Favourite heavy surf reel

[nigelr]

Name your favourite 8kg+ surf reel, and why you prefer to use it over the others!
Mine are the large French-made Bretton egg beaters, pre-date the giant Mitchells, stainless pinion gear, marine bronze drive gear, gears much larger than those on the Mitchell 3/486/7, 488/9/, 3/ 496/7, 498/9. Pinion bearing is OD 28mm, ID 12.5mm, W 8mm.
Several variations including skirted and fixed spool, bail and manual p/u, line capacity from 250m of 8kg to 450m of 8kg (skirted spool manual p/u.
Very strong reel, the ones I use are over 40 years old and have negligible gear train wear.
Drag palls by comparison to modern reels, but replacement of original washers with new oiled felt and virgin teflon produces more than adequate results.
Have to admit tho', I love the vintage gear!
Cheers!

[NeilD]

If you want the ultimate "vintage' surf reel the these are hard to beat

Cheers

Neil

[manchild]

If you want the ultimate "vintage' surf reel the these are hard to beat

Cheers

Neil

Ditto neil.i rest my case
George

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

yup

its an alvey reel that fills the creel.


try backwinding into a 15kt south-easter and then immediately striking something huge in an angry shore-break on a black night. With an alvey you are in direct contact - and no brass shaving because.......


no gears.

seeyainthesurf,
chris

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

...


Several variations including skirted ...

eggbeater in the surf user mentions skirts .........

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm



our crew has always maintained there is a connection.




chris

[grave41]

Dillerent toys for different boys. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Graham
ps; I use both

[far.kwirk]

Got to love an Alvey

[Deiter]

I used to wonder why i would see guys using alveys back-peddling up the beach when they had a fish on.
Now after using one i know why...

Its coz you can't bloody wind fast enough to keep up with the fish!!!

Give me my 8500ss anyday.


I had this discussion with a friend not long ago re alveys. I know they are simple, and alot of the older generation like it that way, but surely after all these years there would be a few improvements that could/ should be made.

Number 1 would have to be the drag. A properly set up drag has got to be better than 'palming' the drum. Why then, with the largest usable area available to use of any reel on the market, have alveys still got these piddly little drag washers??? They could be HUGE, the room is certainly there. They could be smoother than than any game reel available!

my 2 cents

Damo

p.s. i never wear my skirt on the beach

[somervillebm]

Why do old folk like alveys - because they were wise...

Penn 850 I know that you will look after it - make sure that no sand gets in, gets a quick wash after very session

Now give your prize eagg beater to your ten year old... See how many times it gets a big drink of nice sea water.. See how many times he puts it in the sand to run off `to chase seagulls or to join a game of beach cricket or forget to give it a wash after a night session.

[grave41]

"Because they were wise"

Because their stuck in a rut. Outdated.Not game to try anything new.
If your backwinding i hope your the only one there as you would tangle anyone else up or i forgot they dont have a baitrunner feature on alveys.Anyone who doesent clean their gear when they get back deserves trouble.Ive had tailor hit so fast the people with alveys dont even know they have lost their bait.Still sitting out their baitless wondering how were catching them.Try spinning with alveys.
IMO Graham

[nigelr]

Forgot to mention, fished almost exclusively with Alvey til I hit mid 40's, the big 650c5 got too heavy to hold for hours on end.............great reel but damn heavy!
I was concerned how eggbeaters would compare, but after 4-5 years I'm happy with them. More care needed for sure, but thats ok!
Yeh, I usually leave the skirts for special occasions!

[mattooty]

Grave41, have you ever seen the double retrieve alvey? purpose built for spinning metals?
How about the cluth on the 650c5 allowing it to go from free spool to geared? do u class that as the equivalent of a baitrunner?
I know you probably are a great fisherman with more years than i have but is there something stemming down to not being able to use an alvey competantly? I can always outcast an eggbeater with an alvey in the right condition and wen using heavier lines i find i can in most cases use alot less weight such as wen fishing for groper with weightless baits.
Different reels for different applications, i use a baitcaster wen flicking hardbodies for jacks with 8kg plus line, i use an eggbeater for plastics for XOS flatties with 8kg line and i use alveys for tailor and jew because lets just face it, when put to the test of time, which proves to be very important in this day and age of rising inflation and uncertain interest rates, an alvey will do the proverbial all over an eggbeater.
MAtt

[spinner]

Well, this one is a bit of fun.

Nigelr
If you enjoy using your Brettons, then good on you. I used to use Penn 711 and 704, Mitchells,
Dam500s after graduating from Alveys a long long time ago. Now that I have grown up and know how to use a reel without dunking it in the water or sand, my favourite surf reel is my ABU 6500 mag elite.I can cast further with this reel than any of my spin reels or Alveys.
I can cast it in the dark, without using my thumb on the spool and it is LIGHT.
For me, and the particular fishing that I do,any reel is only as good as it`s drag, so I don`t have a use for an Alvey.
If you take the no maintenance argument to it`s conclusion, then you are even better off with a plastic handcaster.
A horse is easier to maintain than a car too, but I`m not going back.
Reggy

[tuskie]

Used to use my old Mitchell 499 on a 12 foot butterworth for spinning shiney metal in the surf. That is until I dropped it in
the edge break. After stripping and cleaning out ALL the sand it got retired. Now I use a Alvey 650 Bcv RR. It is fast enough, loves a bit of sand (not like a 650B, though) and doen't wear a skirt!

Go the (Queenslander) Alveys!

[nigelr]

Hi Reggy, thanks for your reply.
You're on a higher level than me, the 'conventional/overhead ' reel is beyond me at the mo', I will need a great deal of time to practice which I won't have for a few more years.
The minimal weight/castability is highly attractive, gives me a goal to aim towards!
One I will seek to attain in my 50's and beyond!
Just for interest, a very successful fishing buddy who was an 'overhead' fan has recently returned to a Spheros/Slammer double act for beach jew/offshore snapper.
Got to love the journey!
Cheers!