Among the best sources that I have found for information about many of these old fishing reels is vintage outdoor magazine ads. Unlike Shakespeare reels, Johnson reels carried no serial numbers so there is no ready look-up that I am aware of. It is often hard to tell when particular reels were produced. There seems to have been a lot of overlap in the production of various different models. I had always thought that the Johnson SABRA model reels came into production during the mid-sixties and continued until the mid or late seventies, reaching their greatest popularity during the early seventies. I ran across a copy of this ad which appeared in 1961 in an outdoor magazine. It features the SABRA with its famous dual-drag system. My understanding is now revised to expand the marketing window of the Johnson SABRA reel.
This ad shows the SABRA right along side and contemporary with the Johnson Century 100 and the Johnson Citation 110. The Johnson Gull pretty much a mystery to me. It is another early reel that I don't know that much about, but which I plan to obtain and review. I have nver seen one that I recall. Only pictures. It looks much like the Centennial which have no working knowledge of that is of much use. i do think we had one among our tacle when I was a kid. I just don't recall much about it--wxcept that the reel itself was heavier than the others--if my recollection is accurate. During this time, the Johnson Centinniel was also beoing produced, or had only been discontinued a short time before.
Another vintage magazine ad from 1950, very early in the history of the spin-cast reel, for me casts a new light on their history as well. But also for me such ads raise as many questions as they answer. Of interest as well is the advertisement of tubular steel fly-fishin rods from the era.
In the copy of the advertisement above we see the latest offerings of the time. An early ZEBCO spin-cast reel is seen alongside of an early Johnson spin-cast reel. The Wright-McGill Fre-Line reel preceded both Johnson and ZEBCO reels. The Fre-Line is strikingly similar to the earliest model Johnsons such as the one pictured here. I generally don't count any of these reels when I think of vintage spin-cast reels. Although sideways mounted, the quality of worksmanship and green anodized aluminum bell most nearly represents what I first recognize as modern-day spin-cast reels.
In some ways, I suppose the ZEBCO is similar to modern reels, but it had no line-release button either. The Fre-Line was promoted as suitable for fly-fishing, spinning, or casting. It was one of several original designs that used the closed bell with the small hole within the middle--that in my mind inspired both Johnson and ZEBCO models--both which re credited with being the first patented spin-cast reels. None of these reels had any kind of line-release button that became so identifiable with later spin-cast reels. Maybe my definition is arbitrary, but it was the line-release button that merely had to be pressed and then released when the cast had gained enough forward momentum that spelled the defining simplicity that I recognize as characteristic to the modern spin-cast reel. clearly, the Johnson Century 100 was the first reel to make this a popular feature.
It is fun to see such ads as the one below that feature a gang of different products from the same era, lending context to what was going on at the time. The style of the ads from this era as well as the art-work typifies a look that is often attributed to Norman Rockwell. Part of this look was merely the best production work that could then be done with the printing processes then available. Drawn or painted art was prefered over photographs because the color gradations were able to be more easily reproduced using four-coor process work that was common to slick magazine production of the era.
The ad below was used in an outoor magazine in 1956. It features a pink Princess version of the Johnson Century 100 aimed at women and girls. The green version is depicted too. The Johnson Citation, a beefier model reel that hold more line was mentioned as well. All bases were being covered in these ads. The spin-cast reel as we came to know it was barely even invented at his early date. These reel models fueled an explosion in recreational fishing.
It may be interesting to note too that the pink Princess model spin-cast reels along with the inexpensive ZEBCO models--all attempts to corner broader segments of the market potential--may have been the reason spin-cast reels never gained the respect to make them a viable choice for the next generation of professional fishermen--who were incubating at this time. Professional torun ament style sport fishing is a relatively new sport also born of this era. Up and coming professional bass fishermen as well as well as other experienced fishermen were very likely put-off by any less thn macho identity with a pink reel that little princesses could use. It would be a mistake to underestimate the importance of a macho self-image was to this generation.
They did NOT want to be identified with a fishing reel that little girls could use--no matter how good the reel design was. It is only my own theory--having lived through this marketing cycle, and observed this phenomenon firsthand, that such marketing efforts may have actually led to discredit the spin-cast reel in the estimation of experienced fishermen. The message of ultimate simplicity and usefulness for any or everyone who wanted to fish that was conveyed, however, was probably more valuable economically, as it resulted in a vast number of fishing reels being sold.
It is also my contention that after the market had been trashed, that even ZEBCO had to distance itself from the novice fishing legacy it helped create by christening a new identity under which to market reels to the more experien ced an d profesional sportsfishermen. Quantum is this brand.
It did not take long for other manufacturers and vendors to adopt the new style of spin-cast reels from both established and respected fishing tackle names as well as numerous other upstart companies. As mentioned in other posts, the new design of spin-cast reels dove-tailed with Japan's rise to manufacturing prominence. Such old names as South Bend, Shakespeare, Wright-McGill, Penn all jumped on board with their models of spin-cast reels. Diawa was one of the Japanese reel makers that was well-made and that survives. Abu Garcia, a Swedish company was one of the old-timers that followed with many successful spin-cast reel designs very similar to the Johnson models.
The copy of a vintage ad below is early enough that the Johnson Century 100 model is still being referred to as the Denison-Johnson spin-cast reels. This was the name of the Johnson reel company that preceded the Johnson Century. The co-inventor of these reels, Denison, died before he ever saw the Johnson Century reel in production. The company's name was changed shortly thereafter.
Let me here take opportunity to correct a wide-spread piece of misinformation that has been spread all over the Internet. Samuel C. Johnson, a third generation principle of the Johnson Wax Company is being credited with inventing the spin-cast reel. I suppose this is a simple enough mistake to make if no research has been done. Samuel C. Johnson was indeed a big outdoorsman and environmentalist who later saw the purchase of the Johnson Reel Company a couple of decades after Dennison-Johnson invented their version of the spin-cast reel and successfully began the Johnson Reel Company. But the name similar name is mere coincidence. It was a different Johnson who co-invented the reel and started the company.
I don't have a Johnson Princess reel, so I borrowed this picture of a nice one that is advertised on eBay. They are asking a pretty penny for it--and they may get it as it seems to be in perfect condition and has the books with it. I am including the link to this ebay listing since I borrowed the picture. I have no other knowledge or association to this seller or the listing. I can't imagine that they will mind, since it is further advertisng for them.
I have often heard old
timers say they could smell water-moccasins. Anytime I notice this odor, I
go on high-alert and watch my step. I have never been much afraid of
snakes.
Yesterday, I took two vintage reels to my pond to see how well they
were working after cleaning them up and lubricating them. I had one of
them mounted on a rod that I had fashioned by combining a vintage metal
rod handle and rod seat someone sent me with an old reel and an old
tubular glass rod that had a broken reel seat and handle. The new configuration was not really planned but it worked well
enough with the Johnson 710 reel. It is gratifying to
reclaim this stuff and give it new life.
The Johnson 710 era reel from the mid-sixties to the seventies, I am not sure exactly what years, is considered by many to be the best spin-cast reel ever made, due to its extraordinary two-stage drag coupled with its tried and proven simple spool and release design. The weakest link on earlier models was clearly the drag. This specific reel tosses a lightweight spinning lure a surprisingly long way with little effort, using this vintage hybrid cast aluminum rod seat and handle paired with a broken vintage fiberglass rod. Salvaging both rod pieces from discards, I was able to solidly fuse a section of fiberglass rod together with the six-sided rod mount for an extraordinary feel of what is going on with the line and the lure.
Vintage casting and spin-cast rods generally used cast metal or welded steel for their frame. The rod seat is recessed to allow the horizontal position of the fishing line to align closely with the eyes of the fishing rod from the exit point on the reel. The handle portion of the rod is often covered with cork or wound with leather or twine or covered with moulded rubber or synthetics. The rod was commonly attached to the reel seat and handle using a threaded two to three inch hollow section of the handle which was secured with a compression nut. The actual material of the rod was made from various materials including bamboo, steel, tubular and solid fiberglass, and more recently graphite. Each rod material has its own characteristics which can be either pro or con for given situations.
Obvious characteristics that have been sought in casting rods have historically been strength, limberness, and flexibility which combine to provide different levels of spring tension which has become known as the action of the rod. Casting and spin-cast rods on action to propell the attached lure than does either spinning rods pr fly-rods, since manual thrust and gravity are the chief propellants--but the action is very important to retrieval when a fish is attached. The ability of the rod to transmit the least amount of resistance trhough the line to the rod tip on down into the handle where the hand can interpret the tug is very important to modern fishermen who depend upon this feel to determine when a fish is engaging with the lure and when to set the hook.
This
specific reel tosses a lightweight spinning lure a surprisingly long
way with little effort, using this vintage hybrid cast aluminum rod seat
and handle paired with a broken vintage fiberglass rod.
I am only guessing from the style of the old cast metal fishing handle and rod seat that it was originally attached to a solid fiberglass rod, although this same style rod was used with steel rods and bamboo rods too. The hex-shaped prod attachment tube lends some thought that the handle was attached to a bamboo rod, as these were sometimes pieced together in split quarters and pieces of bamboo to enhance rod strength and all of the characteristics mentioned above. The compression nut is missing from the rod handle. I may try to make one or find an existing nut used for plumbing or gas lines since the original type of nut are nearly impossible to find by themselves.
Another name for a water-moccasin is Cotton-Mouth. Thus,
Cotton Floats helps us remember that it is the poisonous variety of
snakes that float.
But for now, I merely used epoxy to solidify the tubular rod that I had from a broken handle by adding a piece of fiberglass dowel and gluing it into place. This fused it all solidly together. I wound the outer rod and metal piece with synthetic thread and then epoxied the outer part which more or less melted it all together. The rod has more flex than I would prefer as it is, but it casts nicely and does seem to adequately transmit the feel from the lure and the line. I caught a small bass with the rig while I was trying it yesterday and it worked just fine. The Johnson 710 reel is a great compliment to the repaired rod hybrid. This is a 710 with the earlier rounded bell. It looks just like the similar SABRA except that it is smaller. The gears and two-stage drag appears exactly like the SABRA too, except it is s little smaller.
The Johnson 710 Reel is One of the Best Reel Designs
Since the spool is smaller the reel will accommodate less line or a smaller diameter line. Line materials have changed a lot since this reel was made, so higher test lines could be used with it than was ever intended originally. I am still stymied as to why the number 710 was applied to this reel as a model number designation. It may hit me out of the blue like a ton of bricks and I will feel stupid as to why I did not figure it out sooner, but for now I am at a loss.
