ABU 500 SERIES CLOSED FACE REEL

[Stuart Whiting]

Preference is always an individual thing, I have used nearly every closed face reel there is to use, all the ABU's, Dams Shakespeare's and best of all the Daiwa reels, right now I have 6 Daiwa 120M reels and for me are the best closed face reel for me, if I had to recommend any this reel would be the first then the 507, as a Match reel its great because of the spool size, then the 506M without the A/R dog inside it. The 501 is a great reel and the way the back wind works is fine once you get used to it, only fault with them is every now and then the winding cup becomes unmovable, you grip it as hard as you can to undo it ten all of a sudden you get this wonderful noise of teeth grinding against each other as the main gear spins round against the pinion gear, once this is done so is the reel, trying to find replacement gears for a 501 is like trying to find teeth on a chicken, a couple did come up this year but went in an instant, lucky person who got them. Sadly as the ABU 500 series became long in the tooth so did some of the materials they used and for me, the 501 gears were too fine and very soft, I have had many of them with mostly all of them having a knock in the gears when you wound them, find a new in box one then your on a winner just be careful how you use it.
Another reel not to over look is the 1044, built well though a bit heavier than the early reels.

Yep yer definitely not wrong there about the 501 gears being a little on the soft side,

I only intend on using mine for roach and dace etc, I've never experienced the winding cup to become stiff and difficult to unscrew although I know a few who have, I get the impression that there perhaps tightened up a little to much,

I only tighten mine literally finger tight and never grip and twist which I think is where many I'd say perhaps go wrong ( big mistake ) i must of used these now for over 30 years with no problems but am very careful and respect the use age of me reels.

The daiwa reels although I haven't currently got any at the moment I absolutely agree that these are also excellent reels and I'd rate these very highly along with the 501's,
I did have the daiwa 120M about 10 years ago and passed it onto a freind, admittedly stupidity on my part really as I should of kept this as I'd most likely still be using it now, I quite possibly may end up with another one in the near future as I miss my old one

[SeanM]

The 501 is probably my favourite fixed spool reel for trotting. I use it almost exclusively for trotting for chub on the deeper sections of the Yorkshire rivers. They are still relatively cheap to buy so I always have a spare in case something breaks. I've had chub to well over 6lb on mine as well as the occasional barbel so they can certainly handle a decent fish or two. Line bedding isn't a problem providing you don't put too much line on the spool. 50 to 60 yards is adequate for most situations.

[Stuart Whiting]

The 501 is probably my favourite fixed spool reel for trotting. I use it almost exclusively for trotting for chub on the deeper sections of the Yorkshire rivers. They are still relatively cheap to buy so I always have a spare in case something breaks. I've had chub to well over 6lb on mine as well as the occasional barbel so they can certainly handle a decent fish or two. Line bedding isn't a problem providing you don't put too much line on the spool. 50 to 60 yards is adequate for most situations.

Absolutely, totally agree Sean

[BeechmereLake]

Yes, again SeanM is right, never overload the spool, half way seems to be perfect on them and if you consider just how deep the match spools are then you should get an idea of how much line to put on one as they are quite shallow.

[Paul D]

Just re read your original post BL, I must have skipped past that outfit shot.... what a wonderful thing to have owned, thanks for your advice, think a 501 is going on my Christmas list.

[BeechmereLake]

Yes Paul D it was a thing of beauty really, it was also a very early one too, the envelope was date stamped July 1964 which fits in with the reel as the reel was a 1st version model from 1963, have to say its sat somewhere in Ohio now after a guy who said he had everything ABU he ever wanted until he saw that, again he said he had never seen one before not even in any of his catalogs. In a way going back to the USA felt like it was going back home.
Just for you PaulD I have uploaded the image of the envelope so you can see its date stamp

[Stuart Whiting]

Just re read your original post BL, I must have skipped past that outfit shot.... what a wonderful thing to have owned, thanks for your advice, think a 501 is going on my Christmas list.

I don't think you'll be disappointed Paul

[BeechmereLake]

OK so I have no such problems with any of the closed face reels I use but have to say a minimum line I use is 5lb direct from the reel, its no techno line either, just good old maxima Chameleon, the rivers I fish are normally pushing fast and full of bends and my target fish are Chub.
Should I want a finer presentation then I go to my TDR.

[Tengisgol]

I have had a variety of 501 and 506 reels since the eighties and loved them; stick float and caster or a stillwater blue on the lakes - marvellous. Sadly, like a lot of people, I sold or gave them on. Then when I wanted a good closed face for a windy Avon I turned to the 507 Gold and it did the job (and I still have that one).

One point I feel very strongly about is a recommendation to anyone teaching a youngster to fish is to try a closed face reel. When young Will moved from a pole to rod and reel he really struggled with a fixed spool, messing around with the bail arm and line going everywhere. So I bought him a 501 and of course, with click and turn, no more tangles!

[BeechmereLake]

Of course Tengisgol its the perfect reel for them, hey not just kids either, I have just sorted out a couple of Daiwa's for two match anglers who between them must have £10,000 worth of kit, recently tired of fishing holes in the ground they have found a new lease of life fishing the Thames for Roach and Chub, first thing they asked for was a closed face reel and since I had 6 of them they are now trying out a 120M each, Im sure when they come back they will want to by one regardless of what make it is.