Alvey reel
Submitted by Shane O on Sat, 2017-10-14 21:22
Hey
i am looking at getting into some beach fishing
and was looking at Alvey reels. We did used to use these when I was a kid in
Brisbane, think that is all they use. But it has been a while, does anyone use these and
recommend them?
thanks
shane
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Faulkner Family
Posts: 18054
Date Joined: 11/03/08
they have been proven over
they have been proven over the years for their casting abilities. downside is over time the line gets twisted with casting. however with the retrieve they have the 1 to 1 ratio which gives more power to bring in large fish. if only chasing smaller fish go the eggbeater as this is more cast and retrieve and you dont get the line twist
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
I used to use them for beach
In fact, grew up in Sydney using nothing else, , had a 4" for all kinds of estuary fishing, a couple of 600's for surf. I gave them away on the beach some years ago , mainly because of the low speed retrieve. Most of the places I fished had random reeef in front, I found I just couldn't get the retrieve fast enough to avoid snagging on the way in.
For sheer durability, for beach fishing, you just can't beat them. Drop them in the sand, dunk them in the surf, just carry on. The best spin reels are rendered useless by this. I don't know that they go so well with braid, however, and braid makes surf fishing just so much easier you won't believe the difference.
You do know that they have stopped production? Happened in July this year fishwrecked.com/forum/alvey-no-more Apparently they just rushed off the shelves over east when the announcement was made, don't know about the local situation. But they are still selling spares, have bought some since, excellent people to deal with. I hope they can continue in one form or another, as they suggest they may.
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Alvey -- the reel which fills the creel
They are still being used. I love them, and use them less often as the years go by.
The Alvey family have my deepest respects, a wonderful product and legacy.
For getting back into beach fishing/jetty fishing , I would suggest a spinner with braid. My #1 selection on a budget would be the Penn 5500V with 20lb braid on a 12" beach rod. the Penn is close to water tight, rinse under low pressure water from a hose and softer for next trip. Should last 20yrs .
If you want to use an Alvey pm me and I'll put some thoughts forward for you. Alvey casting reels don't like braid, and braid means more fish from the beach.
Feral
Posts: 1508
Date Joined: 01/11/06
Just a question: why don't
Just a question: why don't you like braid on your alvey? I've never had issues with my 651 running braid
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Casting braid
I find wind knots an issue with the Alvey casters. I don't wind the braid on evenly enough with finger guiding, and end up with double loops etc.
The C5 s are all good in deep drop.
Do you do anything special on the line lay with braid on Alvey casters?
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
penn
what about the penn spinfisher 6500? with a diawa crossfire surf rod
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
that be fine
I found with the Penn SSM china reels they corrode quickly. I needed to do a complete strip down and gresase everything. Wasn't too hard of a job, and they $100 cheaper than the V series.