Abel's forthcoming Sealed Drag Reel

[sweetandsalt]

Abel Sealed Drag Reel as featured on Tackle Tour's ICAST/IFTD Show Coverage:

The Sealed Drag Series boasts 30 drag adjustments. (S&S Note: Detent Points to prevent slippage of the large drag knob and provide ultra fine tunability.)

Sealed Drag Reels: We say goodbye to the Abel Quick Change and Creek reels, and say hello to a brand new series of sealed drag reels. After seeing so many sealed drag reels on the market, we were wondering when Abel was going to join the party! These newcomers will be available in three sizes.

These reels look much different than what we're used to from Abel.

Field tested for over two years, they boast quick change spools and sealed drag systems comprised of Rulon and aluminum. Abel Sealed Drag reels will ship out beginning this fall and will be offered at prices of $550 (4/5 model), $625 (5/6 model), and $675 (6/7 model). (S&S Note: The sealed drag module is produced specifically for Abel by master reel craftsman, Joe Sarcione and the "Quick Change Spool" is the failure proof, captive threaded cap.)

Looking head-on reveals a narrow spool design. (S&S Note: Dig the aspect ratio for intuitive line retrieval.)



Abel Zinger: These new zingers offer a great way of staying clutter-free and keep your accessories at the ready. They sport fully-machined aluminum housings and can be engraved with a custom logo. Color choices include olive, platinum, black, or satin black finishes. The fastener includes a hidden pin compartment as well as an “S” carabineer. The cord itself is a 36-inch-long spectra-nylon blend that boasts a 40-pound breaking strength. Look for these to start hitting shops by October at a price of $50.

 

[fredaevans]

Just another 'old guys opinion' here. Save for salt water (I can see the point) for fresh water fishing who the hell cares if the drag is sealed. Just don't dunk the thing in the water.

After disconnect the spool and give everything a good shake if you did. And close to seven hundred bills??????? for the reel?!

 

[plecain]

I have a few Abel reels (and a nipper ).

They're very well made. One thing I like is that the finish is very tough. It takes a big whack to chip the finish.

Having said that, I doubt I'll be buying more of them. There are other well-made, good performing reels that don't cost anything approaching Abel's prices.

$50 zingers might be a little much, too.

 

[nctribute]

Does seem kind of odd they came out with the small sized reels first with a sealed drag??

 

[guest61]

I personally don't get the sealed drag craze. Theres a couple companies that are known for it and that's fine, but I don't get a big name like Abel making one. I personally like to disassemble my reels and clean them and lube the drag.

 

[trout trekker]

In my book, there’s wanting an Abel ( of which I have several ) for any given size and then there’s needing a reel with a build quality associated with Abel ( and several others ), which for me starts at the 7/8 weight category.
Coming out with these smaller sizes seems like limiting their exposure from a new product. First we’ll make them in these sizes and if they don’t fail, we’ll offer them in Men’s sizes.
While I'm usually gullible enough to buy stuff like this, six to seven bills for a rainbow wiggler reel?
I simply don't see the need for a sealed drag in freshwater / trouty sizes, especially for a much hyped debut from such a noble builder...

Dave

 

[scoutm]

Sealed drag or not it's a pretty good looking reel...can't ever see myself dropping that kind of money on a line holder though.

 

[grouch]

If I want an Abel fresh water reel, I'd buy a Creek or another TR. I have dunker my TR many times, no need for a sealed reel there.

 

[fireroad]

It's a beautiful reel, but way overkill for the scrawny trout I catch. If I put one on my 6 wt it would be the equivalent of buying a Peterbuilt to tow a canoe...

 

[wjc]

.... for fresh water fishing who the hell cares if the drag is sealed.

I'll go along with that Fred, for sure. Especially considering how small the reels are like NC says below.

Does seem kind of odd they came out with the small sized reels first with a sealed drag??

I can't imagine what they are thinking. Pawl drags are all I've ever used in those small sizes - why add more weight.

Added And you can tell it's pretty heavy by how far the reel foot is offset.

 

[horsehead]

Seriously... Is there a legitimate situation wherein one needs a sealed drag in these weights?



I know!! Tarpon on my 4wt. Or maybe arapaima on my 6wt!!

 

[waterfordcreek]

Funny how many of us question why? Overkill? Realllllly??

What about the $600 wading jacket? Overkill...yep!

Or the 850 dollar waders??.....same here.

$250 shades?

$1200 rods???

Do we really need any of those? NO....but, we reaaallly want them...

The bottom line is everything Abel seems to do is overkill. It's all good.....

As consumers, we love it. Nippers anyone??

