Is ABU still a quality brand?

[Trampster]

Ah! Wrong side of the county for me - you will be up in the land of Mr Fish! ??

 

[Topwater]

There are very good reasons for mastering the multiplier - because it's a good skill to learn, there's pleasure in learning it and the pendulum cast etc but also because it encourages consistent smooth casting - the kind of casting that gets you distance with accuracy and catching on a dark stormy night when the conti/braid boys are scared to venture out because the sea is wild and weedy - the very nights when your chances of good cod fishing are often greatest! Yes you can do OK with a FS and nylon but the FS is bulky, unwieldy and just damned lame because it's just too damned easy! Also you'll struggle to find an FS that has lasted decades of hard work and become a treasured item of tackle with many attached memories. That necessity of the 90° line bend and oscillating gearing just has to wear quicker than the direct winch of a multie - it's physics vs engineering. All too often anglers these days want the easiest solution from the easiest of marks preferably where you can fish out of the car boot, these are the same guys that end up using 3 rods at a time to improve their odds and/or start hunting micro species for a bit of interest - also known as sad lazy twits?

 

[CoarseanglerSteve]

There are very good reasons for mastering the multiplier - because it's a good skill to learn, there's pleasure in learning it and the pendulum cast etc but also because it encourages consistent smooth casting - the kind of casting that gets you distance with accuracy and catching on a dark stormy night when the conti/braid boys are scared to venture out because the sea is wild and weedy - the very nights when your chances of good cod fishing are often greatest! Yes you can do OK with a FS and nylon but the FS is bulky, unwieldy and just damned lame because it's just too damned easy! Also you'll struggle to find an FS that has lasted decades of hard work and become a treasured item of tackle with many attached memories. That necessity of the 90° line bend and oscillating gearing just has to wear quicker than the direct winch of a multie - it's physics vs engineering. All too often anglers these days want the easiest solution from the easiest of marks preferably where you can fish out of the car boot, these are the same guys that end up using 3 rods at a time to improve their odds and/or start hunting micro species for a bit of interest - also known as sad lazy twits?

Agree with some of this mate. Assume you aren't keen on fishing the Gynn then

 

[Topwater]

The Gynn used to be great when it was accessible by all. I liked it as both a LW summer venue and area to pump lug. These days it's triple conts and lazy buggers in amongst the needy and old. I give it a wide berth@

 

[Beach]

The Gynn used to be great when it was accessible by all. I liked it as both a LW summer venue and area to pump lug. These days it's triple conts and lazy buggers in amongst the needy and old. I give it a wide berth@

Wait till you get old, leave us seniors with more experience alone.

 

[CoarseanglerSteve]

The Gynn used to be great when it was accessible by all. I liked it as both a LW summer venue and area to pump lug. These days it's triple conts and lazy buggers in amongst the needy and old. I give it a wide berth@

It's where I am doing most of my sea fishing probation at the moment, and where I (try to) pump worm. Don't have a car permit though but live fairly close. Have to admit I have no idea what you mean by triple conts

 

[Mr Fish]

Staying in Mid Devon, near South Molton. I am a Deben Bey - grew up in Tiverton and lived there and in North Devon until my early 30's.

Am hoping to sort out a sea fishing trip with one of my old mates on the North Devon or Noth Somerset coast

You should know full well then that South Molton is North Devon! Not scabby old mid Devon! ????????
????

 

[Plaicehunter]

There are very good reasons for mastering the multiplier - because it's a good skill to learn, there's pleasure in learning it and the pendulum cast etc but also because it encourages consistent smooth casting - the kind of casting that gets you distance with accuracy and catching on a dark stormy night when the conti/braid boys are scared to venture out because the sea is wild and weedy - the very nights when your chances of good cod fishing are often greatest! Yes you can do OK with a FS and nylon but the FS is bulky, unwieldy and just damned lame because it's just too damned easy! Also you'll struggle to find an FS that has lasted decades of hard work and become a treasured item of tackle with many attached memories. That necessity of the 90° line bend and oscillating gearing just has to wear quicker than the direct winch of a multie - it's physics vs engineering. All too often anglers these days want the easiest solution from the easiest of marks preferably where you can fish out of the car boot, these are the same guys that end up using 3 rods at a time to improve their odds and/or start hunting micro species for a bit of interest - also known as sad lazy twits?

