Abu 7000 is the best all-around choice. Look for a version that says "Made in Sweden" on the side plate, not one that reads "Assembled in Sweden" (from parts machined from cheap-assed metal in China or Taiwan
).
The Calcutta 700 is another choice. Many anglers find the width to be cumbersome on the rod, but it's well-built and smooth.
The Penn 975 has its fans (I'm not one of them). It eats level wind pawls like M&Ms, and the free spool button has a nasty habit of popping up on the cast.
That pretty much covers the bigger level-wind market.
The smaller Calcutta 400 is a damn good reel. For the Canal, it holds enough line if you run 50# braid, but I find the slow retrieve coupled with the smaller spool diameter a problem when I have to hump jigs over the face of the drop-off without the jig hanging. It's probably my favorite reel to throw eels with, tho.
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