Why does this happen on my ABU66?

[Wallys-Cast]

Julian, You can make them out of the cork rings used for making rod handles I have loads if you want to try making some, let me know and I'll send you some or send me a spool and I'll make them for you. I make them in two halves so you just tape them together on the spool.
They need to be a fairly tight fit and need a bit of double sided tape or glue on the spool hub to stop them slipping otherwise the whole lot spins round when you start reeling in.

Northern Eel,
insulation tape has been used for years so no your not doing it wrong. I've many a time found spools with wool wrapped tightly on the spool to build it up then taped over to keep it all in place. It does need doing neatly though or the line takes on a strange shape after a while as the wool and tape compresses with the pressure of the line on it.
I think it would probably be best done with the spool mounted in a slow turning drill chuck or on a lathe and the wool or string fed on to it cotton bobbin style then taped over, this should give nice uniform base for the line to sit on.

Wal.

[BeechmereLake]

A good way of shrinking the spool capacity is to use PTFE tape or "plumbers tape", the white tape used on radiator threads, once youre happy with how much you have put on your spool simply just apply your line to the spool with an Arbor knot, again though if you bulk out the spool too much you will get a sort of cushion effect and the line you have put on will feel like its floating mass on the spool.
Ignore the use of electrical tape or any tape with adhesive on the back, if your using your reel on a hot summer day the glue can often soften up and then tend to seep through your line making it all sticky until it dries, by this time the line will not want to come of the spool easily weather its hot or cold.
Spool arbors are the best solution and are not easy to find, most of mine I get from the USA but come on the spool already which is how I buy them, if I see some I will let you know, again though they are not cheap for what they are.

[Julian]

Julian, You can make them out of the cork rings used for making rod handles I have loads if you want to try making some, let me know and I'll send you some or send me a spool and I'll make them for you. I make them in two halves so you just tape them together on the spool.
They need to be a fairly tight fit and need a bit of double sided tape or glue on the spool hub to stop them slipping otherwise the whole lot spins round when you start reeling in.

Northern Eel,
insulation tape has been used for years so no your not doing it wrong. I've many a time found spools with wool wrapped tightly on the spool to build it up then taped over to keep it all in place. It does need doing neatly though or the line takes on a strange shape after a while as the wool and tape compresses with the pressure of the line on it.
I think it would probably be best done with the spool mounted in a slow turning drill chuck or on a lathe and the wool or string fed on to it cotton bobbin style then taped over, this should give nice uniform base for the line to sit on.


Wal.

Many thanks Wal
I' ll probably send you the spool later in the year so that you can make one for me, that way I can see how to do it properly in future.
Having stripped all the line off the reel it already has an arbor but its obviously too thin to make much difference to the depth of the spool.
It might be better if I get the reel serviced first.

[Nobby]

What BL said! Don't use sticky tape. I've lost count of the second-hand spools I've had to strip down oozing glue onto the line.....mind you, if you're into 'greased line fishing'.......

[Nobby]

I'm fairly certain that both this type of Abu Cardinal reel and the DAM 330N reels both adopted a 'cross-wind' approach to line lay just to stop bedding -in! Clearly on this occasion it hasn't worked.


The spools do indeed fly in and out very fast and create a 'ball of string' look to the line on the spool.


I'd say, on this occasion, the line possibly doesn't suit the reel. The line, not one I'm familiar with..just going by the pictures, isn't a very flexible one and it appears to have attempted to 'unwind' and loosen itself on the spool. This will cause so much trouble the next time a fish is hooked and runs as the line with now try and tighten on top of a spongey spring of line below it and bedding in is inevitable. Either that or it's line twist.


The answer? I'm not really sure to be frank...as super-flexible line like braid often does the same and needs to be wound on under very high tension I'm told.

I think a more flexible and stretchy line is called for, and for it to be wound on under some tension and most definitely done in a way so that there is no line twist to make it try to unspool itself again.

Which line? You might try Garner Hydroflo, it's both soft and stretchy, but I would concentrate very much on spooling it on slowly and the 'right way around'.

I like the bucket of water thing myself too, and even pull the line through a dampened cloth with a tiny, tiny dab of washing up liquid on it to clear any manufacturing grease and add some tension, but the answer is still to go slowly....the crazy spool in the water can only react to twist at a certain speed....go too fast and you'll still twist the line and it'll want to come off again.


The factories whack it on fast sure, but it'll still flexible and warm then and has developed no memory from its spool....we have to deal with something a bit more awkward.


Lastly..a good tight wide elastic band when not in use to retain that tight line lay.

I'd imagine most of this is teaching Granny to suck eggs, but even I wind it on too fast even today sometimes........


On the whole, although I say your line looks a little inflexible, I think line twist has caused the problem....in conjunction with the cross-wind line-lay of that reel.

[BeechmereLake]

Summed up well Nobby I forgot to mention a dab of fairy in the bucket does help but also the water being hot removes the factory grease from the line, also helps it sink in the water when in use.

I think the line Julian is using would be the Preston reflo MAX which is a reel line and not the ordinary reflo power which is a hooklength / pole rig material, the MAX has a supple nature to it and is a good casting line for light feeder work or waggler fishing.

[Nobby]

Yes, I've bought the Reflo Power Max in 8lb line, but it's dark blue in colour....I wish they could make the line names a little less similar...I wonder if the new Clear has the same properties?

I thought the original blue a good flexible and stretchy line....indeed it landed a 30lb carp and was undamaged....unlike me. Lifting that thing from the water was utter agony.

[Julian]

Summed up well Nobby I forgot to mention a dab of fairy in the bucket does help but also the water being hot removes the factory grease from the line, also helps it sink in the water when in use.

I think the line Julian is using would be the Preston reflo MAX which is a reel line and not the ordinary reflo power which is a hooklength / pole rig material, the MAX has a supple nature to it and is a good casting line for light feeder work or waggler fishing.

No, it is Reflo Power. I never knew when I started using it that it wasonly supposed to be for hook lengths.
I' ve used it as my mainline reel in various strengths up to 12lb for the last ten years - with no problems until on these two reels.
It works well as a floating line for surface fishing, but equally well as a sinking line for floa t fishing - in my experience.

[BeechmereLake]

Julian, just in case you are looking for a spare spool with cork arbor there is one for sale on eBay item no. 271550455335 no bids so far.

[Michael]

Welcome to the world of old fixed spools Most of them had awful line lay which all ended when variable oscillation was introduced along with an anti-twist mechanism on the bale arm. Nowadays even cheap and nasty reels can have decent line lay.

You've hit the nail on the head Dave, whilst you can fettle with any old fixed spool reel, strip, shim, whatever, it will never be as smooth and have perfect line lay like certain modern reels..... But I prefer my old girls.....