The 710 is the only Johnson reel that carried only a number as its name. The bigger model of the same design is the SANGA. It is just like the 710, only larger and beefier and holds more line. The SANGA is the only Johnson reel model that carries ONLY a lettered name--just the opposite of the 710. The name SANGA has history-specific significance that is inked to historical events happening during the mid-sixties in Israel. The name during this time-period is also synonymous with versatility and toughness. The marketers and owners of Johnson Reel company appeared to be having a good time naming their different reel models. If only I could decipher the reason for the out-of-sequence model number of the 710. Any ideas? If so, please add your comments. (There is a more complete discussion about the interesting names of Johnson reels at my post entitled Meet the Sanga Family . . . . )
I saw a host of turtles on my pond while I was there yesterday. One big one
appeared to be leading a flotilla of smaller turtles. I have always been
fascinated with how these painted water turtles seem to face in the
same direction as they float stationary just below the surface with
their heads pointed as if paying morning alms to Mecca upon any given
body of water. I suppose they are using the sun to orient themselves in
order to see insects or something. I had never seen several moving
together at the same speed in the same direction as a group. There must
have been five or six. Maybe it was just coincidence. As a kid I used to
practice my casting aim by trying to hit turtles in the water--but only
when they were in approximately the area where I wanted to fish.
Some turtle species are highly prized as food. In America at least the painted turtle is not one of the edible varieties. In most geographies they are also protected by game and fish laws. Other varieties may be protected by special Acts of Congress intended to preserve environmentally threatened species. Painted Turtles are common all over the world. They are apparently a very effective design. I understand that Painted Turtles are endangered in parts of Asia, especially in China,
because they are eaten and used for medicinal purposes.
To many rod and
reel fishemen, turtles present a nuance as bait stealers and are
an aggravation when caught. The best way to deal with a painted turtle
on the end of your line is to cut the line off and let it fall back in
the water. There are other varieties of turtles that can easily take off
a finger or even an arm. Although painted turtles are not the same as
snapping turtles, they do have sharp beaks that can easily cut through a
piece of cut fish bait. It is not a leap to understand that they can
similarly cut through your skin. All turtles are part of a environmentally balanced water ecosystem. They serve much the same purpose as do birds that eat carrion. I once thought that these turtles fed on live fish and minnow and were a threat to my ponds fish balance. My research has proved this to be incorrect. Painted Turtles feel on dead or dying fish, insects including misquitoes, and help keep our water free from rotting debris.
Catching a mess of fish for supper on a cane pole with hook, worm, and cork is still a popular and viable activity in the South. Until the advent of the spin-cast reel that made long casts from the bank inexpensive and easy for rank-and-file fishermen, this was the only method commonly used. Bait-cast reels were expensive and required skill to use. Spinning reels did not require as much skill, but they were expensive and were only suited for light-weight lures. Fly-fishing was virtually unheard of in these parts. A can pole and stout line can handle a wide range of fish from small sunfish varieties to big catfish.
Worms, crickets, and minnows are often used live baits and will take all kinds of fish. Stink baits or blood baits are still used for catfish. Catalpa worms, a seasonal caterpillar found only on native broad-leaf Catalpa Trees at certain times are thought to be the best catfish bait known. But regular old red earthworms and larger night-crawlers are still the universal fishing bait for all fishes.
I was distracted from the turtle flotilla by a large water snake
disturbing the water with his fat stubby body floating entirely on top
of the pond. Having their entire body on the surface is supposed to mean
that it is a poisonous variety--at least within the Continental United
states. I have been told this all my life--but I used to get it mixed
up. I couldn't remember if it was the poisonous snakes that floated or
the nonpoisonous ones--which is pretty much like knowing nothing at all.
Plastic Worms are a Relatively New Phenomenon
Hard though it may be to fathom by modern fishermen, plastic worms are a relatively new development. They have come about in my lifetime. In face almost all artificial lures have come into use within just a few generations. The first commercial plastic worms that were widely available were already rigged with a line and two hooks with a spinner and a bead. This is not withstanding that people knew you could sometimes catch bass on a purple pipe cleaner carefully twisted around a hook and retrieved in a lively way.
The Texas Rig and the Carolina Rig for weedless fishing in cover using plastic worms came about only thirty or so years ago. Without much guidance written for the use of plastic worms back in the day, the natural inclination was to simply put the worm on the hook much like a live worm. This was not very productive for most situations. It was then considered a sure tip-off that you had no savvy with using plastic worms if you hooked them through the middle and just let them hang. You would get laughed at for showing such lack of experience.
Placing a worm on a hook in what we today call Senko-style almost looked ridiculous to me the first time I saw it. I had my doubts when I first rigging this type of worm. But I quickly found the simple equidistant hook placement midways into the worm body that allows the worm to shimmer in a natural free-fall can be effective in situations around trees and other areas where bass await their natural food to arrive in just such a manner from directly above.
Just after taking this photograph, I tossed the worm out near an overhanging branch. It was taken by a good size bass. It had taken a pass at the worm previously and I had seen his broad side as it flashed in the afternoon sun. As I attempted to set the thook, the fishing line went slack and faded into the water. It was new line, but I realized that I must have gotten a drop of epoxy on it near where it entered the reel, which essentially melted and weaken the line. I am hopeful that the bass is able to shake the hook. I hope it did not set at all. This is not quite catch-and-release at its very worst.
Then I learned a little maxim to help with this. Cotton Floats.
One of the four poisonous snake varieties found in North America is the
water-moccasins. These are the only primarily water snakes that are
poisonous. Another name for a water-moccasin is Cotton-Mouth. Thus,
Cotton Floats helps us remember that it is the poisonous variety of
snakes that float. This can be misleading though, because when a
cotton-mouth transitions from traveling undisturbed to hiding from
a potential predator, they can go underwater and will sometimes just
peak a head up. So always exercise care. Cotton mouths have a white
inside mouth. They are usually a dull black or grey and although they
can get quite long, they tend to be fat and taper quickly to the tail
end.
Water-Moccasins have a Bad Smell that May Serve as a Warning
I associate a nasty smell of stagnate mud with water-moccasins, and
maybe all water snakes. I don't know if this actually is from stagnant
mud from them having it on their bodies or if it is some kind of musky
smell that comes from the snakes themselves. I have often heard old
timers say they could sell water-moccasins. Anytime I notice this odor, I
go on high-alert and watch my step. I have never been much afraid of
snakes. I have been in the outdoors traipsing around snaky lakes and
swamps all of my life and have never been bitten--although I been
alarmed fro time to time. I have seen lots of snakes. I know the
difference in appearance between poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes if I
get a good look at them. I believe that the danger posed by snakes in
North America is greatly exaggerated. I saw two other snakes
yesterday--one in the pond coming ashore and the other in a willow
growing at the pond edge. I think these were both immature Yellow Water
Snakes. It promises to be a banner snake year from these early signs.
I keep a Kayak
on my pond. Yeah, I know it is hard on the plastics to leave them
exposed to Ultraviolet. I keep it stored when I am not using it often,
and I have a cover for it as well. I have looked for a protectant to
apply to the surface. I recently found several UV protectants online while I was looking at
different Kayak accessories. I'll leave a link for this at the bottom of this post, and I will review this one and any others I find in the near future. This Kayak is new to me this year. I have
another one, but I saw a deal I couldn't refuse on this sit-on-top
Emotion Tandemonium model. These are pretty popular and I like this one a
lot, but I am having to customize it to my satisfaction. I have wanted
one of this style kayak for fishing for a while now. My other one is a
more conventional type Kayak with a entry cockpit that you sit inside, which is fine for some things but as my
personal mobility is increasingly compromised each year with age and illness, I have difficulty using the sit-inside style kayak.It is not ideal when you find tht the easiest way to disembark from your boat by intentionally capsizing in water deep enough to swim downward far enough to clear it.
There has been a explosion in the varieties of kayaks available today--from the more conventionally shaped sit-inside plasic craft to the sit-on-top plastic variety which lends greater stability and accessibility for big (fat) guys like me. My age and health may hinder my mobility walking and even being able to stand from the flat sitting position required by the sit-on-top model, but with a little ingenuity it does not have to prevent me from fishing from this more stable and portable platform. Using my bean-bag style kayak Ass-Set portable seat and flotation device, if I can get my old body there, I can then fish from the boat. The Ass-Set provides both back and butt support in good comfort as well as enough height above the kayak surface to make embarking and disembarking--from the seat, the kayak, and the water--if not easy, at least possible. The seat is light-weight and portable and it doubles as a flotation device in the unlikey event of capsizing. In such an event, the sit-on-top kayak style is more easily righted and boarded--even by a crippled old fat man.
Boats are quite often pertinent to any discussion of fishing methods. Often getting there is one of the most important ingredients to successful fishing. My dad usually kept a Jon-boat, which is a small flat-bottomed boat made for one-to-three passengers for fishing in lakes typical of the South that have a lot of Cypress trees and stumps growing in them. These boats are small and light-weight. They are sufficiently wide enough to provide a great deal of stability even while standing. they are usually built with two or three bench seats. They can be used with or without a gas-operated outboard motor or electric trolling motor. The stern of a Jon-boat is about half again as wide as is the bow.Jon-boats are also used to navigate and fish smaller streams and rivers, but not large ones or big waters with white-capping winds.
The bow of a Jon-boat is slightly up-swept along about the last quarter of the length with make forward navigation easier. A fisherman can sit in the bow of the boat and reach forward with a short sculling paddle and propel a boat slowly but precisely into very small nooks and crannies to tie up and fish or check trot-lines and whatnot. This is done by moving the paddle in a figure-eight pattern in the water while slightly forward leaning, which pulls the boat along very efficiently.
Jon-boats are now commonly made of aluminum. When I was a child, it was common to have Jon-boats made of wood. I remember when I was five years old, Dad having a local boat-builder make him a wooden Jon-boat. I recall the smell of fresh unfinished wood when he brought it home in his '57 Ford pick-up truck. Dad let me help him paint it with gray enamel paint. I am not sure what kind of wood the boat was made of but it was common to use black-gum or cypress to make boats because these woods are naturally impervious to water-logging; such trees thrive in swamps and lakes. The longitudinal boards of a wooden Jon-boat follow the grain of the wood and are carefully seasoned and then planed and put together very precisely and both nailed and glued to cross-pieces that keep them flush together almost as one piece. Jon-boats are still popular in the South for fishing.
The kinds of available small fishing boats have changed a lot during my life-time, as can
be said for so many things. I suppose that my generation is one of two
or three who have witnessed more changes than any others in history. This has had
its upside as well as its downside. I have mostly enjoyed the changes.
When I was a kid, kayaks were seldom used--except real ones by real
Eskimos who invented them. Canoes were fairly popular, but even they
were not in widespread usage in many places. For those who did use
them, aluminum canoes were the thing. They floated high, drawing very
little water, lending them to shallow streams where others could not go.
They were relatively heavy for portaging and getting to and from water,
but they could be carried on top of a vehicle easily enough. They were
tough too.
Canoes were originally developed and used by Native Americans--also known as Indians by some of us. Canadians apparently don't approve of this term, nor do they like the term Eskimo. However, most American Natives that I am acquainted with are from the USA; they are pleased to be called Indians or the most part, named more specifically by tribe. Inuits are what Alaskan Eskimos are now called, to be politically correct, but there again, all whom I know have no problem being referred to as Eskimos. I know a lot of them from my childhood family escapades, living in the Alaskan Bush. I am of very mixed heritage; but both my wife and I have substantial Indian lineage ourselves.
