Closed-Face Abu's

[Moving Shadow]

Just been given a pair of closed-face ABU's to sell on Ebay for a mate.

Don't think I can do it. I have to have them!

The 501 sitting on my desk is a bit of a coffee grinder, not running too smoothly, but the 506 by its side is as smooth as silk. I can see myself trotting the far banks of the bigger rivers with this. Had day out down South on the Dorset Stour recently and everyone down there seemed to be trotting maggots under the bushes on the other side with long rods (up to twenty feet!) and closed face reels, something I never see much of in Warwickshire. I can see it producing though...

[SeanM]

You beat me to it Jeff! I've got a 501 which I use a lot, but it's a little suspect when asked to deal with big fish. I have contemplated getting a 506, but will it be any better than the 501? Which is the best closed face reel?

[Tony1964]

I bought a 706 the other day and it isn't a patch on my old 501. All the new Abu reels are made in China.

[Chavender]

well i've tried pretty much most c/fs and owned at one time or another all the 500 series ,i prefer the 506 to the 501's but my favorite is the origanal 507's (bigger version of the 506) i currently have 2 507's (mk1's) a 506 and the new 706 which i like rather a lot ,like a good centrepin though you need to run them in too get the best from them.

[Moving Shadow]

I've never used a closed face reel, so that'll be an eye opener. Looks like it'll come in where the centre pin leaves off. Can't stand trotting with fixed spools so it'll be another 'proper tool for the job' in the box for me. All I have to do now is strike a deal for them...

Is the concept behind these reels an ABU original?

[PerchBasher]

The old Swedish-made 500 series were lovely reels and at the risk of sounding iconoclastic and risking being drummed out of the forum, I prefer them for trotting to a centre pin. You can cast further, they are less affected by wind and in a sluggish flow pay out line better. Not a bad reel for light float fishing on still waters either.

On balance, I prefer the 501. You play fish on the backwind, but can set the drag on the handle so the fish runs under pressure. Although they are sometimes considered only suitable for two pound bs lines and silver fish, loaded with five pound line I have managed to land decent sized tench and low double carp when using one.

As to their modern equivalent, I was given a 706 for a birthday present a few weeks ago and although its only been used a few times, seems to work well enough. Unlike the 506 it has an anti reverse allowing you too play fish on the backwind if you don’t like using the synchro drag. However, whether the engineering and build quality is up to the standard of the old 500 series is another matter!

[Moving Shadow]

Thanks Perch basher, you answered my next question before I got it out! I was wondering about the backwinding thing with the 501, thinking it might have been an internal problem, as the 506 is locked solid. Now I know. So. that'd be very useful where larger fish are expected as I love backwinding. I'll have to have both now, one for small fish, one for big!

[Tony1964]

If anyone fancies a 706 you can pick them up on Amazon of all places for £53 including P&P!

[Vole]

It's a long time since I tried, but I seem to remember that the slight drag as you cast with a closed-face made them great for swing-tipping - it helped make the tip behave itself.

What you did if you latched onto something big enough to take line was a whole 'nuther matter.

[Bay Leaf]

I've been using a 501 since it was first introduced as Dad had a 505 that he loved. I have 3 spools so load 3, 4 & 5lb lines and the only problems with big fish are that the line tends to bed down. If I could only keep one of my reels it would be the Abu.