Who was first?

[BeechmereLake]

Its a long time ago but if my memory serves me well I bought my first 506 in the late 1960's to replace my trusty intrepid. I used it almost exclusively when fishing the Swale, Tyne, Tweed, Till etc. At the time it was a very popular reel for trotting the northern rivers in matches as well as pleasure fishing. I remember buying a Trudex from a matchman who was switching to a 506 about the same time. I still used a 506 until just a few years ago and still do occasionally but now that most of my fishing is on still waters I really like to use an Exalta.
The 506 was a great reel. Easy to use, did everything that I needed and never let me down.

The first 506 was the 506 Svangsta which had Svangsta printed on the decal underneath the digits 506 came in a green box and was released around 1969 if my memory serves me right just before the 507.

[Richard CP]

During the late sixties or early seventies when I used to go on fishing club coach outings there was a period when these close face reels became all the rage. They were of no use to me as they all had the handle on the left hand side and I need the handle to be the other way around, so I ysed a Mitchell Match with the handle on the right. I still use it today

[BeechmereLake]

Bit of a shame that Richard CP as it was 1973 when the 508 model came out, by far the matchmen's choice of closed face reels then was the 507 and hundreds still get used today, classed as a Pike and Salmon spinning reel it was to become an iconic reel from Sweden.

[Tengisgol]

A little more detail on the original history re. match fishing, from 'Tight Lines - The Story of ABU' - a great Medlar Press book.

[BeechmereLake]

Im glad to read this as its proved the old grey matter is not so bad after all

When I worked on the 505 book we had also worked tiredly on a bigger book covering all the 500 series range, sadly that book never came about due to unforeseen circumstances. It would of been a 300 page book and the printing cost was rather higher than first thought.

In that book was all the info needed about all the other models like the 501 503 506 506M 507/8 so when I said I thought the 506 came out in 1969 i wasn't a million miles away

Another part was I actually have the Tight Lines book somewhere so will search it out instead of damaging my collection of catalogs.

[Willsmodger]

My own 'research' which consists of typing closed face reel into the British Newspaper Archive, shows that by 1968 the competition was up and running with the Sealey Trigger Cast, unknown to me but on offer to the angling fraternity.
This confirms BL's own, somewhat more extensive research that the ABU reel had grown in popularity by then.
As we know, once an item of tackle becomes popular, the market becomes flooded with me too versions.
It obviously didn't catch on.
All the best.
Will.

[Willsmodger]

I've got a 506M, virtually mint apart from some tiny marks on the cowling.
I'm very proud of it, and keep it in its own plush pleatherette case (actually for a Philishave but it fits perfectly)
It hasn't had the anti reverse pawl removed. There is an excellent and comprehensive how to on one of the fishing forums, might be BFW.
I've had a look, there doesn't seem to be any tool made that will get those circlips off.
It has what I believe is called Syncro drag, no idea how that works other than noting the + and - on the handle.
So it's a bits reel, for the canal. I couldn't use it for anything bigger (like I'm going to hook anything bigger)
Still, it's a lovely thing to own.

[Phil Arnott]

I've got a 506, 506m, 507 but now use a 1044. The beauty of the closed face reel is what Kevin Ashust says you strike against your finger and wind the handle to click the line wind into operation all without loosing tension in the line and contact with the fish. This is something you just can't do using a reel with a bale arm. In my opinion the closed face reel is still a winner and the 1044 is my standard trotting reel apart from the days when a centrepin is optimum.

I've caught some quite large fish on the 506 including a few 5lb chub, barbel to 7lb, tench to 7lb and carp of at least 11lb. The secret is to set the clutch correctly and don't wind the handle when the fish is running because that locks the reel and stops it releasing line. Some guy swore by the Crack Contact shown below which I keep meaning to try. Anyone else own one of these or has fished with one?

[SeanM]

I've got a Crack Phil. Winding backwards to release the pin takes a bit of getting used too and there is a tendency to do this whilst playing a fish at first. Other than that it has a slightly better clutch than the Abus, but feels less well made. Certainly a reel to try, but getting quite rare now.

[DaceAce]

The 505 is advertised in the July 62 copy of Angler's World as a spinning reel. I bought one in 1973, later selling it in the early 80s. Still got a 506 that belonged to a mate of mine, originally bought in Dec 1972.