Apparently Canadian Native American Natives of the non-Indian, non-Eskimo variety
are said to be more sensitive about this. This is problematic for me
because I can never remember what they do like to be called. I am not
trying to offend anyone, so I will look it up and get back with you
after using this place-holder until I find it. Native Americans of what is now Canada and the Northern United States
fist develop real canoes. Canoes can be differentiated from more
primitive dug-outs in that they were made by first building a light
frame from pliable green limbs that were allow to dry--and then covering
the frame with bark. I feel sure that so e other barks may have been
used, but I know that Birch Bark is light and tough an d can be
stripped off of trees in large pieces. The bark was then seamed with
cordage and various resins to make the seams water-tight. These craft
were so light that they drew very little water, were reasonably tough,
and could be easily mended by readily available materials on the fly.
Flat-bottom boats, also commonly called Jon-boats, are made of wood or alluminum. They are a common site as used for fishing on small Southern fishing lakes. These rental boats at Lake Herb Parsons in Western Tennessee provide a lot of stability for family fishing. Such boats are commonly used with paddles or with small electric trolling motors and small gas-powered outboard motors. They are also popular for duck-hunting. A savvy fisherman can manuever a Jon-boat into position manually using a short-handled sculling paddle while seated in the more narrow bow by leaning forward and moving the paddle in a crepeated figure-eight patern--which slowly propells the boat forward. Oar locks are not generally used with Jon-boats. One or more occupants change the side from which they use their paddles to provide direction and momentum.
White European fur-traders and frontiersmen immediately saw the utility of canoes and adopted them for fur-trading. Though recognized widely as unique North American boats and used regionally, they did not catch on much elsewhere. European settlers and specialty boat-builders made beautiful canoes of spruce
timbers finely chosen, fitted, and finished to a high luster. These are
works of art. They are almost too fine to mess up by actually using.
paraffin treated canvas has also been used to make canoes. Fiberglass
and plastics --the difference in which is largely academic, were
starting to be used when I was a young man. Fiberglass canoes were tough
but heavy. Coleman was the first company to make wide use of
modern plastics to make canoes. Those original Coleman canoes were
tough, but relatively heavy, owing to their wooden or metal
infrastructures. Fiberglass and plastic canoes draw more water than do aluminum, or canvas canoes (Canvas canoes can draw lots of water as well, depending upon the weight of the frame).
Who says cats don't like water. This crazy stray loves to ride--giving new meaning to catfishing. My waterproof Ass-Set bean-bag uses boyant lightwieght filling in lieu of beans. The filling can be portioned, increased, or redistributed using a secondary bag. It is portable and impossible to sink and the whole thing is waterprooof. The seat provides enough height for me to get up and down inspite of my weight and imobility issues.
[The term draw, when used in the context of how much water a canoe draws, refers to how far down or how high up the craft rides on the water. Thus, saying that an aluminum canoe draws very little water, means that it rides very high on the water and therefore is capable of crossing shoals and other shallow areas more easily than a craft that draws more water. Generally, canoes and kayaks draw very little water because of their design and their light weight. This has always made them suitable for navigating shallow and narrow inland waterways.]
When I was in elementary school I lived in the Arctic. Canoes were not used there. The frigid waters during the brief summers were so cold that it was unthinkable to consider a craft that could be so easily capsized. The life-expectancy for one who falls into these waters is a matter of minutes before hypothermia causes death. However, during this time I became infatuated with the idea of canoeing and fantasized about traversing the rivers of the South where my roots lay. I got my hands on several books that dealt with the principles of canoeing and the various strokes that could be used to quickly and precisely navigate canoes with one two or three passengers.
I dreamed and visualized enjoying such activities so much during this time when there was no opportunity or even possibility of actually doing them that when I was finally able to get into a canoe--with the exception of briefly having to learn the trick of keeping ones weight centered and evenly distributed--that I took to using a canoe like an old timer. I have often thought of this unintentional use of visualization as an example of how skills can be learned, perfected, and practiced completely within ones imagination, in preparation for the real activity.
The Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers are too big and treacherous to be used with canoes except by the very experienced and daring. But many smaller clear-water rivers and streams in the south are ideal for canoeing. The Buffalo National River and Little Red River the White River are scenic North Arkansas rivers upon which I have spent many hours as a teen and young adult. In Southern Arkansas, the Saline and Quaita Rivers flowed and were part of my youthful recreational experience. Some of those once familiar sections of these rivers are now part of reservoirs that offer a different kind of recreational experience. This is not a bad thing--just different.
I remember when the Heber Springs Dam in Arkansas that harnessed the flow of the Little Red River near where some of my uncles lived was visited by then President John F. Kennedy. He dedicated it as an example of a great hydro-electric dam project, that brought abundant electricity to the area. The electricity that it brought was a good thing, but the Lake it created, Greer's Ferry Lake, was a wonderful adjunct for sportsmen and outdoor lovers in the area. The cool waters created by the depths of this lake also created a new phenomenon in those parts. Trout-fishing was introduced and has thrived ever since.
Cow Shoals, not far below the Greer's Ferry Lake Dam was created by the release of waters from the bottom of the lake when electricity is being generated. There is a trout hatchery located near there. The success of the transplantation of Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Cutthroat trout into the tail-waters of the Little Red Red River here is one of the great successes of bringing tout to an area that previously had very few waters cold enough to have natural trout populations. I have fly-fished the Cow Shoals area for trout many times. The last I recall, the national Brown Trout weight and length record was caught in these very waters.
A similar story can be told regarding sections of the White River that artificially forms a number of lakes in Arkansas including Beaver Lake and lake Norfork. As a Boy Scout lving nearby, I was a participant in the first annual White River Invitational Canoe Race. This was a hundred mile race down a scenic section of the white River below the Norfork Lake Dam. There were three kids to a canoe. We began near Norfork park where the now famous Gaston's River Trout Resort hosted a fish-fry for us the night before we put in. I remember how our few canoes were borrowed from a local University on a whim so that we could participate. We were met with specialized Scouting High Adventure Explorer Posts from all over the nation and their sleek racing canoes, participants wearing racing wet-suits, and back-packed water bottles with racing straws and mouth pieces such as we had never seen (designed for the canoeists to drink without breaking the rhythm of their paddle strokes).
The following is a link to the Annual White River Canoe Race I participated in as a scout during its beginning, and later as an adult scout leader. The race is now in its 47th year.
http://www.scoutrace.com/
Some of our scouts from our regular Boy Scout Troop, had never even been in a canoe, but we all had heart. I will never forget waking up the morning after the first fifty miles where we over-nighted in Batesville before the second leg. When I stretched a hearty morning stretch, every muscle in my body cramped. After the second leg, I slept for a couple of days virtually comatose except for delirious dreams of paddles flashing in the sun. We did not win--not by a long-shot. but we did finish, which is more than quite a few more experienced participants could say.
Years later, my wife and I later served as the adult scouters supporting our participating Varsity Scout Group, bringing our little children along for the experience. We were the ground support and transportation for our participating scouts. By then, the race had become a three-day event for a total of one-hundred twenty miles. Our scouts were no better prepared than was my initial charter group, but great memories were made during both adventures. I have since trout fished up and down the White River from the Norfork Dam to Sylamore Springs and various secret spots in between.
Further down the river, where my oldest brother lived in Truman, the Whiter River flattens out and becomes much broader and deeper. here I have run trot-lines and yo-yos and caught catfish and bass aplenty. The White River eventually merges with the Arkansas River which in turn merges with the mighty Mississippi River. Different kinds of fish peculiar to the South such as Alligator Gar and the prehistoric Paddle-fish inhabit these parts of these waters. All of these present their own peculiar fishing challenges. However, I can honestly ay that no challenge have I met fishing any of these varied waters that those great old vintage spin-cast fishing reels could not handle in good stead. No other singular type of fishing reel--especially from that era--can do the same.
This vintage cast aluminum rod handle and rod seat came with this vintage Johnson 710 spin-cast reel. I had a vintage, but newer fiberglass casting rod made of composite that broke while casting. From the looks of the rod mount tube on the old metal handle, it was originally used with a six-sided bamboo pole. By cutting the fiberglass rod off cleanly and using epoxy to solidly splice an extension inside the old rod and to conform it to the rod handle, the resulting hybrid vintage combination provides excellent casting qualities and feel transmitted through the lure, line, and rod to the handle for an uncommon spin-cast experience. It is ideal for use with the old Johnson reel.
Although not nearly so glamorous as using fly-tackle, these old spin-cast reels can be used with flies both dry and wet, aided by a little additional weight in the form of either tiny split-shot and/or a cork or plastic fishing float, to place any fly in front of any kind of trout in the the upper stretches of the White River. In the big lakes that lie above or between these rivers, the same spin-cast reels will easily cast a full-sized plug or bait live or artificial and easily retrieve a big walleye, bass, carp, or catfish. Or within the middle sections where fish are want to be taken on spinners small or large--the very same spin-cast gear will do the job as well as any. I have owned and do own way more fishing gear than is needful or even useful--just because. I have spinning reels and bait-cast reels and fly-rods and reels. But I do understand and most often choose those vintage go-to standards choices of an era past. They don't get any better.
During this same period of my childhood, Kayaks were seen only as depicted in use by Alaskan Eskimos
and other arctic peoples until about thirty years ago or less. I did not even see one in actual use while living in the Arctic where they were once used comm0nly. These
were originally specialized craft made of frames of bone or willow limbs that were
covered with seal or other animal skins. A hole was open in the top
where the user got in and covered up with a like seal-skin skirt and
effectively sealed-in for the duration of the hunting trip against
frigid arctic waters. Using their unique two-ended paddles such light
craft could be maneuvered with agility and used in conjunction with
other hunters similarly outfitted, kayaks were used to hunt everything
from seals to whales.
About thirty years ago, small plastic kayaks exploded in to use recreational. An entire sport of white-water enthusiasts embraced
these new craft. They quickly began seeing use by anglers who liked
their portability and affordability. Around this time, I was an avid and
accomplish canoeist. I like aluminum canoes and took to them like
nothing else. The first time I got into a canoe at scout camp with two
other scouts, we swamped it immediately. Canoes require a different kind
of balance, but once this is learned, they are very stable. They are
very maneuverable. There are canoe strokes and techniques used with
properly fitted paddles that make soloing very easy without having to
switch sides to paddle. I became a die-hard fan of canoes for most of my
adult life. I still enjoy canoes.I don't recall the last time I
capsized a canoe. I used to stand on opposing gunwales barefoot and
engage in an activity called gunwale-jumping without the slightest fear
of capsizing. But no more. Age takes its toll.
