alvey fishing reels???
 

does any one have any info on these??? are they any good,or something to forget about,heard some people talking about them the way they were talking it's the greatest thing since SAM ADAMS(beer)any input would be helpful

I have heard they are hard to cast just because they are so different. Instead of holding the line with your finger, you hold it with your thumb. The other reason why I don't think they have caught on so much here is because the line retrieve tends to not to be as good as you can get with a spinning reel or a conventional.

Personally, I really don't see the need for them in these parts. Most of the guys I've seen using them have them on rods built just for them, they require a short butt with the reel set low, which doesn't let you have any leverage for working a fish. I imagine small rod guides would choke the line flow when you cast. They retrieve at a 1:1 direct drive ratio. The only real advantage is the fact that line comes straight off the spool when you retrieve and fight a fish, rather than at a 90 degree angle as on a spinning reel. I really think a good conventional caster would be able to outdistance one.

I'm wondering, if they cast that much farther than a good spinning or conventional reel, why aren't they used in distance tournaments. Unless they're against the rules--possible, I guess, never paid that much attention to the sport.