I have an old DAM Quick Micro-lite AT reel that I bought from Rich Grabowski before DAM went bankrupt and reorganized. Today I took it apart and cleaned it up, it is a miracle it still worked. The reel is on my favorite rod a Batson Rainshadow IS600. Tomorrow I am going to take my favorite rod and reel fishing. I really don't know why the rod is my favorite or the reel for that matter, I have plenty of others that are good and very similiar, but they ain't the same. The reel will eventually break and I'll have to bite the bullet and use one of my 8 other ultra-light reels. I wish I could put my finger on whatever it is I like about these two.

One of my favorites is an old Quick 110. Bought it in 1969, for about $30. It was the Cadillac of reels back then; about the only thing else was a Mitchell 300, or 308 in the UL. I think they were about $15 back then.
My Quick has been used a lot, and is as tight as it ever was. The only thing I worry about is breaking a bail spring. I guess I'll have to make one if that happens.
Steve Broadwell

Wow, dejavu ! - I used to have an old QUICK 220N, circa 1976, which remained very similar to the DAM version when they took over the Quick products a year or two later.

The Quick 110N was a very nice light ~4-8# spinning reel; and the 220N was a medium ~6-10# spinning reel. The Quick 220N was the first reel I ever bought with my own money (~$25 in Queens, NYC, at the age of 16 in '76), and I matched it with a 6'6" 2-pc, chest-nut brown Garcia (Conolon?) spinning rod. It was a casuality on its first canoe trip - the submerged bushes of an island over-run by the spring-rain swollen Delaware River claimed it when we hit a lay-down that over-turned our canoe. Better to let the rod stay snarled in the rush than get my head in there too, and drown, I figured, ... B)-

What I liked about the Quick 220N was that it seemed to be so precise in every aspect of its construction. It was the first push-botton spool that I had ever used. The drag was great. The internal gears were far superior to the only other reel that I had opened at that time (some sold-by-the- truck load reddish Shakespeare spinner). And the little C-retainer clips holding some of the parts together was so cool to me at the time. And I think it was made in Sweden or Germany which made it extra cool. ... B)-. ... It was later replaced by a Penn 710 which is still in service with a friend from a swap.

This Quick 220N Spinning Reel being a favorite probably had more to do with the experiences around it than the reel iself inherently being superior. If I had been able to afford one of the original green-body Cardinal spinning reels with the white drag knob under-behind the reel body, I probably would be telling you a story about that fishing reel. -Cliff Hall.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2006 06:52PM by Cliff Hall.

My old reddish Shakespeare spinner still works believe it not and the Mitchell 300 went missing during a canoe tumble, expensive at the time but I could never afford the mighty DAM reels. The old brass gearing is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, even the Penn Spinfishers are changing over to alloy main gears.
Charlie

I've got a pair each of Shimano's MLX 200's and the 300's. They've all been some very nice reels. They're not the quality of some of today's reels, but there's just something about them.

I loved the drags on them mostly. I've had to put many different sets of bushings in these reels through the years, but they all four still work very well and I do have a cache of parts for them left over yet.

Putter
Williston, ND

The older Quick reels are among the very finest every made. A reel like that today would probably sell for well over $1,000.

The ABU Cardinals were similarly made with shimmed brass gears and long bronze bushings. Reverse worm gear drive systems. That's why they were so smooth and why they stayed that way year after year.

The best I've found these days is the Quantum Kinetics (Energy, Catalyst, etc. are nearly identical reels).

.......

Loved my ABU Cardinals while I could still get bail springs. Bent the main shaft on the 6 and it never was the same reel again. My Quick disappeared on a transfer to Alaska. I have a few Penn SS reels that have held up very well especially like the drags. Have no idea why the high line capacity spools have become so unpopular, must be the bass crowd, but they sure were handy.

This has got me all fired up, and I'm thinking about going retro. Looked on @#$%& and they have all sorts of Quick reels. Also have bail springs!
I had one of the original Cardinals also; don't know where it went. But, back when I was selling tackle (1969-72), the Quick was the best. I still have my original Abu 5000C, and a red (non-ballbearing) 6000. Still use them every time I go fishing. Don't know if a reel of today would hold up so long.

Penn 9 for saltwater, Mitchell 300 and 308 for freshwater........to me, three of the most reliable reels ever built

Pete Kornegay

Ahhhh....Mitchell 300 I still have the first one I owned. Got it in 1979 and it still works flawlessly. Several years ago, a good friend of mine who is a reel collector found a CASE of unopened original ABU Cardinals. I think there were like 10 of them brand new sill in the box.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing Products

My Wife......................................

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Favorite reel is Zebco Cardinals 3/4/6 and blank is a Fenwick ST144UL
Steve

It's not too old, but it's the best I've used in 35 years. A Daiwa 2500ia. Holds 110yds of 6lb mono, and has a silky smooth drag. Use it with my ultra light outfits and love it to bits.

Simon


If it's above a 4wt, it's built for Tarpon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2006 10:10AM by Simon C. Joseph.

I have a pair of Abu-Garcia 5500 DA's that I still use, no bearings and direct drive. The newer versions I have all have... issues. I think I should track down my brothers old Quick 110 and Cardinal 4. I could really use both of those for Steelhead.

I have a few of the old Lews Speed Spins both the one and two's, really like them but they are HEAVY and are really starting to show some serious wear. I think that it is about time to put them on the shelf and replace with some new quantums or shimano's.

Tom