Jon-boats have been in use in the South for fishing and duck hunting small bodies of water ever since Europeans first settled here. Until recently, they were made of wood. These boats are relatively inexpensive and provide a stable platform from which to fish or shoot. They can be manuevered though swampy waters and shallow streams. Pictured is an old boat that is likely the remnants of a duck-blind.
I first used a plastic kayak on the Buffalo National River. This is a tame but scenic float on the only River to ever be designated a National River. This designation a has ensured that at least one river in our nation will be preserve in its uninterrupted and free-flowing state for fishermen, nature-lovers, and canoe and kayak boaters can enjoy it from its tiniest original flow to its mouth. kayaks are one of the crafts of choice for floating this river. The Buffalo sustains small bass and goggle-eye rock-bass and perch and varied species of sun-fish. It is not a deep river along most of its flow, but some of the holes are too broad and deep to be easily traversed or waded while fishing. A canoe is not ideal lone fishermen. The earl plastic kayaks were okay for fishing except for their tendency to turn this way or that or rotate stern to bow endlessly.
Sit-on-top kayaks are fairly new. They generally have wider
but flatter frames which make them more stable than most
conventional-style kayaks. They are very light and float high in the
water. They are virtually impossible to swamp. A canoe can be un-swamped
and re-boarded by a fit canoeist, but it requires training in special
technique for doing this, and it requires superb strength agility and
fitness to be successful at this. However, just for informational
purposes, a swamped canoe will still keep multiple passengers who have
capsized afloat as long as they merely hang onto the sides and not crawl
on top of it. Sit-on-top kayaks can turn over, but they are virtually
impossible to swamp. Their slight topside-indention will not hold enough
water to submerge them if the interior portal is kept closed. They can
be easily turned upright and emptied of water. This is all advantageous
for many types of users. This design is also easier to get in an d out
of.
One of the drawbacks of the sit-on-top kayak design is that
there is no place to put your legs which can be quite uncomfortable as
you become less limber and out of shape (or fat and old and crippled).
However, with all the advantages this style of boat provides for a
fisherman, I have felt that with the proper kind of seat, I could use
one to good avail. They are so maneuverable and draw so little water
that they can be used about anywhere. They are light enough to be
potable and they are stable to sit on for fishing. They can carry a lot
of gear or extra passengers. I like to be able to carry an ice-chest a
lot of fishing tackle and an electronic fish-finder and sometimes my
wife and a dog. I like the versatility to navigate different kinds of
waters. But at my age and physical condition, a comfortable seat cushion
and adequate back-support could be a deal-killer.
There is an impressive kayak accessory market that includes a wide
variety of seats for virtually every use. People like me want enough
height to be able to make standing from a seated position within the
kayak more manageable without capsizing or busting a gut or blowing out a
knee. The seats that I have found that have enough height for me to
manage standing comfortably from and still have good stability when used
on my sit-on-top kayak are either very heavy or too flimsy or both. I
sometimes like tying to find solutions to such problems. As they say
necessity is the mother of invention. Usually when I find a solution to a
problem that I have encountered--it is also applicable as a solution
for others. I think I have found just such a solution for sitting
comfortably atop a kayak with sufficient height and stability for my
needs.
My new seat design is essentially a water-proof bean-bag filled with
light waterproof and highly buoyant particles instead of beans. The
entire seat weighs less than five pounds but will accommodate a large
adult male. It provides instant stability and conforms to my body with
unmatched comfort and support. It does not have to be strapped down or
to the kayak for stability, but it can be. It can be distributed in
different ways at different times or the filler can be added or removed
to a secondary pillow-bag. The seat is extraordinarily comfortable and
it also doubles as a great full-body flotation device in case of
capsizing. Another similar seat is equally suitable for a second
passenger or dog.
This seat, I have named the top-on Kayak Ass-Set makes long fishing
trips that were previously out of the question for me--now at least
doable. A user of this seat may get some funny looks initially--but
these looks are always followed by nods of approval, thumbs-up, and
questions about where they can be had. I am working on this. Inquiries
regarding prices and availability are being established as has been a
patent-pending status and production methods. If I do not produce these
for resale, I will provide detailed instructions about how to make them.
One way or the other, I will make this new design available for those
who want one.
I can tell you from my own experience that it will be less
expensive and way less trouble for you to buy one if I produce them for
resale. This is what I am looking into now. If I do not perceive enough
demand to mass produce these seats for less than you can personally
make one for--I simply will not produce them. But I will share my design
and the dos and don'ts that I have learned by perfecting my own ideal
kayak seat.
This is one of the UV Protectant Product that I have found. I cannot yet vouch for it, but I will provide a review in the future.
303 Aerospace Kayak Protectant 8 oz. This one seem to be the most well-known are is recommended by those who whould be in the know.
This is one Johnson reel model that I haven't had in recent years that I recall our family having at least one of when I was a kid. The Johnson 120 Centennial spin-cast reel reel came out around 1957 I think. It was made quite differently than other Johnson spin-cast reel models. It was a solid reel. The back part that contained the gears was made of cast metal and was sealed similar to sealed bearings. They were not intended to be serviced at home as were most Johnson models. The drag of the Centennial worked better than did the concurrent Century 100 and Citation 11o models. The main apparatus of the drag appears to have been very similar to the later model drags used in the beefier models such as the SANGA, and the 710.
The spools were easily changed for different line weights or types with the Centennial, just as were the Century, and I believe them to be the same spools.
I recall watching a movie at an Air Force base nearBethel, Alaska in the early sixites. I was not but about eight years old and I feel sure the movie was old by the time I saw it. I think it was a Jerry Lewis movie, but only inretrospect. I did not know who Jerry Lewis was then. We lived in an isolated part of the world and got no media--except old movies such as these. It was not that long after WWII and the old war sentiments left over from that very tragic era still showed a not of American animous toward Japan.
As I remember it now, there in black and white, likely a low-budget movie to begin with, this comedian, maybe Jerry Lewis, was protraying a Japanese saxaphonist as a buck-toothed idiot. His friend or nemesis--I don't recall the plot or much else-- threw the guy's saxaphone aside and broke it. The Japanese sax player spoke through his goofy fake buck-teeth appliance, with a heavy fake wannabe Japanese accent.
"Why you broke my saxaphone ?"
The friend or nemesis replied, speaking of the guy's broken saxaphone.
"Made in Japan. No good!"
The base theatre crowd, made up mostly of GI's unfortunate to have been shipped to an Air Force Base in the wilds of Alaska's West Coast and a handful of us kids from yet another, though much smaller government base for the FAA six miles closer to the village, cackled at the lousy personification of the Jap (as we freely called people from Japan). Our FAA bunch was volunteer exiles; Dad loved the hunting and fishing.We loved it too. Alaska is, was, most kid's dream come true--at least back then.
You see the glaring similarities of the Diawa design on the right to the Abu Garcia 170.
My point is that for a long time, this was my unfortunate impression of Japanese products. No good. I make no apologies for Americans for this. Japan's imperialistic government and military did an unforgivable and egregious thing by attacking Pearl Harbor and drawing the United States into the war in the Pacific. It does not matter that this may have been inevitable, it was a cowardly chicken poop thing to do. No amount of historical revision nor backward-looking analysis can ever justify Japan's aggression. Not even the US dropping the bomb can set things right. American's had understandable hatred toward the Japanese during this time. However the impression of such characterizations as was common in the movie I saw was not correct.
Johnson had several models from which the Diawa borrowed features. The styling and color of the bell is not just accidentally similar to this Johnson model that was popular during the same time that the Diawa first emerged fully styled like Johnson and Abu Garcia models.
The Johnson Commander 150 also served as a model from which Diawa borrowed styling features.
Owing greatly to the governing and nation-building skills of General Douglas MacArthur and a vast amount of American wealth poured into rebuilding Japan, Japanese industrial might was set on track toward world domination that their armies had not attained in war. For a decade and a half following WWII Japanese entrepreneurs endowed with various production incentives from the full coffers of the United States government as well as from private business interests produced silly toys and useless products from wherever discards they could obtain. This junk was exported to the Untied States where a growing number of baby-boomer kids were buying it up with their sudden post-war plenty.
I recall tearing up a poorly made little toy car and discovering the underside of the tin labeled with the mostly red Prince Albert tobacco can that had been used to make the car. My brother had to explain the significance to me. So was it true? Made in Japan, no good! Maybe for a while. Somewhere around that time, something changed. It was not noticed much at first. It had begun with a few popular consumer items such as cameras. Several Japanese companies had long excelled at optics and making lenses and camera prior to the war that were less expensive than the Germans and the Americans who had previously dominated the market.
The Johnson 80 was a so-called side-winder style spin-cast reel that preceded the Johnson Century. One of the features that is evident in the Johnson Model 80 is an early version of the star-type drag that is most often associated with the early Abu Garcia spin-cast reels. Clearly, Johnson used this type of drag before any other spin-cast reel manufacturer did. They merely did not use it on the first Johnson Century 100 style models until later.
These cameras and an increasing array of other products made in Japan were often blatant copies of other successful designs developed in the West. They were virtual replicas. I suppose International laws did not recognize patents held by the original companies. Or maybe there were just too many violations to contest. The quality of these products was not nearly as good as were the legitimate products that served as patterns for them--but they were good enough. Good enough to do the job for undiscerning Americans who had increasingly expendable incomes, but to whom the better quality products carefully made in the West were not required.
The term over-engineered was coined to describe those products that were engineered well enough to last forever as opposed to a mere decade or so. The market for the really good products dwindled while the market for the good enough products increased exponentially. While American automobile makers were building bigger and more-powerful gas guzzling monsters that we so loved to indulge our voracious appetites for excess--an American by the name of Deming took his intelligent mass-production methods to Japan. He had presented them to the car makers in Detroit, but they had scoffed at his methods. Detroit was having way too much fun making huge and inefficient muscle cars to satisfy the abundance of dollars they and other organized American labor was increasingly demanded for their increasingly slipshod factory work. It seemed that the gold vein would never end.
Meanwhile, using Deming's new factory methods embraced by Japanese manufactures, the quality of their copies got better, while the prices remained reasonable. These better products were suddenly found everywhere the American consumers turned. Faced with good or sometimes better products than could be had as made by Western Companies for less money, the choice was easy. Japan, prepared and set on a success track by American post-war rebuilding dollars and superior manufacturing methods proposed by an American manufacturing genius, was copying successful Western designs helter-skelter. Same old formula as was used with cameras; determine the most successful Western product designs, figure out more efficient and less expensive ways to make them, pay less for labor, and make them in vast numbers.
Deming was an assistant to General Douglas MacArthur during the reconstruction after WWII. W. Edward Deming taught a quality control in manufacturing production methods that was rejected by American manufacturers due to the culture at the time, mostly because post WWII found the world clamoring for American products--no matter what. This was unfortunate to the overall welfare of American manufacturing in the long run. Statistical methods used in quality control were common and in demand prior to and immediately after the war, but they fell by the wayside as being not so importatant for a few decades in the West after the war.
