Quality fixed spool for heavy trotting ?

[squimp]

I’m getting back into river fishing after a few years away and am looking at my ancient gear...

I have two Shimano Mach 3 reels that must be more than 15 years old but they still work okay. In their day they were top of the range. Are there markedly better FS reels available these days, or should I just stick with what I have ?

Main task will be heavish trotting for chub, decent roach and maybe barbel.

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

 

[Ken the Pacman]

If they are Mach 111 they are Shakespeare not Shimano and are adequate for trotting if you want to replace them anything in the Daiwa range from the Ninjas upwards to the TDX if you want to splash some cash.

 

[ukzero1]

Get a centre-pin, can't beat having a nice glide in front of you and flicking out a stick float.

As for fixed spool reels, we all have a personal preference. Some like front drag, others prefer rear drag. It all boils down to one thing...budget. If you think 15 years is old, then that is positively new to some reels that are used by members here. If they still work O.K, then use them by all means just don't forget to change the line to suit your quarry.

 

[squimp]

They are definitely Shimano; but Aero Match III, rather than Shakespeare Mach 3. Apologies for the typo.

They were the state of the art in the early 2000's. Cost £75 each.
I remember trying a cheaper Daiwa reel that was terrible (awful line lay) before I splashed out on the Shimano's.

Basically they are 3000 size reels with excellent line lay, push button spools and a rear drag. I have the exact same size reels but in fighting drag guise for feeder/leger fishing - so I can switch spools between them.

I have a decent centrepin - so that option is covered.

 

[ukzero1]

The Shimano Sahara 4000 RD is a nice reel to use for trotting. Not a bait runner but does have fighting drag. Single or double handle available.

 

[Sam Vimes]

As the mainline you use gets heavier, it can pay to use a wider diameter spool to counter the effect of memory. Most modern Shimano reels of a comparable size to your Aero Matches will have a wider diameter spool. If I need a fixed spool reel when trotting for barbel (I tend to favour my pins), I tend to use a Twinpower Ci4 4000 RA. However, the current Stradic Ci4+ RAs, and the Super GT RDs, both have even larger diameter spools. If you can cope with rear drag reels, these would be my suggestion.

 

[Paul22]

I’m getting back into river fishing after a few years away and am looking at my ancient gear...

I have two Shimano Mach 3 reels that must be more than 15 years old but they still work okay. In their day they were top of the range. Are there markedly better FS reels available these days, or should I just stick with what I have ?

Main task will be heavish trotting for chub, decent roach and maybe barbel.

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

I’d stick with the reels you have pal....... if you get into maybe upgrade in the future ?

 

[nejohn]

I would look around for a Daiwa TDM 3012, they are just about to be discontinued so can be had for some bargain prices, great line lay (as long as you don't lose the washers behind the spool) nice wide spool and a shorter stem than Shimano and most other reels makes line control easier, I have a couple of Aero Match 3's and much prefer the TDM for my trotting on the Wye (unless I know there is not much chance of hitting a larger Barbel then I will use a 506M). they are smooth and powerful, the bail arm comes over smoothly or you can do it manually so decreasing the chances of bumping fish. You also get the benefit of great aftersales service if you ever need it

 

[david white]

Don’t know if this will sway you one way or another

If you choose to upgrade I’d find a home for a couple of Aero Match 111’s please !!

 

[sjmclean]

Tbh the Diawa TDR is the best reel on the market.

 

[squimp]

Thanks chaps, really helpful info.

I agree that the stem is a bit too long on my Match 3.

I will check out the TDM and also the Shimanos.

The Daiwa sounds good, but I have read a few reports of dodgy line lay.....can it cope with 5 or 6 lb line ?

 

[Flathead]

Stick with what you have got....most modern reels will be no better.

I still use an ABU 506 and a Mitchell Match which are both over 40years old....and a DAM CFM which is not far off.

 

[nejohn]

Thanks chaps, really helpful info.

I agree that the stem is a bit too long on my Match 3.

