First fish with my D Fuller "Old Reliable"

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

The Medalist's drag leaves a bit to be desired but I have seen a couple that have had some of the frame removed in order to expose the inside face of the spool so that the user could apply finger pressure to help slow a larger fish.

- Heavier, but you can palm the spool- another trick I learned form Bill Hunter- on steelhead or salmon- don't change the drag (60% of breaking strength of your leader) lower the rod and reel into the water and hydraulic pressure of the current adds drag- Both the Perfacts and the medalists were not make for easy conversion to LH wind, however-

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Francis Morin

- Heavier, but you can palm the spool-

Except for the fact that the several Medalists I own do not have an exposed rim...

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Except for the fact that the several Medalists I own do not have an exposed rim...

- What I meant was, the Hardy Perfects have a palming spool drag feature, besides the check pawl that serves to prevent over-spooling. They are set on ball bearings, and are indeed fine reels. The original Akron mfg. Pflew-Gear Medalists did not have exposed rims, the later Yakasaki copies had that feature, if memory serves.

Hey Dean- I always watch the Boston Pops on the tube every year at 4th July- Host/MC was a Boston native son- Mike Chicklets(?) from Andover- isn't that your set-up, and that home of the late great Skeet-Ist Wm. Hardon Foster Jr.- A died-in-the wool grouse and Parker small gauge man to boot??
By the power O'mud there, Eb- if I recall the remark about a fox killed by the "little gun" (A Parker 16) about 1885 or so-I have an original copy of his book, published my year of birth 1941- great writer, as was the late Burton Lowell (close to Boston, yes?) Spiller, and later salt water fishing editor Frank Woolner- great stuff- I even drank a few Sam Adams brews to honor "Beat-Town" Cheers!!!!

[Dean Romig]

[QUOTE=Francis Morin;45890 lower the rod and reel into the water and hydraulic pressure of the current adds drag-[/QUOTE]

I would much rather be able to feel my fish and know what he's doing and try to anticipate his next move than sink all my equipment in the water and deaden any telegraphic feel I might receive through the line and rod from the fish.