Japanese manufacturers, because of the timing of Deming's methods, meshed nicely with Japanese culture of the time right after the war and during Japan's reconstruction. This apprently fated chain of events forever changed history.
A little bit of profit for a whole bunch of widgets, still winds up being a whole bunch of profit, or at least plenty enuff to satisfy someone somewhere. This time it was Japan. later it would be India, or Bangladesh, or Hong Kong, or China. But Japan had arrived jus tin time to copy the best American and Swedish made fishing reels. The new spin-cast fishing reel designs had not long been invented. Johnson, Abu Garcia, Mitchell, ZEBCO, Shakespeare and several other Western companies were suddenly faced with new competitors from Japan. T
here were quite a few nameless upstarts that didn't make much of an impact on market-share. American fishermen liked their new Johnson spin-cast reels. They were simple and made of quality materials. But then a new Japanese brand of fishing reel or two began making viable new spin-cast reels that suspiciously resembled all the best features of the Western fishing Reels. These reels were solid too.
More than one Japanese company made copies of the Johnson Century reel. This Jorgensen Cub reel was made in Japan. It looks almost exactly like the Johnson Century 100, but the metal is much lighter and cheaper. When put to the test, the reel simply does not work as well as does the Johnson Century. This is a perfect example of the formula that many post WWII Japnanese companies used in their manufacturing efforts early-on.
A trade name was sometimes selected that did not have a Japanese sounding identity in order to conceal the fact that such products were made in Japan. The Japanese camera company Kwonon was Americanized as Cannon. Even Diawa initially used the name Diawa of California, although it is apparent that the Diawa company had great aspirations from the onset.
Unlike the Jorgensen Cub reel, Diawa reels were always of excellent quality. Consequently, these vintage Diawa reels perform very well even after decades--just as do the Johnson and Abu Garcia reels. This became the later model for Japanese manufacturing--to copy the best designs, but make them as good or better than the originals. This evolution in Japanese manufacturing is evident in progressively better copies of many Western products. Eventually, Diawa emerged as the clear winner and survivor of the reel wars--as they are still around as a company.
Yoshio Matsui was a Japanese engineer and designer who invented a spinning reel in Japan in 1955. He took pride in his designs and workmanship. This was the beginning of Diawa Fishing Tackle Company. Diawa expanded quickly and reached markets in Europe and in the United States. I am not sure when Diawa first mearketed a spin-cast reel in the United States, but the earliest examples that I have seen appear to be good copies of the best Western fishing reels. The first Diawa model that I ever owned was a used Diawa 9600. It looks a lot like an Abu Garcia Abumatic 170 from an earlier vintage. It also has many design features that appear to be intentionally styled like popular Johnson spin-cast reels of the era.
I acquired this Diawa Gold-Cast 120 spin-cast reel several years ago, but it is older that that. I bought it used. Current Diawa models are just like it or very similar. I consider these and the Diawa Silver-Cast models to be among the best spin-cast reels ever made. I do not think they are as durable as the best vintage sixties and seventies vintage Johnson and Abu Garcia spin-cast reels, nor even the vintage Diawa spin-cast reels such as the black Model 9600 pictured with the reels above, but they cast well and reel smoothly. I have long considered Diawa open-faced spinning reels to be among the best. Diawa also makes excellent bait-cast reels, although I have never owned one.
Points of interest in the design of this reel is that it employs many of the features invented by the original Johnson Reel Company. The drag is located on top precisely where the original Johnson Century 100 drag was located and actually works much like the drag on the Century did.
Even though Johnson had experimented with the star-drag located on the crank as seen on their earlier model 80 above, that became a standard among some later Johnson reels and as often found on early Abumatic and other popular spin-cast reels of the same era--they chose to use a drag design found on the top of the reel, likely because they favored the simplest and most direct design. As it turned out, the Johnson 100 drag was not the strongest point of the reel design and subsequently underwent several improvements.
The picture below shows an interestingly similar design of the feature Johnson marketed as Accu-cast. It first appeared on the Johnson Commander Model 150 and the Guide models 155, 160, and 170 models as well as other Johnson reels of the same approximate vintage. This feature was intended to neutralize the competitive advantage of bait-cast reels with their open spools that were sometimes perceived to be more accurate because of the casters ability to thumb the spool to a stop.
In practice, the whole bait-cast spool-thumbing notion was greatly exaggerated, in my opinion. Being accurate with a bait-casting reel requires both the ability to judge distances accurately and the ability to apply the correct amount of thumb pressure to the spinning spool to stop it on target. Furthermore, accurately adjusting a bait-casting reel for a given lure weight requires a higher degree of user skill. This said, I don't believe that the accu-cast feature shown here, or those pioneered by Johnson back in the day, were so great either. I am actually surprised to see this feature is still being added to spin-cast reels. The one place that this feature may be useful is when casting a very heavy weight such as live bait and a bell-sinker. If I am missing something about the utility of this feature, I hope someone will enlighten me.
If a lure is not of sufficient weight, pressing the line-release button the second time will just stop the lure abruptly rather than gradually slowing it. Virtually any spin-cast reel will do this without the concave inside spool nut, as will simply grabbing the line and squeezing it against the rod with the non-casting hand--which is what I am more prone to do in the case of a lure over-traveling toward a tree branch or overhand.
My thought has always been that the Accu-cast feature was mostly an effort to counter fluff marketing arguments that were exaggerated by competing bait-cast reel makers in an effort to attract the burgeoning professional bass fisherman of the same vintage as was the advent of this feature. Regardless, Diawa did a great job of borrowing designs from other companies and making work as good or better than the originals. The testimony of their effectiveness at this is that Diawa survive to this day while the originals do not.
It was common for Japanese manufacturers of consumer products sold to Western markets to conceal their Japanese names because of the unfavorable connotations with Japan, especially in the USA. This changed over time. Today, it is common to use blatantly Japanese names and words for their reel models such as Samurai.
Daiwa does not sound very Western. But Diawa of California mediated Diawa's marketing efforts within the United States during the sixties and seventies. I am not sure when the first quality Diawa fishing reels came to market. I did not buy one then. I did not need one because my Johnson and Abu Garcia reels would last a lifetime. But someone was buying Diawa spin-cast reels. I don't know which model number came first. I have seen model 9300's and 9600's that I speculate came to market around the late sixties. These reels were made mostly of metal--even at a time when some American reels were turning to less-expensive plastics. The quality control folks responsible for making these Japanese Diawa fishing reels were sticking to their guns. They were not skimping on anything. These Diawa spin-cast reels were finely-crafted instruments.
Diawa reels performed as well or better than any reels then being made by Western fishing reel manufacturers. Diawa would become a leading manufacturer of fishing reels before they were done. In fact, Diawa is still not done. Their methods may have changed some by now, but Diawa fishing reels and other products are among the best reels made today. I have to say that Diawa's spin-cast reels made during the Golden Age of Spin-cast Reels, such as the model 9600, are still among the best ever made.
New Diawa spin-cast reels are relatively expensive, as one might expect for quality fishing gear.
I have several Diawa spin-cast reels beginning with a vintage black model 9600. They are all essentially that same original copy. Whether or not this oxymoron works, the Diawa reels did and still do work very well. If for some reason I had to recommend a brand new spinning reel for someone to purchase it would probably be one of these. I haven't looked at one of these new in a while. I have heard that they are quite pricey. Why buy one of these new tough when you can buy a vintage model for a few bucks? Maybe immediate availability would be a reason. Okay--it would be a Diawa in such an event.
Diawa is now said to be the largest fishing reel manufacturer in the world.
This is a post to an interesting link that has an dialog pertinent to this blog as well. I am including two links to different posts at this source site. The first link expresses much the same preference for Jonson spin_cast reels over ZEBCO spin_cast reels. The writer also raises questions as to which of these two companies actually invented the spin-cast reel. The dialog that follows is interesting as well. Regarding this question, it is my take that both companies have some claim to inventing the spin-cast reel--AND that neither invented their versions of the spin-cast reel in a vacuum. There were several other commerically unsuccessful attempts that resembled each of these successful patents by ZEBCO and Johnson.
But it is clear to me that the spin-cast reel as we know it came to be with the introduction of the Johnson Century 100 in 1955. Many people still consi/der the Johnson Century 100, and subsequent 100A and 100B to be the best reels ever made. ZEBCO proponents might argue that point. There are plenty vintage examples of both company's reels prior to the Century 100 and after that are still working.
One comment from the dialog that I am particularly interested in is about the Johnson 170 Reel. I was not aware there was such a model. I am excited to learn more about it, as I have found no other references to it.
The second link was a response to my request at the other outdoor information site for a gentleman to post his recollection of the timeline of some of the vintage spin-cast reels built by Johnson. He once worked at the Johnson reel plant during the time some of the vintage reels were being produced. I have excerpted a portion of his answer here for easy reference. It is found below.
I will allow this site to speak for itself, although I have corresponded with some of the participants and commenters and they have also commented here on this site. I cannot vouch for any of the information found at other sites, but it is interesting to follow--and I appreciate any serious discussion that arises aimed at nai/ling down accurate information about the hi/story of spin-cast reels.
Glen, I wonder if you know and would take the time to list the
chronology as you know it of the different models of Johnson reels. I
have been mystified at times when I thought I had a good idea of the
years of production for different reel models they produced, only to
discover that I was way off base. I realize that some models overlapped
in production and others may have been differentiated by a secondary
designation of either no letter or A or B and what-not.
Some were apparently reintroduced after they had gone out of production
for a while. Then there were the models made for other companies under
different labels. Johnson reels were not always sequential with their
numbers either. Like what is up with the 710? Where did this number come
from. It was not sequential. It was not derived from the year 1971. It
has no relation to the gear ratio that I can see. What? LOL. I have
tired without success to post a link to this blog specifically about
vintage spin-cast reels. Someone told me that if I spell it out instead
of formatting it like a link that it might be allowed, so here it is if
anyone wants to wade through copying and reformatting it into link form.
We would sure like to have some comments about these and other
questions asked about these old reels at this site. Thanks for all of
your comments here. You have some valuable historic information.
notesandnods DOT typepad DOT com FORWARDSLASH the UNDERSCORE golden
UNDERSCORE age of UNDERSCORE spinca FORWARDSLASH
This is the Response:
Good Morning--I have been thinking about your post over the week-end. I
really don't have the years of production for the various Johnson reels
but I do know the sequence went from the reel name (century, citation,
etc.) to the name plus a letter. Ex., the first Century was a 100, next
came the 100A and then the 100B. The same with the Citation, 110,
110a, 110B. The Centenial reel was called the 120 (green cover), then
the 120A (red cover). Next came the Gull, a Centennial with a gray cover
(no longer in production). The Laker was just called the 140. The 710
was later changed to the 710A. No clue as to why it was called 710.
The next 710 was called a Commander. It was all black with a backcover
designed not to kink the line as the pushbutton was depressed. The
Sabra was at first just a 130, then became a 130A and 130B. I believe
there were two sidewinder reels made, the 44 and 90. They made two
plastic reels, the 088, then the 097 and lastly the 98. The Princess,
made in the mid 1950's, was pink. It was just a century that was made
to appeal to women--never caught on.