Some of my biggest or most memorable catches have been with a C&P reel.....

 

[rfb700]

Looks amazing. But as others have said overkill and over priced for a trout reel.
If someone wants to give me one for free though I won't say no.

 

[comeonavs]

Not a bloody chance in hell I would ever buy that reel, because I don't need one but it is a beauty.

Got some top shelf service from Abel this week on my second defective pair of hemo's but they jumped in and took care of business real quick. Just to thank them I will buy one of these zingers to dangle my nippers or hemo's from.

 

[guest61]

I absolutely love Abel reels. Jeff Patterson of Abel is a wonderful person to deal with and their products speak for themselves. I am down to just one Abel reel now. I had Abels for saltwater and don't fish in salt that much anymore so one Super11 is enough.

Its not the price or the fact its a trout size reel that turns me off from this design. its really that Abel just cannot improve on what they already have. I suspect Abel, as a company is trying to be cutting edge and current. I honestly doubt this design will succeed for Abel. their draw bar cork drag reels are about as elite as traditional fly reels get, and their customer base LOVES them. I doubt they'll pick up any new customers from this addition and will probably be selling them to die hard Abel fans that are curious.

 

[runningfish]

:faint:

I'll stick with my Orvis Access IV reel and Allen Kraken for both fresh and salt thank you.

 

[sweetandsalt]

As the poster of "breaking news" and not being a marketing man, I am somewhat surprised by many of the reactions to the new Abel as-yet-to-be introduced reel. Yes, on an outfit where the reel functions merely as a "line holder" and there is little likelihood of playing a larger trout off the reel, I like my 1980 vintage CFO IV, spring-and-pawl, Hardy-built reel a lot. Regarding two issues, if I may combine them, I concur that a potent drag is more relevant for larger line weight outfits, particularly in the salt. In the below "Abel vs. Hatch" thread, I opine that Abel is the benchmark for classic draw-bar actuated, cork disc reels while Hatch has become, in a much shorter period of time, the poster boy for stacked sealed drag designs. I use both, both work great and are a pleasure to fish. And I use several other brands and designs too. I do believe fervently, that when fishing a river where larger, wild trout are a high probability, that, when practicing catch-and-release which most of us do, a reel with a smooth, infinitely adjustable drag aids in bringing a fish to net some % faster than when fishing a reel with only an overrun check. Yes, yes, yes, I too have caught my largest salmon ever on a Hardy Marquis with no drag...but I am saying, given equal skill and experience, a fine drag is an advantage, especially to the fish. What I like about a sealed, stacked-drag mechanism is not that it is sealed but that it does not rely on a fixed rate coil spring to set the drag, so micro-increments of drag setting can be dialed in to protect fine tippets and small hooks very precisely. More so than in the draw-bar design where the drag knob detents and the coil spring dictate the degree of drag setting. In the salt I am good with this but fishing #18 flies to 20" fish fine tunability trumps all. Also, many stacked-drag reels weigh less than draw -bar equivalents...the Hardy Ultralite DD for example can be selected to balance a #4 or 5 weight outfit easily. No, I have no idea of the weight of the new Abel vs. the Super Series equivalent size and I look forward to learning this data as balance is very important to me. As far as Abel offering products in both categories...when Porsche announce they were introducing an SUV (based on a VW platform no less), the 911 faithful where in an uproar. But Cayenne saved Porsche's bacon and they've sold a ton of them. Abel is acknowledged as producing only the finest products at the pinnacle of performance attributes, and if this series of reels which will be a full series from trout to tuna, is lighter than equivalent capacity Super Series and feature the infinitely fine tunable drag I anticipate it will, it will be a homerun for Abel.

I got a new super high performance rod this season which I have fished a lot but I have mounted a very good older reel on. I saw the prototypes of this new Abel at Somerset last January and vowed I will not buy a reel for this important rod until after this new reel is available. Weight depending, I expect mine will be black.

 

[rfb700]

I think it's a "whatever floats your Boat" thing. If you want to go off roading in a Porsche that's great, but for many a Jeep will do. The porsche may look and perform slightly better but at the end of the day they do about the same thing.

 

[horsehead]

I see what you're saying, but I've never met a Porsche that will perform better off road than a Jeep, or better yet, than a Toyota Landcruiser!!

 

[czando]

Abel will absolutely dominate the high end reel market with this offering and if you fish the Delaware or Missouri systems you see most folks will have high end reels. There is a clearly defined high end market for trout size reels and now Abel has addressed their only weakness which was a lack of sealed drag offering for those that do not want to worry about any maintenance. I for one have both abel and hatch reels but will be first in line when these new reels go on sale (don't tell the wife)