I first purchased the larger of these reels. I was impressed with the quality for the price. I am a lefty, so when I got the large reel I needed to swap it over to right hand retrieve(left hand holding the rod). It only took me about 13-20 minutes to successfully accomplish that. NOW, at the time I did the change, I had consumed 3 stout "old-fashioned" tumblers of good Canadian whiskey. Nonetheless, things went oh-so smoothly. No tiny parts left airborne and the bushings and drag washers all reversed and behaved nicely.
When I received the smaller reel, this item, I had consumed no whiskey,but so far , even with the large reel for guidance, I have been unable to do the changeover. (Note: I was then and still am without whiskey; that may be the issue, but I doubt it.) There are differences in the
design of the two reels. On the large one I did not have to deal with flying spring loaded tiny pins and two small unsprung pins. This company
needs to make instructions available for hand-dominant change. I have not yet given up; I will go out and buy another 1.75 l. bottle of
Seagram's VO and see if that helps. Well, the VO did not help but the seller did HELP. They contacted me and are now sending a replacement. I am a bit stunned ( not by the whiskey) since it is my fault that I made the mistake. As further comment, the machining and function on both reels I bought was excellent and tolerances tight. I have three high quality bamboo flyrods and the large reel is for my spey, an antique Winchester sold premium bamboo (10') and two exceptionally high quality new bamboo rods. The small reel is for my 7 foot 4 weight line rod. Then I have an 8' 6" that already has a fine reel from "Headwaters." NOTE: I do not think the Seagram's hurt; it probably helped to keep my temper steady as I swapped the large and now serves as a "toast" to the seller. The seller is extraordinary. They also sent me a photo that clearly shows how simple the change is. I hope they provide it to Amazon..Thus, I have raised my rating to 5 star. EDIT, Positive; this company came through on the replacement within about 4-5 days for delivery. I had no trouble changing retrieve side, especially easy and now I know this is common in a full range of reels-even in the big bucks brands. Out of a sense of appreciation and honor, I wrote to seller and offered to return the reel I had messed up . I received a prompt and kindly response that I could keep the reel I improperly assembled. This, even though I was willing to pay the return postage. Add a 6th star for their customer service !!! PS- I now know how to correct the problem I made for myself. If anyone else tries to completely dissassemble the drag system-- DON'T-- there are three solid pins in there that hold the rotation of one of the drag discs and it is now obvious that these three pins should drop into their respective holes to do their job. Aligning the drag discs and all three pins causes them to drop down flush (these 3 are separate from the spring loaded clicker pin) . The washer set, inboard, is very hard to manipulate to realign the washer holes with the plain pins. I have spent my avocation in sophisticated mechanical work and I blew it.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 4.37 x 4.17 x 3.62 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.21 Kilograms |
| Item Weight | 5.28 ounces |
| Brand Name | Sougayilang |
| Color | A-Golden |
| Material | Stainless Steel, Carbon |
| Manufacturer | Sougayilang |
| Part Number | JY-FYL 5/6 |
| Size | 5/6 Reel |
| Fishing Line Type | Fly |
| Line Weight | 10 - 17 pounds |
| Fishing Technique | Fly Fishing |
| Gear Ratio [(*/10) : 1] | 1 |
| Handle Material | Stainless Steel |
| Hand Orientation | Ambidextrous |