They also made reels for Montgomeery Wards (Century, Sabra and Laker).
These were a bronze color, very rare to find one in mint condition
today. If you want I have some pictures of them--you have probably
already seen these reels though. If you do want pictures of any of
these reels just let me know. I also have a couple of pictures of the
original factory in Mankato Minnesota and some miscellaneous Johnson
items like travel packs, Johnson jacket, first aid kit, etc. Just let
me know.
Sorry I don't know more about the sequence!
The Following is a Comment from another Person at the site:
factory replacement parts catalog show the sidewinder reel make in 7 or 8 models---10a-20-22-40-40a-44-60-80
they show a skipper as model 125, guide series in 150a 155 160 and
165, fiskar in 511 and 512------------------ if you go into category
[sporting goods] on ebay and type in [johnson reel ads] lot of stuff
will come up---------------------------------------------------- they
must have been in a rush to get the princess on the market i see century
marked side plates painted pink and the princess name stamped on the
cover. some of the old ads call the model 80 a new reel in
1954 and the 120 new in 1958
And Finally my Own Response Back to them:
Thank you so much--both Glen and Gene--for your information. It helps, although I am hoping that our discussion, along with my own additional inquiries at various places, including Mankata, MN web sites, will stir up and uncover some of those who may have been directly involved in the design and production of these reels who can shed additional light on this subject too. Any pictures that you get a chance to post here as well as on my spin-cast blog comments would be appreciated not only by me, but everyone who has a historic interest in these vintage reels. This is an important part of modern spin-cast reel history. It is too recent to be lost. Regards, PapaD
Please note that I have made requests to a number of sources seeking additional historic informaion regarding Johnsons reel tht I hope will lead to further accurate information. I will make such information available as I receive it. Meanwhile, I have a number of reels from Johnson and others that I have reviewed and will be posting pictures and inforai/on about.
The Johnson 150 Commander and the Johnson 160 Guide spin-cast reels offered features intended to appeal to serious fishermen. In addition to addressing the competitive claims to accuracy afforded by bait-casting reel manufacturers, a sophisticated drag system called the Power-Shift appears to have piggy-backed upon the acceptance and popularity of an automobile automatic transmission. This was marketing at its best.
The secondary drag is not active on these models unless the Power-Shift Handle, the crank that is, is shifted backward about a quarter or a fifth of a turn. However, an inherent built in drag is always present. This is apparently what Johnson called the Double-Drag, the Power-Shift, or the Shiftamatic drag at different times in different literature as postured for different markets.
I was casually watching American Idol as I was fiddling with one of these old Johnson 160 Accucast Guide spin-cast reels. The show hasn't held my attention much this season, but I am entertained somewhat by the judges. Keith Urban seems pretty cool. Beatles music was being featured with all the contestants. That is cool. The Aussie likes the Beatles as well as I do apparently. After each song, nearly a dozen in all, Urban would say,
"That's my favorite Beatles song--at least in my top two."
It makes perfect sense to me. A bunch of the Beatles songs are my favorite song--or two--especially when I am in the moment with each particular song. This is also very much the way I find myself reacting to these old Johnson spin-cast reels. I start messing with one model and cleaning it up and really taking note of the clever engineering and the quality in manufacturing, and I remember how it was when such products were making America great. Each model, with a few exceptions, are at the moment that I have them in my hands, my favorites in their own unique ways. Each time I marvel at how well they work and how long they have lasted it seems that I find more little nuances about them to marvel at. These two models, the Johnson 150 and the Johnson 160 are no exceptions.
The Johnson Accu-cast 160 Guide is the big brother reel of this specialty pair of spin-casters. The secret that allows these reels to wear the Accu-cast badge is shown under the bell. The standard spool cover nut is usually smaller. With the Accu-cast models, both the nut and line exit hole have been enlarged. The hollow front of the nut is pushed forward when the line-release button is pressed. The hollow is pushed into a coresponding hollow receptacle in the underside of the bell's line-exit hole which applies friction and sqeezes the line firmly.
As with other spin-cast designs, the line is held in place by pressing the line release button initially as usual at the beginning of a cast until the rod is thrust forward and the the button is released to launch the lure into flight. But with this Accu-cast feature, the lure can be stopped in flight by pressing the button a second time. This action again pushes this modified male spool nut forward into the corresponding female receptacle inside the bell--squeezing the line to a stop.
This feature could arguably prevent over-flight into an overhanging branch or too far past an intended strike-zone or target. Such control enables the user to be more accurate with lure placement--thereby nullifying any percieved accuracy advantages offered by bait-casting reels as was being stressed by competitibe reel manufacturers to justify their higher cost.
Accu-cast was clearly intended to overcome this competitive claim that bait-casting reels could be controlled by a user's thumb pressure against the turning spool--and such accuracy could be done without the friction burn sometimes associated with the vintage bait-casting reels fishermen of the same era may have been familiar with.
These two reels are similar except for size. The basic operation is pretty much similar to all other spin-cast reels from this era--with one major, dynamite feature that lets these vintage Johnson reels carry the label of Accu-cast. I think the Accu-cast feature first appeared on some Johnson models in 1964, but I could be way off, as I was still using my Johnson Century and Citation reels at the time. If someone knows the exact dates of manufacture, please let us know via the comments section below. Documentation for these Johnson models is sparse. My facts and impressions regarding old spin-casting reels are mostly firsthand and anecdotal. Before I further explain the nature of the crowning Accu-cast feature of these reels, let me describe the other features, and then lay a background foundation that explains the significance as to why this Accu-cast feature so interesting. I feel that Johnson had a winner of an idea with the Accu-cast models had they persisted with it in subsequent models. But this is only my hind-site as a user who grew up during these years.
After each song, nearly a dozen in all, Urban would say,
"That's my favorite Beatles song--at least in my top two."
It makes perfect sense to me. A bunch of the Beatles songs are my
favorite song--or two--especially when I am in the moment with each
particular song. This is also very much the way I find myself reacting
to these old Johnson spin-cast reels.
These reels are essentially alike except for size, color, and a few odd cosmetic embellishments from one reel issue to another. The latter has no rhyme to me, but Johnson was adept at calling attention to specific reel models within a specific time period or for an ad campaign. The Johnson 150 Accu-cast Commander and the Johnson 160 Accu-cast Guide models of spin-cast reels. One is beefier than the other, with a bigger bell, higher capacity line spool, and heavier gears. It is physically bigger for bigger fish--much after the tradition begun with the Johnson Century and the Citation models.
There is an extra sliding button underneath the line-release button that is lacking on other Johnson reel models that for the longest time had me stymied. I could not figure out what function it had. I may still not have it right, but I think it just dawned on me that it is simply a means of scotching the line-release button when transporting or fighting a fish to keep the line from being accidentally released. This is not a big thing, but I recall several times when my fishing line has wound up stringing along under-foot behind me while I was carrying a few poles and other gear, from just such an accidental release of the line. It is this kind of subtle functionality that makes me appreciate the fisherman-friendly design characteristics of these old reels.
There is another design feature that I am still not sure I fully understand and appreciate in the absence of any operator manuals or instructions; it is the nature of the drag system, which is always one of the wide variables in old Johnson models. However this drag is radically different from most models. I have seen this drag system referenced in era Johnson reel advertisements as the Johnson Power-Shift Handle Drag.It is a star system that looks much like the star drag found on Garcia Abumatic reels of the same vintage (but which I attribute first used on the earliest Johnson sidewinder style spin-cast reels).
Although bait-casting reels for a time were upstaged by spin-cast reels
bringing more sophisticated recreational fishing techniques within the
reach of casual weekend freshwater fishermen--the life-cycle of
bait-casting was not yet over. Not by a long-shot.
This drag only works in loosely the same way as does the Abumatic drag. The drag is not active on these models unless the Power-Shift Handle, the crank that is, is shifted backward about a quarter or a fifth of a turn. The star knob increases or decreases the drag resistance in the usual manner, but it only works when the handle is back. Curious. When I am reeling in a fish, I assume that my drag is going to be there in the event of any surges of flight or fight a a fish has. Otherwise, the line might break. This is what a drag is for. Am I wrong? If the crank must be backed up to enact the drag, it would seem to give the fish an opportunity to run or to break the line when the drag was not enacted. To test this theory I went to my pond and promptly caught a nice bass. I reeled the fish in as I always do. I tried to be intuitive about it and not consciously do anything different than I ever do. The fish was not a monster, but he did have a moment of fight. I had the impression, if not a clear recollection, that the drag worked seamlessly as it should have.
So, I think I understand this Power-Shift Drag Handle feature, but I am not sure that the full importance of it has quite sunk in. I feel sure that each feature was an attempt to make each reel the very best product on the market at the time. In some cases such features were specifically added in order to meet the competition in some context-appropriate way. Having been involved somewhat in marketing and sales of unrelated products a good part of my professional life, I find it fascinating to see how sophisticated the marketing of these products was. I also find it interesting to recall what was going on in my own life at the time the reels were being debuted in the market. This helps me understand the marketing context of the time and often explains purpose and reason for why these reels came to be designed as they were.
The term Power-Shift for instance hints heavily of the parallel evolution that was occurring in the automobile world during the mid-sixties. Automatic transmissions were at one time often referred to as Power-Shift transmissions. By the mid-sixties automatic transmission in automobiles had overcome the suspicion that usually accompanies the introduction of any new idea--regardless of how good the idea is. Automatic transmissions in automobiles were by then being reasonably accepted by the driving public--except perhaps for the higher price-tag they represented. This may be exactly what Johnson wanted to convey with this nomenclature.
In the minds of those fishermen consumers being targeted by Johnson with these two reel models, automatic transmissions in automobiles would have been associated with the more deluxe models of cars--the high-end as we have come to call this segment of the market. A conscious attempt was obviously being made to position these reels as a cut above other reels on the market. Whether this calculated attempt paid off or not--is another story. My feeling is that it may have been only moderately successful. I also feel that the value of these obviously planned and positioned features may have been lost on most consumers. After-all, we do not see some of these good ideas repeated on subsequent models of Johnson reels. Or was their purpose to counter bait-cast reel competition? I don't know of any such drag feature ever being used with bait-casting reels.
It may also be that the purpose of these advanced features was served if the purpose was to stave off some of the fishermen from buying the other alternatives of reels then on the market--and to help establish a solid place for the still relatively new spin-cast style of reels in general, and Johnson models in particular. Johnson spin-cast reels enjoyed several decades of huge growth during which millions of reels were sold. I am convinced that each reel model that Johnson introduced was part of a careful multi-faceted game of marketing chess that played out Internationally during those American spin-cast hay-day years.