There is a lot of pleasure in casting well with a multiplier. Back in the 1960s, when I started sea fishing, basic multipliers like the Penn Sea Boy and later the Mitchell 602AP had no braking system, so you had to use your thumb. Frustrating at first but very satisfying when you had learned the skill. Later I graduated to a narrow-spool Penn Squidder 146, which had air brakes. Although not adjustable, this always seemed a good system to me, as there were no moving parts to go wrong.
ABU multipliers were originally for salmon spinning, and were used for beachcasting as they had centrifugal brakes. They were adapted by removing the level wind, which greatly reduced distance, and strengthening the cage. But the small gears and slow retrieve were a handicap from the beach.
The introduction of the Penn 525 was a revelation, with magnetic braking and stronger, faster gears.
While some people still enjoy casting with ABU 6500-style reels, the latest Penns such as the Fathom have pretty much taken over for actual fishing.
Reels with centrifugal braking such as the SLOSHes are still good and perhaps more affordable, though dial-up magnetic braking is more convenient.
But we have come a long way since chopping up salmon-fishing reels to use for purposes for which they were never designed.
As for reputed declining ABU quality, I think that's more down to producing reels made down to a price than the geographical location of the factory.
If you fancy having a go with a multiplier and learning new skills, why not? Just because using a fixed spool is easier doesn't mean it's more fun. PH

 

[Topwater]

Wait till you get old, leave us seniors with more experience alone.

Where in any of my posts am I having a go at the old Beach? What I am advocating is that the Gynn parking permit should be aimed at the old and needy including those with children who need somewhere safe and easy to learn. So once again on my posts you are disagreeing with nothing but yourself ! Do you fish the Gynn? I cycle along it regularly and see for myself the perfectly able bodied younger folk that fish it - generally lazy gits fishing out of the back of a vehicle with 3 rods each, scratching for bits. Some folk just can't be arsed to put the effort in, a lot like society in general.

 

[Topwater]

It's where I am doing most of my sea fishing probation at the moment, and where I (try to) pump worm. Don't have a car permit though but live fairly close. Have to admit I have no idea what you mean by triple conts

Should have read triple conties Steve, as in three continental rod set ups - a bleed over from carp angling tactics perhaps if thats their background? As you'll know it can get busy down there and to me it smacks of desperation when you've got people spreading out 3 rods and fishing shoulder to shoulder when there's miles and miles of beach to fish. In America they call it combat fishing/knitting with carbon.

 

[The Third Earl]

Getting back to the original post, imo there is just far too much snobbyness amongst a lot of multiplier users, they are not the be all and end all ( a bit like Carp only anglers ? ?? )
I have been using multipliers and fixed spools for more years than I would like to count, fixed spools > and < multipliers have come on in leaps and bounds over that time. Get a decent fixed spool and learn to use it correctly then on the beach there are advantages to be had as they are simpler to use and have a better retrieve rate, plus the casting distance you will have will be on a par with most multi users and probably more than some. Multipliers are smaller, almost all weigh less , and are imo a smoother machine to use.

I almost always use a Fixed spool from the beach , coupled with an unmatched pait of conti rods, (clean beaches I should add) For rock marks or over rough ground I revert to Multis for their winding power . I as mentioned in previous posts by others,funnily enough I use a standard slosh 30 , or a 40 year old Abu 7000 that I converted when I bought it second hand .
Both are more than man enough for heavy work and loaded with 30 lb mono, but I would never use them on a beach . I also have an original Penn 525 multiplier ,by original I mean the model that was in production before mag brakes had been thought of, it has centrifugal braking and works just perfectly on clean beaches for my backcasting when I feel like using it , otherwise I backcast using a fixed spool, easy, no issues and distance is the same or better than probably 70 plus percent of multi users , plus it will cast as well as a multi in the worst worst weather you will ever fish in.

If you want to try a multi, then as somebody who has never used one I would probably go down the knobby or slidey mag braked ones, I understand they can tame a cast very well, and, get yourself some lessons , it will pay dividends quickly, personally I only use one for uptiding so I cannot comment , apart from saying that , make things easy on yourself whatever you decide , starting badly will only leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Dave

 

[Beach]

I used to have a Penn FS beach fishing reel, found it heavy and clumberson with my hands arthritis and sold it, I have a number of multies some with level wind some without from 60's/70's Abu's, TFGear 656 to mag Diawa's. The only time I use fs reels is for mullet and spinning in tidal rivers - Abu 174swi and Shimano 2000 size. I do have a couple of Abu small blue and silver mag reels I sometimes use for bassing. As they say it's only practice and learning which is not that difficult with a bit of patience.
Then that's only my opinion.

 

[CoarseanglerSteve]

You should know full well then that South Molton is North Devon! Not scabby old mid Devon! ????????
????

I think where we are staying is probably technically Mid Devon, as its nearer to Witheridge, but having lived in both North and Mid, I don't think either is scabby. Anywhere in Devon is better than most places. Especially after the North Devon Link road dragged sleepy North Devon into the 20th Century .

 

[CoarseanglerSteve]

Should have read triple conties Steve, as in three continental rod set ups - a bleed over from carp angling tactics perhaps if thats their background? As you'll know it can get busy down there and to me it smacks of desperation when you've got people spreading out 3 rods and fishing shoulder to shoulder when there's miles and miles of beach to fish. In America they call it combat fishing/knitting with carbon.

