{jcomments on}Runs on 2 bearings
110mm or 4.3 inches in diameter
75mm or 3 inch arbour width
25mm or 1 inch wide in the drum
Machined aluminium
Weight 220 grams
Price from the UK as cheap as GBP49 without lineguard
Lineguard is optional for a further GBP15
I have used this fishing from the rocks around Sydney in what is a fairly tough environment. Out of the box it seems to run well, although not as free running as the Okuma Aventa Pro. For a relatively cheap reel it performs quite well for blackfish, although I prefer a larger reel, again the Okuma Aventa pro is preferable. The wide spool isn't too much of a turn off, again I prefer the narrow width of the Okuma Aventa Pro. The construction is very simple, with few parts. The spool sits on two bearings separated by a plastic bush. These are easily removed for cleaning. The only other parts are the retaining screw and the clicker mechanism. The spring for the clicker is decidedly dodgy looking and I suspect would be the first part in this reel to fail. The handles are nicley done, perhaps a little close to the rim of the spool, especially if you hook a drummer and have it motoring, then the handles may cause some knucle damage. The Okuma Aventa Pro handles are closer together, 75mm between centres compared to this reel which is 90mm between centres.
All in all, this is a decent reel for the price, you could have one delivered for AUD100. I would prefer to use the Okuma Aventa Pro, but that's a reel that's closer to the AUD200 mark. Would I buy one in preference to an Alvey 475B (or a Shakepeare Lincoln for any poms reading this) which is around the same price maybe cheaper? Probably not, but I may if I was after something with a bit more bling and a bit lighter.
Pros
Inexpensive
Simple
Nice looking
Light
Optional line guard
Cons
Handles a bit close to spool edge
Not as free running as some
Spool a little wide for luderick fishing
Dodgy clicker mechanism