Although bait-casting reels for a time were upstaged by spin-cast reels bringing more sophisticated recreational fishing techniques within the reach of casual weekend freshwater fishermen--the life-cycle of bait-casting was not yet over. Not by a long-shot. Enabled by new capabilities of mass-production using metal and plastic parts, as well as new designs, traditional reel manufacturers fought hard for the increasing recreational dollars in the hands of post-modern fishermen world-wide.
This magazine advertisement for the Johnson GUIDE 160 Accu-cast spin-cast fishing reel appeals to professional fishermen. I am not sure when it appeared. It stresses both the sophisticated drag and the Accu-cast feature. I ran across this ad after I had written the bulk of this post. It is the first documentation that I have found that substantiates several of my assumptions regarding this reel.
First, it does clarify that the label GUIDE is intended to convey that this reel is of the rugged construction quality and design that an experienced fisherman such as a fishing GUIDE would want. Secondly, it further describes the details of the Double-Drag and claims that it makes it impossible for a fish to break the line. This ad has helped me understand this drag, the operation and use of which has mystified me a bit.
Professional Fishermen is a term used for the first time that I have seen regarding Johnson spin-cast reels. This had to be a references to the Bass-Masters that was begun in 1967 with a Professional tournament at Beaver Lake in Arkansas. The newly formed professional fishing organization was gaining steam and was newsworthy. Who knew what it would become, but the base was being covered by the folks at Johnson reels.
While Bassmaster (B.A.S.S.) was being started and jumpstarting a new kind of Pro fishermen, I was a lanky kid crossing the fence across a little dirt road that passed our house on Salem Lane to go fishing in one of two of Sherman's ponds. I regularly caught bass and bream and catfish using a a variety of mostly hand-me-down fishing gear including Johnson Century and Abumatic and Shakespeare spin-cast reels. I had access to and learned to use fly-rods and reels and two old bait-cast reels.
I learned firsthand about back-lash and burned thumbs from cheap bait-cast reels. They were then antiques, were never expensive, nor much more than free-wheeling spools of heavy braided course black line that would sometimes blister my thumb while learning to tame back-lash and distance using only thumb pressure against the spool. I remember reading about and looking at pictures of those beautiful red Abu Garcia wonders with envy, but the associated price-tags maight as well have been a million dollars.
I know I must have viewed this very advertisement for the Johnson GUIDE 160 Accu-cast, although I don't recall doing so. I poured over every squre inch of every page of every outdoor magazine of the era I could get my hands on.
Companies such as famous Sweedish Abu-Garcia and Japanese Diawa not only produced excellent spin-casting reels quickly on a par with Johnson and Zebco and a host of other similar designs--they also produced both true spinning reels of the under-hanging open-face varieties as well as medium to high-end bait-casting reels unlike any reels seen before. Anti-backlash designs--some harnessing the physics or controlled centrifugal force and others using the physics of magnets--began to boast simple back-lash-free operation. Some designs used both centrifugal force and magnets to prevent the crazy over-spin that had previously led to the dreaded birds-nests that could ruin a bait-caster's afternoon. However, the battle was won more by smart marketing campaigns, in my own estimation, than from truly better fishing alternatives to spin-casting reels.
Indeed, bait-casting reels were much improved over their predecessors, but they still required greater skill that came only from practice and a sensitive and well-educated feel of the thumb to quell the tangles of the bird's nest. There was even by then--and is to this day--a likelihood for having at least an occasional mess of knots in the reel even with the most-sophisticated and expensive bait-casting reel designs. They quite simply did still then and do still now--require a good measure more of operator skill to fish without handicap than did even the least expensive spin-cast reels. How bait-cast reels made a gradual but steady come-back over spin-cast reels is largely a study in how great marketing can turn negatives into positives.
Okay, now the crux of the Accucast's unique major difference. the center of the bell is about three times the diameter of most spin-cast reels of this era. It has been made smooth with a big sort of gromet which is not readily apprent as to its purpose until the bell is removed. The underside of the gromet is recessed just inside the outer parameter of th eline exit hole. Still, the purpose is not apparent until you look at the line spool cover. The smallish nut that is usually found holding the spool cover in place has been replaced with a larger nut that is also recessed as a perfect compliment to the inside recess of the bell.
The function of this male-female fit of this over-sized hollow spool cover nut is to apply pressure to the line as the line-release button pushes the spool assembly forward and into the recess of the underside of the bell--right where the line exits the inside of the reel. Walah. This is how Johnson's designers met the bait-casting reel's competition regarding greater accuracy. The idea was to enable the user to push the line-release button a second time after the initial cast had been made. This second depression of the line-release button was intended to slow or even stop cold the forward travel of the lure--just as a bait-casting reel can do.
So in one fell swoop, this Johnson reel design nullified a major competitive advantages of bait-casting reels--all with none of the negatives associated with a free-wheeling spool found on bait-casting reels. The distance advantage of bait-casting reels is mostly marketing BS--given a cost-for-cost reel comparison. This is not so hard to understand without ever even trying one of these two models out in a side-by-side comparison with a comparable weight and size bait-casting reel--to say nothing of comparable cost. A spin-cast reel is sometimes called a closed-face spinning reel by old-timers although you seldom hear this label anymore. It is actually a more accurate label because the action principle that allows a spin-cast reel to work is just like a true spinning reel--also sometimes called an open-face spinning reel.
I offer the idea that tangles and untangling and hooking and hooking and
unhooking, and knotting and unknotting, and cussing or not--is just
part and parcel to the sport of fishing. If it drives you crazy--then
fishing is probably not for you.
An open-face spinning reel has virtually no friction resistance to limit its reach even when using a very light lure. In conjunction with a long limber-action spinning rod, the forward motion of the cast propels even light-weight lures very long distances because the line is simply unwinding from the spool with hardly any restrictive friction from what little it touches the edges of the spool. This same principle is used with a spin-cast reel with only slightly more resistance as the line touches the center of the line exit-hole in the reel bell.
Furthermore, an open-face spinning reel does not do so well with heavier lures, due to the delicate operation of the method of release and also due to the line's tendency for uncontrollability because of no method for constraining the target of the line's exit. A spin-cast reel's bell itself with the line-exit hole solves this problem. The net result is that a spin-cast reel can handle a much wider range of lure weights with no adjustment or hassles.
The addition of the Johnson Accu-cast feature to these models of spin-cast reels only enhances the capability of the spin-cast reel. I can see no downside to this feature. The drawback is that it doesn't work very well intuitively--or did not for me. I am sure I could get use to it. The only time I really might use such a feature is if I see that I am going to wind up on the bank or in a tree. When I use a spin-casting reel, I intuitively grab the line with my non-casting hand where it exits the reel and squeeze it against the rod. So it is not like there are no alternatives with a spin-cast reel. This feature certainly works as intuitively as does a modern bait-casting flipping switch. And it requires very little practice. So why was this feature not a commercial success?
Again, I don't know for sure why the Johnson Accu-cast feature was not a commercial success. But I have my ideas regarding this. I think the users of spin-cast reels typically did not see the need for this feature. There were not looking for this level of sophistication. Since the advantage of the bait-casting reel's supposed greater accuracy was largely fluff--thought up by marketing people after-the-fact to justify the extra cost required to build a comparably performing bait-casting reel. It did not really matter to the fishermen who wound up wanting the easy-to-use spin-casting reel. The manufacturers of the main bait-casting reels of the era were already beginning to win the reel wars when it came to more experienced and serious anglers. These anglers simply did not want to identify with stereo-typical spin-cast reel user who included inexperienced casual fishermen, kids, girls, and women. It was becoming more macho to use bait-casting and/or spinning reels. No one wanted a sissy-reel no matter how well it worked.
So in one fell swoop, this Johnson reel design nullified a major
competitive advantages of bait-casting reels--all with none of the
negatives associated with a free-wheeling spool found on bait-casting
reels.
Bait-cast fishermen's irrational preference for lousier reel designs probably also had roots in savvy old-timers' resistance to change after a lifetime of earning their wings using bait-casting reels, spinning reels, and fly-reels. But this unfounded or at least shallow basis was seized upon by the bait-casting reel manufacturers who by-the-way also had excellent spin-cast reels to offer. They did not feel that they could win the reel wars on the spin-cast reel inventors turf, but they could ride the spin-cast wave with their own models while simultaneously improving their more expensive bait-casting reels. There also may have been inherent preferences for using bait-casting reels for these old-time main-stay reel manufacturers who had been around much longer than the upstart inventor-manufacturers of the spin-cast reels. this could have been for all the same reasons previously cited for old-timer fishermen preferred bait-casting reels.
I also believe that ZEBCO's efforts specifically targeting the low-end of the market with their cheap (and in my estimation, inferior) spin-cast reels further muddied waters when it came to serious fishermen preferring spin-cast reels. This was likely the same phenomenon that causes me to have an irrational disdain for ZEBCO reels. Johnson themselves tried to distance and differentiate themselves from ZEBCO. And after ZEBCO had trashed the perception of all spin-cast reels as being cheap and unreliable and the kind of reels that kids, girls, and women used--and made a gazillion dollars in the process--they then distance themselves from their own brand and got into the bait-casting and open-faced spinning reel market with their own quality reel product offerings.
Most rank-and-file fisherman cannot tell you that Quantum bait-casting reels are ZEBCO products. This is no accident. ZEBCO has kept this new brand identity entirely separate from their spin-cast reel fame. The quantum brand is regarded as a decent quality bait-casting reel. They are certainly players in the bait-casting reel market. This whole story is a fascinating study in human nature, consumer preference, brand identity, and both good and bad marketing. this is a case where very literally, the market has driven inferior designs ideas over superior designs. I am saying the spin-cast reel was initially and always has been the best value, offering the most versatility and ease of operation, greater reliability, and fishing time productivity--for less money than any other design. Of course spin-cast reels are still being produced sold and used--but their hay-day as used by serious fishermen is now past and their future evolution has probably been stunted because of inaccurate consumer demand.
I ran across this site which offers an excellent history of fishing reels in brief. It is a good quick reference.
Getting there was only part of the fun. Using the Johnson 160 Guide Accu-cast adds to the fun. But watching the first dragonfly of the season leave its nymph shell on the stem behind as it lets its wings dry in the sun bodes a good omen for the coming season. Its good.
What's in a Name? And a Number.
Johnson Nomenclature
This
ad is said to have appeared in an outdoor magazine in 1965. Although it
features the Johnson Model 710 spin-cast reel, and as it says, its big
brother, the SABRA, the description of what is here called the
Shiftamatic is similar to what is referred to as the Power-Shift in
literature advertising the Model 150 and 160 Accu-cast models. The
verbiage in this ad provides a sense of some of the competitive battles
being fought in the reel-wars during this time. 'Backlash is unheard of '
is an important theme aimed directly at bait-casting reels. I hope
someone will clarify the chronology of the line-up. I believe these
models over-lapped the manufacturer of the 150 and 160 models, but they
did not have the Accu-cast feature. Otherwise these reels appear the
same.
