Abu 501 spool mystery

[Tengisgol]

Hi everyone, my dearest friend (also a Phil) recently found and serviced his old 501 to put back into ‘windy day’ service. He mentioned that he remembered it as having chenille around the spool but that, when he looked at it, it seemed to have a plastic spool and no chenille.

Here is a photo. Is this a genuine Abu spool and, if not, what might the origin be? If anyone has a spare spool with the chenille he would happily purchase (memories of line getting trapped are putting him off).

Thanks in anticipation, Tengisgol

[Olly]

I have that spool - it is correct as is - providing the two holding pegs are underneath.

Some reels came with ali spools - but like the above no chenille. Newer reels I think had the black spool with chenille.

It is a black plastic spool that takes the chenille, which is ready available via auction site but never cheap! He may have that spool somewhere amongst his tackle.

An alternative is the replacement ali spool available from "skylark" - also on that website - again not cheap - in fact expensive but are excellent!

[Liphook]

I've seen a number of aftermarket spools available for 506 and 507 reels over the years. The right engineer/machinist can also make one in delrin. 3D printing might also be an option. Whilst on the subject rather than pipecleaner type wired chenille have look for flytying micro chenille and fix it in place with a drop of super glue where the two ends meet.

[Olly]

As a pipe smoker earlier in my life I did try pipe cleaners - no chance far too thick unfortunately!

[Russell Brown]

You can buy lengths of chenille at Hobbycraft.Multi-packs of different colours.You can colour match the chenille to your spool if you're so inclined.And it's cheap.....

[Catfish.017]

Firstly an admission, I've never used or indeed owned a closed face reel! As such I know nothing of how they work or how they are built. However by a curious coincidence, today I was gifted a 501 amongst other reels by a neighbour who knows he's unlikely to fish again; rather sad really. So when I saw this post I was intrigued as to what spool It may have? My problem being I can't for the life of me work out how to get at the spool to remove it. Could someone enlighten me with the procedure?

[Tengisgol]

All the same 501, 506 etc. (not sure why he says 504 in the video!)

[Catfish.017]

Got it apart now, spool is black plastic? With chenille lining.

[OhMyGoodness]

I had a 506 and remember buying the type of brown spool showing in the first photo. They were useful fine match spools before abu came out with their 501 and 506m models.

[SooperClooper]

Not sure about the bit describing how the drag works, thought it acted on the main gear drive inside the reel, when the adjustment knob is turned to increase drag pressure it increases pressure on the main gear drive, that' s how I've always understood it to operate.