I know exactly what you mean mate. Its handy for me, but I don't like the crowds. I tend to fish the Bispham end nearer to where I live.

I couldn't believe it a couple weeks ago - midweek, morning tide, thought I would get down early and try a bit further south, around the go kart track. I arrived 3 hours before high and had to walk almost back to Norbreck to get in. There were about 50 cars there (and I didn't want to push in and feel cramped, being a newbie). I do like it further North towards Cleveleys/Fleetwood where it seems quieter.

Saying that, am off to the wall shortly tonight so hoping it isn't as busy today, but suspect it will be given the nice weather!

 

[CoarseanglerSteve]

Getting back to the original post, imo there is just far too much snobbyness amongst a lot of multiplier users, they are not the be all and end all ( a bit like Carp only anglers ? ?? )
I have been using multipliers and fixed spools for more years than I would like to count, fixed spools > and < multipliers have come on in leaps and bounds over that time. Get a decent fixed spool and learn to use it correctly then on the beach there are advantages to be had as they are simpler to use and have a better retrieve rate, plus the casting distance you will have will be on a par with most multi users and probably more than some. Multipliers are smaller, almost all weigh less , and are imo a smoother machine to use.

I almost always use a Fixed spool from the beach , coupled with an unmatched pait of conti rods, (clean beaches I should add) For rock marks or over rough ground I revert to Multis for their winding power . I as mentioned in previous posts by others,funnily enough I use a standard slosh 30 , or a 40 year old Abu 7000 that I converted when I bought it second hand .
Both are more than man enough for heavy work and loaded with 30 lb mono, but I would never use them on a beach . I also have an original Penn 525 multiplier ,by original I mean the model that was in production before mag brakes had been thought of, it has centrifugal braking and works just perfectly on clean beaches for my backcasting when I feel like using it , otherwise I backcast using a fixed spool, easy, no issues and distance is the same or better than probably 70 plus percent of multi users , plus it will cast as well as a multi in the worst worst weather you will ever fish in.

If you want to try a multi, then as somebody who has never used one I would probably go down the knobby or slidey mag braked ones, I understand they can tame a cast very well, and, get yourself some lessons , it will pay dividends quickly, personally I only use one for uptiding so I cannot comment , apart from saying that , make things easy on yourself whatever you decide , starting badly will only leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I think thats a very balanced response and very helpful.

Think I will wait for now and see if any of my mates have a multi lying around that I could borrow/have. I realise that if I bought one and liked it, I would probably need a different rod. I have managed so far with FS and have got a Surfblaster 3 which I do like (line lay is amazing) plus a second hand Shimano Biomaster as I am a Shimano fan as far as my coarse reels are concerned.

The other option I need to consider is using braid on my FS. Have spare spools to try it on and am a convert for freshwater feeder fishing, so think it might be worth a try.

 

[jackjock]

The other option I need to consider is using braid on my FS. Have spare spools to try it on and am a convert for freshwater feeder fishing, so think it might be worth a try.

For clean beaches don,t go to thin when using braid .26mm to .30mm with a braid shock leader like 80lb is about right.

 

[Mr Fish]

I think where we are staying is probably technically Mid Devon, as its nearer to Witheridge, but having lived in both North and Mid, I don't think either is scabby. Anywhere in Devon is better than most places. Especially after the North Devon Link road dragged sleepy North Devon into the 20th Century .

Hmm, okay I’ll give you that- Witheridge is perilously close to being benighted Mid Devon ???

I actually like the Mid Devon hills and rivers, love the drive through Umberleigh etc.
Still not a patch on North Devon obviously ??‍?

 

[Mr Fish]

Hmm, okay I’ll give you that- Witheridge is perilously close to being benighted Mid Devon ???

I actually like the Mid Devon hills and rivers, love the drive through Umberleigh etc.
Still not a patch on North Devon obviously ??‍?

Actually, Umberleigh isn’t really mid Devon in district terms, but the terrain from there is...

 

[AlanT]

In reply to your original question I would say no but I am perfectly prepared to listen to those with more recent experience of Chinese ABUs.
The older Swedish made reels were superior in every way, I will be keeping mine but they will corrode without lots of TLC..
I would say that learning the skills required for both multiplier and fixed spool would be an asset for beach work but get a multiplier designed for the job. I use 30 or 40lb braid mainline with a 80lb braid shock leader with a fixed spool and I only fish cleanish ground.

 

[Cfish]

Hmm, okay I’ll give you that- Witheridge is perilously close to being benighted Mid Devon ???

I actually like the Mid Devon hills and rivers, love the drive through Umberleigh etc.
Still not a patch on North Devon obviously ??‍?

I am worried about the words "mid" and "north" being used to much,such common language isn't befitting for South West gentlemen!