I will check out the TDM and also the Shimanos.

The Daiwa sounds good, but I have read a few reports of dodgy line lay.....can it cope with 5 or 6 lb line ?

The line lay on a TDM can be adjusted to your liking by adjusting the washer combination when I got all of mine they came with a full compliment of washers and the line lay was not good tappering m the front to the back of the spool , I took a washer off and it was about just right

 

[fishcatcher4]

The line lay on a TDM can be adjusted to your liking by adjusting the washer combination when I got all of mine they came with a full compliment of washers and the line lay was not good tappering m the front to the back of the spool , I took a washer off and it was about just right

I think it's ridiculous that they can't have reels with good line lay straight out of the box.

The only way to find out is when you start putting line on and if it's not right then do you add washers or take them off.

Then take the line back off.

Maybe there's a good reason for doing it but i have not heard it yet mate.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Good line lay is a product of the speed and pattern of oscillation of spool and rotor.
Even line lay is a consequence of the spool's position relative to the rotor. It's quite possible to have quite even, but still rubbish line lay.
It's yet another one of those fishing things where people say "good" without any definition of what makes it good. Hand the same rod with a "good" action, or reel with "good" line lay, to another angler with different ideas and he may well think them anything but good.

UK coarse anglers tend to look for even line lay as a desirable feature (this may be enough to constitute as "good" line lay for many). However, some applications can actually benefit from rear, or forward, biasing of line on the spool. People tend to forget that the world is a big place, the UK is a relatively small market, and the vast majority of reels are made with anything but the UK market in mind.

 

[nejohn]

Just to clarify the line lay on a TDM is very good by adding or taking away a washer you can have a slight forward or rearward taper or you can get a perfectly flat profile, I am not talking about a lot of difference as it is very slight and you can adjust it to how you like your line to come off the spool, maybe some people are taking this to litarally when I said you have to add or take away washers to get good line lay. it is mearly a way of tailoring it to suit your individual preference, but you need to bear in mind that the reel will have a full compliment of washers when supplied and will give a slight rearward taper to the line lay straight from the box

 

[squimp]

Latest update: had a trip to my local tackle shop today.

The Daiwa TDX is lovely (they didn’t have TDM’s for obvious reasons). Big spool, short stem and beautifully smooth. A shallow, match style spool would have been nice.

The Ninja’s look okay and feel smooth but I’m not taken with the narrow (relatively) spool.

Then Shimano; what can I say ? How can they sell reels in this market with no anti-reverse ? That is an absolute no-no for me. The Sahara is okay - but I already have equivalent (Super GT) fighting drag reels.

Looks like I will have to either try and find a TDM or stick with the Match 3’s.

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Then Shimano; what can I say ? How can they sell reels in this market with no anti-reverse ? That is an absolute no-no for me. The Sahara is okay - but I already have equivalent (Super GT) fighting drag reels.

Don't be fooled, despite what some say, not all Shimanos have no anti-reverse switch. For a start, there is not a single rear drag Shimano model that lacks anti-reverse. I would agree that the Super GT, Super GT RB, and Super GT RC are essentially little different to the current Sahara.
However the current Super GT RD has an oversized spool that the previous Super GT models, and the Sahara, lack. That wider diameter spool makes quite a difference in use, especially with heavier lines.

 

[fishcatcher4]

For what it's worth i think the reels should come with an even line lay as this is how the vast majority of anglers want it.then if you want a taper on it you should either add or take away washers.

However did we manage before.

 

[Sam Vimes]

For what it's worth i think the reels should come with an even line lay as this is how the vast majority of anglers want it.then if you want a taper on it you should either add or take away washers.

I wouldn't disagree, at least from a UK/Western European point of view.

However did we manage before.

I wasn't much of a factor until the fashion for front drag reels really came to the fore. Most coarse anglers used rear drag reels prior to that. In the vast majority of cases, rear drag reels can't be adjusted to alter the line lay by simply adding, or subtracting, washers.