The
ad also raises questions: Colloquial labels are used that may have
meant something to Minnesota anglers that are lost on others. The name
SABRA means nothing to me although the SABRA model reel was the flagship
reel offered by Johnson during this era.
So
what does the term SABRA mean? It is not a very common word. It is
likely of Hebrew or Jewish or Israeli origin. In Hebrew it is the name
of a tough and hardy desert cactus of the same family that Americans
know as Prickly Pear. The name came to be a nickname to refere to the
new breed of Israeli-born Jews who were idealized in popular Israeli
culture between the thirties and seventies. This new generation of Jews
were painted out to be the antithesis of the Ghetto Jews who were felt
to have allowed their own domination and eradication by Hitler.
Sabra
were raised by the kibbutz. They were characterized as being both urban
as well as capable of surviving the harsh desert extremes and mixing
comfortably with the nomadic Bedoins--sometimes thought to be the
remnats of ancient Jews. Sabra were often stereo-typed as versatile,
inventive, tough, and native Supermen and Superwomen.
During
the early to mid-sixties with a crescendo during the time shortly
after the Famous Six Days War, the term Sabra--surrounding the
announcement and production of the Johnson SABRA spin-cast reel--the
term and the given name SABRA reached a popular peak. Although it was
mostly still confined to Jewish circles, SABRA also came into usage
somewhat in general American English slang as being synonomous with such
words as new, tough, versatile, and unconquerable. It is fairly obvious
from the timing, that this is the meaning SABRA intended as it was
applied to the Johnson 710spin-cast reel.
Many
consider the SABRA model, which is the same as the GUIDE model less the
Accu-cast feature, to be Johnson's crowning spin-cast reel achievement. While this ad appears directed at beginning fishermen, the 150 and 160 ads are aimed at more experienced fishermen.The reels are virtually the same.
The Automatic Transmission of Fishing Reels
A Sophisticated Double-Drag System
The Johnson SABRA Family of spin-cast reels employed perhaps the most intricate and sophisticated drag system of any fishing reels ever, certainlyof any spin-cast reels.
Johnson used numbers as well as names for their reels. For instance, several reels carried the name Laker
model. Of course anyonw who knows Johnson reels recognizes the name Johnson Century 100 and the name Johnson Citation 110 models as the reels that started the spin-cast explosion during the last half of the fifties overlapping the first half of the sixties. This may be one of the first modern examples of setting expectations
for products by thematic names as a marketing mthod. Lets face it, for most people a name is more mentally graphic than a mere model number. Of
course it what was begun with the Johnson Century and Citation names, became a benchmark for naming Johnson Reels. I get the Johnson Century 100 naming scheme.
The numbers actually did not start here. The numbers began with the earlier, less successful, side-mount Johnson spin-cast reels beginning with 10, then 20, 30, 40 and so on until they reached 80, the last model of the side-mount reels. It must have been mere hap-stance that the revolutionary design that most resembled the spin-cast reels that became popular happened to follow the sequence 1ith 100. It was a bit of marketing genius that made the association with the word Century and the new breed of reels was born. Century could easily imply that it was the greatest invention in a century, or that it would last for a century. Regardless of how planned and solid the name sounded, it was largely owed to chance. But isn't this how many wonderful things come to be? Chance meets action.
Citation was another great C-word that denotes notice and accolades. I can just imagine the brain-storming sessions with crative minds that came up with these names. Once set in motion, it must ahve been an effort in one-ups-manship to name subsequent reel models. I can only assume the Laker name refers to the Great Lakes.
Of course this is probably derived from the colloquial terminology of
those who worked, lived, and fished near the home base of Johnson reels.
In the locales syrrounding the location of the Johnson reel plant in Mancata, Minnesota, the Laker reference naturally means the biggest and the toughest--both as it refers to the Lakes
themselves and the size and species of the fish that live therein.
Freshwater sturgeons are the biggest fresh water fish found in North
America. Naturally, a bigger and tougher reel would be thought necessary
to catch the big fish of the Great Lakes. The reference may have been
lost on anglers outside of the immediate influence of the Great Lakes.
But no matter. It was a big name to accompany and further define the
number that had been assigned to it.
Bait-cast
fishermen's irrational preference for inferior reel designs probably
also had roots in savvy old-timers' resistance to change after a
lifetime of earning their wings using bait-casting reels, spinning
reels, and fly-reels
The Accucast 160 that I have in front of me is called the GUIDE. It is a SABRA with the Accu-Cast feature added. It was obviously positioned to appeal to experienced fishermen--especially the freshly budded Professional Bass Fishermen as per the B.A.S.S. and the Bassmaster. This one is red and on its side in big red
capital letters above the much smaller Model 160 GUIDE appears. I can
also only assume the meaning of this title. Could it mean that it is so
tough and excellent that it is what a guide would use? Or does it more
imply that it is so easy to use that the reel itself becomes the user's
fishing guide?
You choose. But this particular reel also has a bright
silver star drag knob on the outside of the crank. (Most other 160
models have a black star knob. The 150 Commander has a knurled drag knob
instead of the star knob.) The bell is made of a very light aluminum
that I think is cast aluminum. It may be an early example of injection
molding manufacturing process. The rear body is made of a plastic that I
bet is nylon. Nylon 66 is among the earliest and best plastics to be
widely used in consumer products. It has a good track record of
endurance.
Nylon 66 has proven over time to be is virtually indestructible material
within the bounds of normal use. Exposure to certain chemicals or to prolonged sun-light can discolor and deteriorate it. But for the most part, it has poven itslef over time to wear as well or better than most metals. However, at the time of the reel's
manufacture, Nylon was still regarded with a little suspicion by many
consumers as being a cheap, as in inferior, substitute for metals--in
particular steel. It probably was cheaper, but also very durable. The
line release button is wider than the earlier Johnson reel models. It is
made of white plastic and is recessed to hold a big man thumb. This
button also has a black circular target emblazoned on it--driving home
the idea of accuracy.
But did you notice that the SABRA is one model of Johnson reel that carried only a name, with no model number. What was us with that. Again, I can only guess. I believe that the SABRA was intended to be the mother of all spin-cast reel. The spin-cast reel to end all spin-cast reels. The apex of spin-cast design and engineering wonders. The flag-ship reel upon which all of Johnsons hopes and aims for winning the reel wars was bet. And it truly may have been the most rugged and best spin-cast reel ever made. The SABRA design was certainly all that. But the 160 GUIDE was all that plus more!
This 160 GUIDE is an attractive reel. I don't know why this reel was not a
bigger commercial success. It's production years seems to indicate that
it was experimental--overlapping several other successful models. It
must not have met the expectations Johnson had for it. It may have been
the consumer doubt regarding plastics. I like this reel--now--after the
fact. I only vaguely recall seeing the ads in outdoor magazines at the time. I don't remember actually seeing one for real until long after it was
discontinued. But I do recall the suspicion regarding plastics in general
during this time, and specifically as used with some other spin-cast
reels.
Although ZEBCO produced their basic reel models constructed of metal,
they quickly adopted platics as their material of choice in an apparent
cost-saving measure. ZEBCO's attempt to corner the low-end of the
spin-cast market was very successful. They have sold an estimated
hunnard-bazzzzzillion-trazillion-mazillion-hunnard-hunnard-trazillion
reels--as some of my grandkids might proclaim--in my lifetime. I have a
vintage metal ZEBCO 33 that I once got in a box of vintage reels. I can
find no fault with it, but I still nurse irrational disdain for this and
all such ZEBCO reels. Just sayin. This is an example of the power of
early advertsing and early opinions of old-timers shaping a lifelong
predjudice toward spin-cast reels. In my case, Johnson's models dodged
the bullet that some of us passed on to ZEBCO's models. What kid growing
up in the fifties and sixties wanted a cheap toy plastic fishing reel
aimed at girls, women, and sissies! Not me.
There is one other curious design difference in the Johnson GUIDE Accu-cast 160 spin-cast
reel and the smaller 150 Commander version of the model 710. Did you get that? Yep, just as the SABRA has no associated model number, the model 710 has no associated thematic name. And where did the chrobology go. Whaaaa? 710? What was the significance of this model number? And woo-hoo! The Guide 160 Accu-cast has three labels as did the 150 Commander Accu-cast. These guys were having too much fun mixing it up while naming these reels. Is there rhyme to the reason? You got me.
Anyway, these two models have that previously mentioned little sliding button on the
plastic body main, just under the line-release button. The first such
reel I ever encountered had the numbers worn off and painted over and
the button was rough and not fully functional. Even after examining and
using pristine examples of models of Johnson reels that utilized this
mysterious button--ones that had clearly imprinted labels and models
emblazoned on them--I am not sure that this feature was ever very
useful. I am not even sure that it was ever even very functional. I am
not even sure that it ever worked much at all. It may have been one of
those good ideas that didn't work. Or, just as possibly, I don't know,
nor never knew or understood exactly what this feature was intended to
do. I hope someone will edify me. [Note I wrote this paragraph before I
added the paragraph above about the use of this button dawning on me.
However, since this dawning is only speculation, I am letting this
earlier observation stand.]
As noted in the earlier paragraph, the sliding plastic button located
just under the line-release can be slid up as if to scotch the line
release from being pushed down--unless a greater pressure than one would
normally expect--is applied. Call me stupid--but I just cannot
determine the possible utility for such a button. [Now I have thought of a possibility, to lock the line-release from accidental release. Simple. Correct? I dunno. More later.]
I made a reference to the ancient use of a gorge hook by primitive fishermen. A couple of readers wanted to know more about this, so here it is. It may be good to know some day.
A gorge-hook as used by primitive fishermen, is not a hook at all, in
the sense of having a crook or hook and barb on one end. Rather, it is a straight
piece of stick or bone that has been sharpened on both ends and notched
a bit in the middle where a fishing line can be securely tied without it slipping fro or to under pressure. The stick is then cocked up to
where it is straight with the fishing line. The bait is then secured
around it, holding it just so. When a fish takes the bait and gulps the
straight gorge-hook along with it and starts her run--the sharpened
ends of the stick straighten out and presumably gorges and sticks into
the fish's throat and is caught. These can be quite effective and is
worthy of knowing for survival purposes.
I made up few of these for a survival video I am doing. Although I have never caught a fish with one of these, I have every confidence that I can and will. They are said to be very effective using worms or cut-bait or blood-bait or dough balls for drum, and catfish, although I have not doubt that game-fish can also be taken with them. Before trying these, check their legality in your jurisdiction. I will try them in my pond. Whenever I do so, I will report my results here and show the fish and how the fish is caught. One disadvantage I see to using these is they may do more damage to fish that may pull loose or for-catch-and release for them to survive.
Of course in a survival situation this will be of little concern. In a survival situation, a fishing line may be braided out of unraveled fabric or fashioned from the fibers found in the stems and leaves of cattail reeds, green elm bark and other plants that lend themselves to making cordage. I plan to show this too in a future update to this post or a seperate post.
This is not the kind of cattail that I am referring to for cordage--unless you are ready for a scrap.
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