Saltigas have arrived

[fishweewee]

I have a 1.2 with a few spare spools (in excellent condition) that I'd be willing to part with for a reasonable price.

[PurpelNoon]

Over a year ago, I viewed and read a total breakdown of a Saltiga and VS by a mechanically inclined person(an engineer). There were step by step photos with the critique. I wont get into the details of the VS breakdown because I dont want to rekindle Van Staal Wars.

Basically the Saltiga got good grades overall, not perfect, but very good. The breakdown was technically beyond my scope of understanding so some of it made sense and some of it had no significance to me. Nevertheless, a good read!

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by PurpelNoon

Over a year ago, I viewed and read a total breakdown of a Saltiga and VS by a mechanically inclined person(an engineer). There were step by step photos with the critique. I wont get into the details of the VS breakdown because I dont want to rekindle Van Staal Wars.

Basically the Saltiga got good grades overall, not perfect, but very good. The breakdown was technically beyond my scope of understanding so some of it made sense and some of it had no significance to me. Nevertheless, a good read!

I wonder if the engineer was a surfcaster. I'd love to read that article.

I've always felt part of the reason the Penn Z series work so well in the surf is because they aren't as perfectly engineered as many of the various imports. If a little corrosion or wear through lots of use changes the tolerances inside a bit the reel couldn't care less. A few grains of sand inside? No big deal. Built in tolerance for abuse in the suds.

If the same thing happens to most other reels all hell breaks loose. Plus all those vulnerable bearings. Number one corrosion spot I see in both spin reels and fly reels that come into the shop are the ball bearings. Either hide them deep inside your reel (VS) or don't use many of them (Penn). Anything else is just asking for bearing failure in a reel used by surfcasters.

[JoeP]

Here is the link to that in depth review/comparison of the Saltiga, Van Staal, and Stella:

http://www.stripersonline.com/cgi-bi...c/1/27148.html

I hope this link doesn't break any rules.

[beachwalker]

Originally Posted by JoeP

Here is the link to that in depth review/comparison of the Saltiga, Van Staal, and Stella:

http://www.stripersonline.com/cgi-bi...c/1/27148.html

I hope this link doesn't break any rules.

i'm fine with it joe, thanks. good info

can't understand why those penn 500 series are still around......

[Pete_G]

Thanks for digging up that old thread; after reading it I do sort of remember that post. It's good I guess.

It's like I tell customers trying to decide between various flyrods though; it's not what modulus graphite it's built of, it's the end result and how it casts. You can pour all the best engineering you want into a reel it won't necessarily make it a great surf reel.

A example of that is the thin titanium lip on a lot of these reels and the fat lip of "the reel with the historic internal spool design (AkA: trouble maker)". Is the thin lip higher performance? Tough to say, the reel manufacturers tell me so and the writer of that article is of the same mind.

I'll take that fat, tough lip on the rocks any day though even if I lose a few feet on my cast. I've had to sand down the lip on one of my VS's from bouncing it off the rocks so hard and I've done it to several others as well. The same abuse would result in the need for a new spool on most "modern" reels. Ideally you don't fall and bang your $600 reel off the rocks of course, but it happens...

Especially for the surf I've always tried to find gear that will just leave me alone and let me fish. I don't want to agressively maintain it or have to worry about it (or myself) doing something stupid in the middle of the night. Aquaskinz and the new VS plug bags are a perfect example; the tubes won't break from overloading or falling on them, the stitching is built for a lifetime, and most importantly they've got GREAT velcro that won't fly open and throw all your favorite plugs into the waves when you get hit by one.

I think I'm done getting riled up about surf reels. For now. I guess it always has my interest since I often get to see the results of reels used hard in the surf when they come back to me to be serviced or sent in for service.

[ProfessorM]

I agree with Pete G. Time equals money. Quality equals time, and it definitely is a hell of a lot harder than it looks. I understand why they cost so much after seeing up close the workmanship of a VS at the MSBA show. Very impressive. I do not have a problem with them charging that much. I am sure they have a lot of R+D money to recoup. To my eye it is a beautiful piece of workmanship and engineering but still too expensive for a machinist to afford .I do think some of the quality aspects of those expensive reels can be adapted and retrofitted to the lesser priced more abundant reels out there now. I guess we will just have to see if it is possible. Good discussion. Paul