reel for bamboo rod?

What would be the best reel to balance a 8'6 5wt bamboo rod? i have heard pflueger, just wondering if there are any other opinions out there? Thanks.

Jake

Hardy.......

I'm a bamboo rod freak and have several rods in that size range, and my favorite reel for balance is the older Pflueger Medalist 1494 and 1494-1/2. Both seem to balance my 8-8-1/2 footers nicely. Keep in mind, though, that the older Medalist reels have "thicker" reel foots and have a difficult time fitting the smaller cap & ring seats on some bamboo rods. I have two bamboo rods that have this problem, and I have to supplement the reel foot with tape if I want it to stay secured. I think older Medalist reels really set off a bamboo rod, especially if it's vintage. I have somehow avoided the lure of getting invovled in the Hardy or way cool Peerless style reels. I love those reels but my budget doesn't. I really like the way the Hardy "sings", though.

Cliff

Bebop is right. A Hardy if you can affford it. Nothing worse than a cheap reel on an expensive rod. The new Orvis reels for about a $100 are very pretty as well. Just my .0198 cents. I have an Orivis Battenkill and I have the "Battenkill" reel that just came out to go with it.

Bob, the lover of bamboo but afraid I'll break it.

Pflueger Medalist comes to ming

Thanks for all the replies everyone I greatly appreciate the info. Jerry- I will be fishing the rod athough I have had several people try to identify it for me with luck as to maker or value so i figure what the hell I might as well have some fun with it!!! Thanks again.

Jake

A nice cane rod deserves a proper reel. I would opt for a nice old Medalist. My pak Preston fount a couple of very nice ones on e-Bay, which he uses regularly. For a new reel I'd go for a Hardy in the Lightweight series depending on the weight of the rod. Don't worry about a rim control or anything too hi-tech. It will only detract from the overall classic look of a cane outfit. I've used a Hardy Lightweight on a little 7-foot fiberglass J.Kennedy Fisher 4-weight rod for more than twenty years. I've used it to take all sorts of trout up to a 24-inch rainbow of about 4 pounds from a favorite Idaho river. It did just fine.
If you are looking for a new reel I believe that the Orvis CFO sits very nicely on a cane rod, although it does have an unassuming disk drag.
Your work is cut out for you sorting through all of the good suggestions you've received.
Good Fishing, Les Johnson

I recently ordered a 7 1/2" 4 weight from Homer Jennings and when I get it a year from now, I intend to put a Hardy LHR Lightweight on it. I'm not a traditionalist though. I could see a Ross Evolution with the blue finish on it as well.

Dan

"There are none happy in the world but beungs who enjoy freely a vast horizon."

If you have a little extra change I would look into a Billy Ballan.

I'd guess that your 8-1/2' 5wt will be fairly heavy, probably in the 5 to 5-1/2 ounce range. To get it to balance near the winding check, you'll probably want to look for a reel in the 5 to 6 oz range. (My Pfleuger 1494-1/2 doesn't even come close to balancing a 9ft Granger Special 3/2.)

I'm partial to older Hardy Marquis reels which come in a variety of sizes. Check out eBay for one in size 6 or larger. It'll run about $140 or so. Hardy Bougles are also nice but the price will be about double what you'll pay for a Marquis. Here's a shot of a 3-1/4" Bougle Mk.V on a 1973 Hardy Marvel.

K

Should you decide on a Pflueger, the real seat problem, as well as some replacement parts issues can be solved here http://www.onepfoot.com/
To deal with the weight balance issues, consider that the older Pflueger's came with a hang tag explaining how to add BB shot to the spool center for increased rod balance weight. It may not be the most elegant solution, but hey, it works.

Personaly I'd go with a Hardy but I understand the attraction of the Pflueger.

A friend of mine once dragged a Medalist behind a Volkswagon for over a mile and continued to fish it for years afterward.

TC

I should have also mentioned that older Hardy reels will most likely continue to increase in value the longer you own them. Unlike the Ross, Galvan and Lamson reels in your dealer's glass case that are worth half what you paid for them the moment you walk out the shop door, you can fish old Hardy Marquis, Perfects, St. George, Princesses and Bougles for a lifetime and then sell them for more than you paid - in some cases, MUCH more.

K

I also have an old re-furb cane rod. Southbend Model 59 made by Buddy Davis. It's a beautiful stick and one of my favorites. I've had a new model Medalist 1494 on it, and it worked very well. Balanced nicely and did the job. I've since put an Orvis Battenkill Disc on it, with a Cortland WF5F SYLK, and I am very pleased. The total outfit looks right and balances well. Plus, the SYLK flies through the guides like a whistle. It allows me to lay a line on the water like a fluff of fuzz from a Cottonwood Tree. It connects me to the current like an EKG. I couldn't ask for anything more. Unless it was a Ron Kusse Black Troll 8 foot 5 weight.
__________
Lotech Joe

I was poking around in an old antique shop in La Conner. Spyed two Hardy Perfects which weren't in the best of condition. I mean sort of beat up like they had the piss fished out of them. But they worked and the music was good, The tag was about $500 each. Geez. Talk about the price going up not down. Probably be worth a grand someday,

Bob, the I need more Hardy reels so send me some. :clown:

Most of you may already know but even the most beaten up Hardy reels can be put back into the best of shape by Bill Archuleta of Grants Pass, Oregon (541-956-1691, or 888-332-7335). I believe that he could probably make a new Hardy reel for you. I've sent a lot of people to Bill over the years for some very technical repairs of old Hardy reels and everyone has been not only please but often amazed. Through the years Bill has repaired a an original SA/Hardy System 5 and a Hardy Lightweight. After consulting with Bill on my Hardy St. John 3-7/8" (Dural) I've decided to use it for summer steelhead in BC this year. So, if you locate any old Hardy reels that are approaching bargain prices you can figure that Bill can put them in top shape for you. It only costs money, but what the hell! we're talking class, elegance, asthetics here.
Good Fishing, Les Johnson

Just seconding Les' comments on Bill Archuleta. Last summer I broke an entire segment out of the reel cage on one of my Princesses. Not only was it broken, but the broken piece tinkled away into the rocks and half-an-hour of hands-and-knees searching couldn't discover it. Bill fabricated a new segment, TIG welded it into place, cleaned it up and repainted 'er. The only way I could tell where the work had been done was a lack of the scuffs and scratches that are a feature of the rest of the reel. Work of this kind isn't exactly cheap, but I thought it was reasonable. If you have a reel of value (either monetary or emotional) that's in need of some TLC, Archuleta's your man.

I will admit, that I recently got bit by the bamboo bug. They are just WAY too much fun to cast. I will warn you now, dont ever cast one unless you want to buy one!
To make matters worse my Ross reels dont look good on my new bamboo rod...Maybe in a couple years or so I can buy a hardy!! bawling:

I'll vouch for that (and so will Kent). The first time I cast a bamboo rod was my dad's old Heddon, back around 1968 or so, but I didn't get my own bamboo rod until 1995, a few years after reading Trout Bum, by Gierach. He really set the hook in me for bamboo, like a lot of people. For the last few years that's really all I'll fish, except for some high lakes fishing whe I use graphite, and I have a modest collection of vintage and modern bamboo. I'm no bamboo snob at all, but I just enjoy it much more than graphite rods. So far, I haven't gotten into great reels, but that's mainly because I'm on a budget and thus far, a reel is just a place for me to hold line. I've caught some bruisers on my Medalist 1494 1/2 & 1495 and didn't need the fancy drag system (neither did Haig-Brown). But a Peerless or Saracino reel would be nice!

Cliff