big pit reel that takes loads of line or anything like that.....

Cheers

 

[Tree123]

How long is a piece of string... I I think they all perform in a similar manner now. I'd just head down to local shop and have a play
I used to have two stradic and I think they work just as well as now cheaper shimano alivos/ dawia ninja

 

[dubsiew]

For someone out of the sport for over 20 years .....it's changed completely. It's now largely carp and specimen fishing and pole for match.

So all the brand's and models have changed. I did pop into a local shop but again huge reels and not much else which would impossible for a river trotting etc.

I'll probably buy an Abu closed face if fixing my Mitchell proves expensive because they are good for kids to learn.

So it was really just trying to find out what models offer low profile spools etc

 

[108831]

Im afraid not too many have shallow spools,most that do are relatively expensive,sadly match reels are often 200yds of 8lb of line...

 

[The Sogster]

Yes spools tend to be deeper but backing can be used.
Any fixed spool in the 2000 to 2500 size should be fine. Be aware that some reels sold as spinning reels have no anti reverse/ backwind facility.

 

[108831]

Sadly,any angler that has used a Mitchell match knows backing is garbage,yes I do it too but a shallow spool holding 100yds of 3-4lb like the match is perfect for silver fish float fishing,we are being given American market reels and expected to make do,even though a lot of dosh is spent on reels in the UK every year...you can buy a specialist specimen reel,yet not a specialist match reel,unless you spend big.I suggest the op looks at Korum,or Preston reels not that I know much about them,but he might get lucky spool size wise economically,might....

 

[The Sogster]

I am not sure what you mean by 'backing is garbage', a pain in the arris maybe but works perfectly well on my reel spools that require it.

I don't think deep spools are particularly recent, books on my shelves from 60 years ago talk about the necessity of backing for light lines on deeper spools even then.
Never had a MM but my old 300 required backing back in the 70's.

I agree though it would be nice if reels were more suited to the UK anglers fishing lighter lines.

 

[108831]

Mitchell match's come with match spools(no others),these were 100yds of 3lb,for trotting they were excellent,the spools that is,as the reels which were great back then are rubbish by today's standards,for several years after that companies like Shimano,Daiwa,Ryobi made shallow spools for their reels,having backing often creates a situation for bedding after playingd a big fish,not allowing a clean trot,this never,ever happens with a shallow spool,these days Shimano and Daiwa and Cadence produce reducers to create the shallow spools,but only on their more wxpensive reels,the OP having used a Mitchell Match will know all of this as he stated his preference

 

[dubsiew]

I dislike backing up deep spools as the finer line tends to bed into the cheaper heavier line below.

The Mitchell Match was a very good reel and comparable kit will now cost you in excess of 150 quid. Thankfully my local fishing shop is going to refurbish mine. They just don't make kit like that....it was heavy and clunky looking but it worked and if you go along to river match today you are still likely to find one in use.

I've purchased an Abu Closed face for now for about 60 quid....so that should do me for now.

 

[108831]

Imho Mitchell reels are a crock of shite by todays standards,workings wise,my two matches,two 300 had plenty of parts replaced over the years,through wear(monkey metal gearing)and bail arm springs,but they were the best,no doubt,a Daiwa 1657m has an automatic bail and shallow spools,rear drag,I think they still make them,as for Mitchell matches fetching £150,lol,I wouldn't give you fifty pence,why Mitchell didn't bring their shallow spools into a modern reel I will never know,maybe it's because everything is made in the east...

 

[sam vimes]

a Daiwa 1657m has an automatic bail and shallow spools,rear drag,I think they still make them.

Finally discontinued a year or two back. All things considered, they had a pretty good run lasting the best part of forty years.

 

[108831]

I had two many years ago,not THE answer,but an improvement in smoothness to the match,my Shimano Aero matches replaced those(excellent shallow spools(3),which have been sold around a year ago for almost as much as I paid for them,after countless pounds of fish on them,now I use Cadence reels with reducers...

 

[john step]

See if you can source a Drennan series 7 float reel. 4 Shallow spools.
Alternatively look at the Drennan Red Range float reel. Entry level reel at under £30 on the Bay. Two shallow spools.

 

[Richox12]

I don't see how backing could cause any problem when float fishing as if you put 100m of 2lb or 3lb line on the top of it you'll never have that much line out to get to the backing. Also once backed out you cover the backing line with something like tape anyway to keep it nice and flat.

 

[108831]

The problem is,without something firm underneath,you get bedding because of the sponginess,it doesn't happen with roach and dace,get a chub and it beds in beautifully and you won't be able to cast properly next time...

 

[Richox12]

Because you've trotted so far you've got to, or got close to, the backing ??? I have all of my reels (well, nearly all) with backing and even catching decent chub on the waggler (maybe at 30yds) have never had a problem with any in terms of line peeling off nicely let alone casting.

 

[108831]

No mate,it happens if you hook a chub as soon as you cast in,doesnt matter what reel you use or what line,or im imagining it all these years,must be eh,lol.

 

[The Sogster]

I seem to remember many closed face reels had a problem with line bedding in and also centrepin reels too if they have too much line on. I think it is in the nature of fine lines and larger than expected fish to bed into itself.

 

[Keith M]

(

See if you can source a Drennan series 7 float reel. 4 Shallow spools.
Alternatively look at the Drennan Red Range float reel. Entry level reel at under £30 on the Bay. Two shallow spools.

If I needed a good reel that doesn't cost too much and which comes with several spare 'shallow' spools then the drennan reels would be my choice.

Like Whitty I'm not a great lover of deeper spools which need hundreds of yards of backing line loaded onto them before you load your finer line onto it; unless you can buy plastic line reducers which are made especially for the reel. alleviating the need for backing line.

A hundred yards of 2lb to 3lb line isn't very deep on your spool at all, and even the small knot connecting your backing line to your newer line could cause you problems, so why not just buy a reel that comes with several shallow spools like these drennan reels?.

On the other hand; if you wanted to spend a lot more you can then have a larger choice of suitable reels to choose from; and I would then seek advice from someone like Sam Vines as he seems to know a lot about current reels on the market.

I certainly wouldn't buy one of the newer Abu closed face reels which according to some are nowhere near as good as the original Abu closed face reels and are apparently a bit plasticy.

I'm not saying that the diawa ninjas are not good reels, because they are good reels however I just don't like reels with smaller diameter spools let alone deeper spools which you need backing line on.
However that's just my opinion and we all have our own preferences.

Keith

 

[Richox12]

I seem to remember many closed face reels had a problem with line bedding in and also centrepin reels too if they have too much line on. I think it is in the nature of fine lines and larger than expected fish to bed into itself.

That's the line bedding into itself and is common. What Whitty is talking about is that line bedding into the backing underneath when in use which is why I don't understand it as there will be (I assume) 100yds on top of the backing. Unless the chub is cranked in from distance ?