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Old 07-31-2004, 08:12 PM   #9
Crafty Angler
Geezer Gone Wild
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Join Date: Nov 2001
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Yeah, I thought you guys would like to see a new twist on the old reliable 704, sort of American Chopper-style - hey, what do ya think the tonnage is that 704's have pulled up through the wash over the years?

Tell ya the truth, I've really enjoyed getting reacquainted with a reel that feels like an old friend -

Yeah, Tony, I did put a 706 handle on it back in June - the old style torpedo handle always bugged me - makes a real difference over the course of a long night.

Yup, loaded the case with Teflon Superlube like ya said, Eben - which silences the clicker noise of the anti-reverse for silent running - and tightens it up a bit, too - take one of the fiber washers out and replace it with another teflon -

Ya know, I was rereading a book by Kip Farrington who was a fishing pal of Hemingway and Zane Gray and the saltwater editor of Field and Stream from 1937 to 1972 - 35 years - and he said his favorite reels were his Penns - this from a guy who had Vom Hofes, custom-machined Kavolovskys, Fin-Nors, you name it.

Kinda like the design of an old M-1 or an old Harley - not real exotic, not state of the art but classic and ordinarily pretty damned dependable - quirks and all. And easy to repair with readily available parts. Not bad for fairly short money -

So what's wrong with that?

Nothin'

"There is no royal road to this heavy surf-fishing. With all the appliances for comfort experience can suggest, there is a certain amount of hard work to be done and exposure to be bourne as a part of the price of success." From "Striped Bass," Scribner's Magazine, 1881.
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