Check out this beauty

[pw-bream]

Here is what the dedicated bream specialist was meant to buy in 1980. I actually remember fishing in a "Breamanza" or two in East Gippsland in the 1980's. If I remember correctly Rex Hunt and Keith Fleming were the celebs that came up and did clinics and awarded prizes, etc.
The Ryobi GX20N pictured had a 4.3:1 gear ratio, weighed 311 g (11.1 oz) and held 230 yd of 9 lb line. It is described as "the ultimate bream reel". The ad this is from was in Dec 1980 Aust Anglers Fishing World

[mike_mad_fisho]

gday
that is a beuty imagine using one of them today u qouls have a sore arem from the wight of the reel lol.
michael.

[pw-bream]

Oddly enough weight isn't too different from the current crop of reels.
Current premium reel - Daiwa Capricorn 3500 240 yd 10lb weighs 405 g. Same series reel in 2500 size is 305 g.

[Ravin]

Its like most things they have to start somewhere.:D A lot of the old reels weren't as bad as people would have you think either. A bit of a fiddle with the drag ( cork washers dipped in neatsfoot oil with some graphite powder added) & get the bail roller happening properly & off you went. The biggest difference I think is that there were a lot more low quality reels around then but there were some rippers as well. These days there are few lemons left. I am showing my age now (.......Ravin tearfully fondles his Seascape 621 & gently puts it back in the box):D

[pw-bream]

Some of the "old stuff" was pretty good, the blue shakespeare eggbeaters were equiped with a good drag. I had some shockers though, an Olympic Spark with a chromed wire bail and no roller, and an old DAM reel with a plastic spool that burst when mono was wound on under tension. I have a cedar spooled Alvey that is still in fine working order too, I don't have a rod with a low mount real seat to put it on though so it lives in a box.

[Ravin]

:D :D Ah the Olympic now that brings back memories. I had an Olympic Spark 180 & I hooked a Bonito off the rocks with it. I only had light drag & the main shaft snapped just below the spool :eek: So there I was with the spool bouncing around all over the rocks then into the drink it went :eek: . I ended up handlining the fish in. Ah yes the Olympic :D The early DAM's were an excellent reel but then I think they were bought out & made in japan or something & the quality didn't go down it just ceased to exist:mad:

[pw-bream]

Originally posted by Ravin
I had an Olympic Spark 180 & I hooked a Bonito off the rocks with it. I only had light drag & the main shaft snapped just below the spool :eek: So there I was with the spool bouncing around all over the rocks then into the drink it went :eek: . I ended up handlining the fish in.

LOL :-) Those were the days...

[madsurfe]

Hey Guys

I retired a Daiwa GS2 last year. I got it in 1976 and it was one of the best reels at the time. Heavy duty and it caught bream in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA & WA . I only bought another reel (ABU CD4 1000) after landing the bream in my avatar. during the 70's I caught hundreds of bream on the old GS2 mainly fishing fast water in Adelaide at the West Lakes Inlet Pipe much akin to the tide running out of the Swan under the freo traffic bridge.

[bluefin]

Ravin, Had a flick with my 621 scape not long ago. It felt good!!!! Memories!!!!!


I still use a few Mitchel reels 301 and 307 They are very noisy compared to todays reels, but they are still silky smooth, they have been modified as mitchel updated,( roller bail arms) but the original reels were bought over 40 years ago. I wonder if my Okuma Epix reels will last that long????

[Kris]

that's classic..............whats gunna be around in 2023??
spooky to think:confused: :)

[pete s]

hey kris, your avatar pic.....hhmmm....south eastern freeway in the background?? looks familiar :)

[LakeConjolaFish]

I still have a Shimana Bantam 50 Baitcaster that I bought in 1980 and its as smooth as the day I bought it (better actually) and the best part is that I needed some parts last year and rang the Shimano importers and told them the part no's that I needed for a 22 year old reel and they not only had them in stock but they posted them to me that day.......not bad huh ?

[pw-bream]

I've been thinking about those "Breamanza" bream fishing comps we used to have in East Gippsland. The ones I entered must have been in the mid to late 1970's, not the 80's. It was when I still lived with my parents and I was still at school. I was off working in Sale and Melbourne during the eighties.
There was a giant bream on a trailer that would be paraded around the streets before and during the breamanza :-)
Last I knew it was parked at a caravan park just before you get to Lakes Entrance, it looked in shabby condition.

[pw-bream]

Pete, Kris,
that looks a bit like it is taken on/from the bike path under the Sth Eastern around Richmond/Burnley doesn't it :-)

That is a section I've never fished. I used to get bream from the area around the Trade Centre and around the Swimming Centre/Olympic Park (eels aplenty there too), and further up around Kew I used to get Roach or similar Pommie fish, also up around Warandyte I got Roach again (look like a mullet with red eyes).

[Kris]

hey Pete,
umm, yeh its is a Vic spot........not SE freeway but under the bridge near the aptly named "Anglers Tavern" just on the Marybrynong Rv.(Straight down Brunswick rd)
Caught that little guy on my third cast using a Rapala Shad Rap(intended for a school Jew)(Holy Grail still haven't got:( )
Got a few follows from bream buy have since lost about three nice lures down there...........VERY Snaggy:mad:
Anyway another excuse to feed my sickness(tackle junkie)
You gunna be fishing Mallacoota?

[bluefin]

Jim

I have, and use as my baitcaster still, a Bantum 1000 GS. It's a magic reel and I have no reason to upgrade!!!!!!!!!!! It must be over 25 years old!!!!!!!!

[LakeConjolaFish]

Bluefin,

The bantams were a good reel and as I said before I was stoked that Shimano still carried parts for mine.

Hope you get another 25 years out of yours :)

[pw-bream]

Ahh the light bulb goes on.
I used to fish above and below that bridge when I lived in West Brunswick. It can't be very peaceful fishing right under the bridge, lots of traffic on that road.