My favourite ABU 500 series reel

[Polecat501]

I’ve owned and heavily used a lot of reels during my 5 decades of fishing. Some of those reels were state-of-the-art, magnesium alloy lightweight wonders of their age, with a price tag to match.

However, I’ve recently started looking back to those reels that I’ve really enjoyed fishing with, whether it was a result in a hard match, or a good bag of big fish in difficult conditions, or just a relaxing day with a few good fish caught on a perfect day. I grew up as a match angler with the ABU 501, and early last year it dawned on me that I needed to experience the “500 effect” once more.

Fast forward a year and I’m about to be the proud owner of my last 500 in the range (the red label 520; Garcia badged US import clone of the 503). I’ve fished extensively with my new to me 501, 503, 505, 506, 506M, and 507. Here’s my personal favourite. For my fishing (often, lots of big, hard fighting fish in the 2-10 lbs plus range), the 507 seems to have just a little more winding power when needed. And I love the lack of line twist and the speed of cast, I’m sure the saved time adds a fish or three over a day fishing.

I’ve retained the synchro drag and anti-reverse pawl on this 507 (only used for high days & holidays) and another “good user” 507 for my everyday fishing, and I’ve found the drag system reasonably effective on most fish up to double figures on slow to medium flow waters. I’ve also another “good user” 507 that I can backwind with; I use this when float fishing for my local Feral Carp, where I’m sure I have enough space to fish and the Carpies are unlikely to top 20 lbs. All 3 just work. No fuss, no muss. No line twist, no snarl-ups of line, no issues in howling gales. After all these years fishing with all those other reels, I think the 507 is my overall favourite reel.

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[Liphook]

Definitely a classic Polecat

[StefanDuma]

Great reels that I once owned and fished. The 505 was a favourite of mine I think it was the colour.

I also fished with a 507 salmon spinning, blanked!

[Rockape]

I have a 506 and a 501, and I would love to add a nice clean 507 to my small collection.

[ItchenRoach]

great reels the 507 is my go to trotting reel when its to windy for the centrepin,going for silly money now.

[BeechmereLake]

Some years ago I used a pair of 507's for commercial carping using pellet waggler rigs or up in the water plain waggler fishing, they really are a capable reel and that should be no surprise to people, after all they were designed originally for Salmon and Pike fishing, my best one day weight was 354lb, used 8 pints of casters and lost no fish, reel was MK1 507 and rod was a 13ft Gold Valley waggler rod, biggest fish of the day was 14lb common carp, fun yes but not anymore.

[SooperClooper]

As I've probably mentioned on another post somewhere I used an Abu 507 for a number of years lure fishing for pike teamed up with my Abu Legerlite 223 and Abulon Extra 18lb (.35mm) mono, the reel handled the thickish mono well and I landed hundreds of pike on this setup up to around 23lbs. I would have preferred to backwind but used the synchro drag and it worked quite well, the 507 doesn't like similar diameter braid so only gets on the bank once or twice a season, 1st October and 14th March.

[Vanderschoor]

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The 505 is my favourite reel for spinning for pike in winter!

[Wakou]

link here:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 362029380/
If someone near Wells does not want, would they be kind enough to pick-up and post to me?

[Martin(rockape)]

I do like the ABU closed face reels, I can't be certain if I had the 506 or the 501 back in the 1970's.

I'm currently waiting for a 506 to arrive this week. I may at some point look for a 501 and or 506M they'll fit nicely with my not so old 1044's which I haven't used for 20 years.

Regards

Martin