Abel Deep Green & Sage XP

[Sage & Abel]

I'm considering pairing up a deep green Abel reel with a Sage XP. Does anyone know if the blank and the reel would be a match and does anyone use this pairing? I was going to get a black one but the deep green might be a nice change of pace.

Cheers,
Mike.

 

[MoscaPescador]

I have seen the combination before. I think that the XP is a smidge lighter than the Abel Deep Green. However, if you want to match a premium Winston, the Abel Deep Green is a perfect match.

Dennis

 

[russellb]

Personally, I would go for a contrast rather than a match. I tried that with an Abel and a Winston and the colors were just different enough that they fought with each other. Bronze, gold or even black would be good, I would consider a two tone myself. A black spool on a gold or copper frame (Billy Pate Style) would be very nice. If you want some green I would consider looking at a dark olive spool on a gold frame. -just my two cents, these are the things I thought about when a purchased my three Abels..

 

[Sage & Abel]

Thanks guys. Most of my reels are black so I'm looking at mixing it up a bit. I think bronze might be a cool look on the XP too. That deep green might not be the best option.

 

[sweetandsalt]

One of my top fishing partners fishes a 9'/#5 XP mounted with a black Super 5 and it is a 1st rate outfit for a big river. You might call Abel and ask if they have a match for the Sage XP color, they very well might!

 

[trout trekker]

Another option for a reel might be to look at Tibors Moss Green ( http://www.tiborreel.com/images/tibfin.jpg )

Plenty of other green reels out there too, but most of them are to green to match up with an XP blank. I've got one of Bauers Green spools and a few XP's, they aren't close at all. Bauers Green is more like an emerald green.

Good Luck, TT

 

[Sage & Abel]

One of my top fishing partners fishes a 9'/#5 XP mounted with a black Super 5 and it is a 1st rate outfit for a big river. You might call Abel and ask if they have a match for the Sage XP color, they very well might!

This is my 9' 6 wt. XP. I was thinking of pairing it up with a Super 6 - a little narrower than the Super 5 and a bigger diameter. I've kicked around a Super 5 as well. There is a weight difference, but I paired up my Super 7 with the 6 wt. just to check balance and diameter and I think it will work well. I could get away with a Super 5 but the 6 has a double pawl that while not necessary, provides a little insurance if I ever need it when I fish winter Steelhead with it. The Super 6N is a nice looking tool but just too expensive. I'm more of a "closeout" shopper when it comes to Abel reels.

Cheers,
Mike.

---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:50 AM ----------

Another option for a reel might be to look at Tibors Moss Green ( http://www.tiborreel.com/images/tibfin.jpg )

Plenty of other green reels out there too, but most of them are to green to match up with an XP blank. I've got one of Bauers Green spools and a few XP's, they aren't close at all. Bauers Green is more like an emerald green.

Good Luck, TT

Nice reels, TT. Lot's of coin on those for sure!

 

[trout trekker]

Or, you could do what I did in this poor quality, ten year old photo. Just go ahead and clash with the entire world. It's an Abel Super 5 in purple with platinum spider mounted on a Sage 697-4 XP.

Gotta' Remember, I'm from the great state of Cow-a-bunga.
TT.

 

[Sage & Abel]

Or, you could do what I did in this poor quality, ten year old photo. Just go ahead and clash with the entire world. It's an Abel Super 5 in purple with platinum spider mounted on a Sage 697-4 XP.

Gotta' Remember, I'm from the great state of Cow-a-bunga.
TT.

Nice feesh!

The Super 5 pairs up well with the 6 wt.? Right now I'm torn between a Super 5 and a Super 6.

 

[wishiniwerfishin]

I like the Super 5 on my 9' 6wt Beulah, and use the Super 6 on my 9'6" 6wt S4. I like both combo's alot, the only real reason I got the 6 on the longer rod is because it gets used for both trout and Steelhead, plus I plan on using it in the surf when we go ab. diving this year. the double pawl was the main selling point but I also like the narrow/larger diameter spool for faster line retrieve and not having to guide the line across a wide spool is nice too. The 5 is perfect for my 9' 6wt and holds plenty of backing, I have about 110+yds and a 7wt line on mine. Either way you go you'll be happy, after all they're both Abels'....

 

[sweetandsalt]

Good point on the narrower spool. Abel is moving inexorably in this direction which is great design leadership from a premier company. The counter intuitive to uniform line retrieval wide/shallow aspect ratio reels' emphasis on the engineering concept that uniformity of drag related to minimizing the change in diameter of the arbor, and the popularity of these reels, drives me nuts. Though true in engineering terms; do the folks who make these reels actually go fishing? Apparently, the people at Abel do.

 

[MoscaPescador]

+1 on the narrower spools - I use a Super 6 as my primary reel for my 691-4 Z-Axis.

 

[trout trekker]

Nice feesh!

The Super 5 pairs up well with the 6 wt.? Right now I'm torn between a Super 5 and a Super 6.

It balances fine on that rod and my 905/4 S3 as well, although I have other reels intended for that rod. I get the whole narrower spool thing, that Super 5 was, what was available back when it was ordered. If I was ordering one today, I'd have to weigh my options as you are doing. I’ve never run into the spooling / line management problems expressed by others with the wider spool on that relatively small reel. But then I’m a tall guy with good dexterity and long digits.

You know another color option for you, rather than getting locked into the moss green reel to blank color scheme. Is to go with one of the many gold tone reels, which would pull the color up from those gold accent wraps on the factory XP.

TT

 

[Sage & Abel]

It balances fine on that rod and my 905/4 S3 as well, although I have other reels intended for that rod. I get the whole narrower spool thing, that Super 5 was, what was available back when it was ordered. If I was ordering one today, I'd have to weigh my options as you are doing. I’ve never run into the spooling / line management problems expressed by others with the wider spool on that relatively small reel. But then I’m a tall guy with good dexterity and long digits.

You know another color option for you, rather than getting locked into the moss green reel to blank color scheme. Is to go with one of the many gold tone reels, which would pull the color up from those gold accent wraps on the factory XP.

TT

I actually went forward and purchased a black Super 6. I have a number of black reels and a few black Abel's so I considered mixing it up. My wonderful bride just bought me a Super 4N in Brown Trout for my 40th birthday so I'll consider that "mixed up" enough for now. I have plenty of reels in the 4-5 weights (hardly a bad problem to have) so I steered away from the Super 5 because the 6 gives me another option on my 7 wt. more so that a Super 5 would. I also like the narrower spool. The kicker was the Super 5 was a Rainbow Trout graphic that was pretty darn cool... but it was another $140 which can buy a spare spool on a black one. Now I can push the Super 7 to the 8 wt. and keep the Lamson Velocity for a back up 7/8 weight because I have two spools for that reel.

Happy Days!
:frogdance

---------- Post added at 01:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:47 PM ----------

You know another color option for you, rather than getting locked into the moss green reel to blank color scheme. Is to go with one of the many gold tone reels, which would pull the color up from those gold accent wraps on the factory XP.

TT

That would look darn sweet! But they wouldn't match the silver wraps on my VXP 7 wt.

 

[jaybo41]

Good move on the Super 6. As we talked though that today it just made all the sense in the world. :thmbup:

Once you get that Super 4N and the latest edition in, you need to snap some photos and post them in the Reel Love thread. That collection of yours is something else! :surprise::shocking: