Redington AL 13/14

[TrappedinCO]

I've got one of these on my old Arc 1509 - I like the reel, I think it balances this rod well. But I've always noticed that even with the drag cranked all the way up, it doesn't feel like it puts the brakes on very hard. Anyone else mess around with these reels and have this problem?

[TrappedinCO]

Redington answered my question - guess that's why they discontinued it.

[fredaevans]

Had the same problem and it turned out I'd 'over oiled' the center pin and some of it got down into the drag system (now there's a non-starter for you). Once I'd opened the drag and ran some solvent through there I was up and running.

A sealed drag it's not. But as to the why they stopped making the reel, it was because Orvis (?) bought them out to shut off the reel competition.

[speyfisher]

Hey, if you decide you don't like that reel and want to unload it, pm me. :p

[Richard]

But as to the why they stopped making the reel, it was because Orvis (?) bought them out to shut off the reel competition.

Whaaaat? Perhaps Redington discontinued the reel due to the tons of AS and AL reels that Redington continually received for repairs? Drag problems, rusting bearings, handles falling off . . . it seemed like one of those 'too good to be true' deals. The AL 13/14 is a great bargain reel for a spey reel, where usually the most important quality reel is the line capacity, and the drag function is not quite as big a deal. The Brakewater reel replaced the AL series, and that reel was a huge uptick in quality and performance. I believe the Brakewater came out before Orvis and Redington enjoyed (?!?!) their short-lived relationship, and was continued to be offered after Sage purchased Redington.

[FT]

So Richard, where did you get the information that Redington had gotten tons of AS and AL reels back for the various repairs you mention?

You are also mistaken on Redington continuing to make the AS and AL reels after Sage (or more acurately the investor group that owns Sage, Lamson, RIO, and Redington) purchased Redington. Orvis purchased Redington in large part to get the rights to manufacture their reels. The Redington founder (and original owner) was not happy with what Orvis did with Redington's other products so he bought Redington back from Orvis.

Unfortunately, Orvis had the rights for producing/manufacturing the AS and AL reels and would not sell those back as part of the re-purchase deal. The Redington founder had the design patents on the AS and AL reels though and since Orvis refused to sell him the manufacturing rights to the AS and AL reels, he excercised his design/patent rights and refused to license Orvis to manufacture them. Thus, neither Redington nor Orvis could continue to produce/manufacture the AS and AL reels, resulting in the model being discountinued.

Fred is correct in his post on needing to keep reel lube/grease out of the AS/AL drag mechanism for it to work properly. He is also correct about them having very good drags if lube/grease is kept out of the drag.

I degressed, back to the history. A bit after Redington's founder repurchased Redington from Orvis, the investment group that owns Sage purchased Redington. However, since by this time neither Redington nor Orvis was able to manufacture the AS/AL reels, they were never produced since Redington was acquired by Sage.

I own three Redington AS reels and have zero problems with any of them. And the drag can be cranked down to the point that 20# Maxima will break. I call that a pretty substancial amount of drag pressure.

[fredaevans]

The only way you can tell a 'Redington from an Orvis' is the frame will have a small circle with a line through it. Beyond that, exact same reel. Often wondered why they bothered .....:confused:

All that aside, I have several of the 13/14's that I use on my larger spey rods and not a whimper of a problem (well, the oil deal, but that was my fault).

From what I've heard on several occations FT's got it right as to the 'what happened' between Orvis and Redington. The 'lash up' with Sage appears to be working well.

[Porter]

Redington pulled the Brakewater Reel and now has a new reel in it's place, I wonder why because I heard only positive feedback regarding the Brakewater. I don't think the Brakewater was on the shelfs for to long...2 maybe 3 years at the most :confused:

I noticed redington also has come out with a higher end rod...Super Sport or some name like that. Interesting I thought ...being owned by Sage.

[Freestone]

The only way you can tell a 'Redington from an Orvis' is the frame will have a small circle with a line through it. Beyond that, exact same reel. Often wondered why they bothered .....:confused:.

Fred, I was always told it was so one could identify under whose watch the reel was manufactured and therefore, who was responsible for the warranty. After the buy-back that FT described (and that is exactly what I have always heard), I was told that the re-purchased Redington Co. would honor the warranty on the reels and frames they had produced but not on any produced under Orvis ownership. I subsequently always checked to make sure the ones that I bought did not have the Orvis mark. I’ve never checked to see what Sage’s policy is as I don’t own any Orvis-era AS/AL’s but I don't anticipate any issues.

I was always extremely happy with Redington's service and I give Sage kudos for keeping the incredible Redington service alive: I had a nasty fall down some rip-rap last year that badly bent the frame of my GD reel and later caused my Wayfarer rod to break. I tried to straighten the spool but it still rubbed badly. They of course replaced the rod but when I asked if I could buy a replacement spool, they gave me a brand-new GD! I protested as I really wasn’t trying to scam a free reel but they insisted! I therefore assume that Sage/Redington will help me out satisfactorily if I ever have problems with my AS/AL’s.

[fredaevans]

iagree Freestone, you're 10 for 10. (Hope that makes sense.)

"I protested as I really wasn’t trying to scam a free reel but they insisted!''

In my case (SAME DARNED THING ... clumsy olf ... a redie rod) told them the 'sad tail of whoo.aaaaa - insert here Jeeze THAT was reallllly stupid .. insert a bit of single malt ... never mind.' 'Can you repair it?' (An original reddie rod)l. "No, but what would you like as a replacement?' 'How much?' 'Free, and here's a list you can choose from.' (Long list actually.)

[speyfisher]

And the next time Fred forgets and leaves one of those Reddington reels in the back of my car,,,,,,am I going to call him and tell him where it is?????? Or perhaps conduct a study on:
1. How long before Fred misses it? bawling:
2. How much longer after that, Fred figures out who has it? :rofl:

[fredaevans]

Jimmie, you're a VERY naughty boy. (And yes I did leave one in the back of his Jeep, and yes, he did call me.

Next time?:hmmm: