Alvey review

[Scottie]

Greetings from Chicago. I recently ordered and received (thanks Steve) the new extended base version of the Alvey 500BCXL (5000XTLD) mated to a Snyder FW7. Overall, an excellent bass set up. The one thing I'd change on the reel would be to slim down the extended base. It's a bit much on the ol' hand when you've got it wedged between your middle and ring fingers. But it is manageable. When you've got it between your fingers like that, you can handle the reel/line as if it were a spinning reel. It works great, and it's very easy to do one hand casts, flips, and pitches.
As for the Snyder FW7, I love its relative stiffness and action. It's got plenty of backbone for yankin' those hawgs out of the water and on to the deck. My only beef is the long butt. It's a full 12 inches from where the reel mounts. I'd like to see it shortened 3 or 4 inches. But, like the extended base on the Alvey, the Snyder FW7 is quite manageable with its longer butt. All in all it's a great set up, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
I spooled the last 300 meters of line with Iron Silk, a new super polymer from Berkley. Yesterday I fished long and hard for a full 6 hours, and I've got to say that this is perhaps the finest line I've ever used. Absoulutely no memory, super abrasion resistant (Lake Michigan rocks and zebra mussels), and truly as smooth as silk. And it cast like a dream on the new Alvey.

Scottie

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

g'day scottie,
greetings from sunny queensland the proud home of the alvey - got about 6 of them myself some of which I've had since 1980 & still going strong - it nice to be able to buy a product these days that lasts!!!
Regarding your rod, it sounds like its built to suit a spinning reel thus its longer butt. We alvey addicts simply take a fine toothed hacksaw & remove the offending extra length from the butt, then trim down the foam with a sharp blade & replace the butt cap. This does not effect the performance of the rod but may change how easy it is to put in a rod holder / perform big casts with a spinning reel.
Hope you hammer them.
chris

[Scottie]

Thanks Chris, I've got 5 Alvey's now and 3 Snyder rods to mix and match . I love 'em, but I think I'll leave the FW7 alone as I'm getting used to the longer butt. I also have an old fiberglas rod that I'm having new guides put on with the proper spacing for an Alvey.
BTW, the smallmouth bass have been hittin' hard and heavy the last few days. What a blast.

Scottie

[Andrew]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the FW7 is supposed to have a long butt and is designed to be used with the long stem 5" Alvey for bream spinning, Andrew?

[Scottie]

You're right, Andrew. The FW7 is matched to the extended base Alvey. It's just that I got so used to fishing standard base Alvey's on a short butt rod, that this new set-up was a bit cumbersome to me at first. But after a couple of days fishing with it I feel right at home.

Scottie

[imported_admin]

Andrew

The original conception of the 5000XTLD with the FW7 was brought out as a result of the Team Alvey guys using them for the Bass comps. I believe they are now also using them in the Bream comps.

The original FW7 was designed for spinning reels. The FW7 we sell on the site has been adapted for use with an Alvey. The first runner has been moved towards the tip to allow the use of the Alvey reel.

It is not normally cast overhead as with the traditional Alvey but instead is flip or pitch cast.