johnny440 0 Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 G'day, Just joined site and recon it's pretty bldy helpful but am thinking of buying an Alvey setup for surffishn was looking at the 6500BCVRR, I haven't ever used an Alvey before so was wondering if anybody had any advice, I liked the idea of low maint & long cast ability.... my brother thinks i've got bloody rocks in my head!! -Are they easy to get the hang of -Is the model right(Salmon,Mullies,Shark) -What rod is best -Are they as good as the SALESMAN made them soundAny advice would be greatly appreciatedCHEERS Johnny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jigsaw 0 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Rocknev is the resident alvey guru.........if he doesn't post,flick him a pm,he's always happy to help out where he can. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Softy 2,991 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Don't worry about that new school stuff, nothing beats the old school 650c...Can't wait to get my grubby mits on one, and a big old butterworth or Snyder rod!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
moose 1 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Ive got the same reel matched to a Willson Mulloway rod, Havent landed anythig yet on it but did have a big run and good fight on the Far West Coast (possably big toothy) and it worked like clockwork, even after spending a week on the beach with little maintinance and getting sand blasted one night. Only fault I have found was during the fight I somehow mannaged to hit the reel lock (casting lever) turning the reel sideways and dropped a loop of line around the handels resulting in a big bust off, but appart from that Im happy with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnny440 0 Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 good feedback cheers moose, how'd you go casting it? I've been told there is a few methods. What bout rod holder? and rod grip when your on, with the reel sitting so low on the rod? (is it awkward)... so many Q's. just wanna make sure B4 purchase you knowCheers Johnny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Softy 2,991 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 hit Youtube up, sure to be plenty of how to videos on there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Del 245 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 johnny.. where abouts are ya.. i fly to perth tomorrow.. but if your localish.. might be able to T up a casting lesson/trial of a alvey and big rod.. Brenton, Nev, Myself.. all alvey users.. Rocknev is probably themost prolific land based snapper catcher on here.. all caught on a snyder glass rod and bog alvey 650C is the way we go.. make sure it has a clutch/drag system the older style 650B.. bit of a knuckle buster.. Softy... i got a few.. just need to fix up my spare rod.. should give you a start for a loaner.. i have 4 big alveys.. 2 big single peice rods.. im chasing a couple rods to match up to the others.. if anyone in this thread is selling at a good price;) ( sorry for minor hijack) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rollcast 1 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 I used and loved alveys for many years,although not much these days.I keep threatening to rebuild my old Len Butterworth MT8144.Stands for multi taper 8 wrap 144 inch long(12 feet).I believe Snyderglass have the mandrills and still roll these blanks.The fine tip allows for casting a large range of weights while the stiff but meens you still have plenty of authority for mullies rays etc.The common set up was a 9 inch but and a long for grip.As a teenager(30 years ago) I caught many large eagle rays off west beach ,the biggest going over 100LB.I still have my old Alvey 650 C5 and it still has the 19lb Schneider line i purchased from Grants tackle shop on Grange Rd over thirty years ago.I have many surf rods these days so the old alvey doesn't get used,but it should.My alvey outfit was probably more versatile and reliable than any of my current outfits.It was great for salmon at waits and Browns if you were willing to wind like a crazy man and drop in the sand could be rectified with a quick wash in salt water.all it ever needed was the odd clean and grease to stay reliable . A short 9 inch but is a must and made the overall length 12 feet 9 inches.An open runner was also a must as was the very large first stripping ring to tame the large coils during casting.One thing is the casting technique requires that the rear hand on the nine inch buy uses the thumb to trap the line and the front hand is placed a fair way forwad of the front grip to punch the cast.Intrerestingly in South Africa Overhead reels are fished the same way off short but rods in the surf.I believe that alvey outfits are one of the most underrated ,under utilised bits of equipment available and will stand up to more punishment than anything else out there.I recon the old mt 8144 is probably still the best rod for the job.Buy one .CheersRollcast Del 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnny440 0 Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Cheers for the offer Del but am on callout at the moment, organising anything becomes a bit of a nightmare,should get the hang of it i'd recon, a few short trips down south when the salmon are on will help I'm getting itchy, what establishment should i visit (rather support the small guys) anyone in particular to see or speak to? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Del 245 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 go to a local oval and no hooks.. just a sinker.. cast and retrieve cast and retrieve.. as for locals... everyone has their favourite.. what area you in? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnny440 0 Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 happy valley mate, about a stone throw from where tackle world on the hill used to be, maybe christies or brighton tackle shop? any of them Alvey gurus I'm a commercial fridgie so i'm moving around a bit during the day. Cheers for your help Del Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Del 245 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 go see waterboy at porties..( Forum Sponsor)he might be able to line ya up! brighton i havnt seen too much alvey gear in.. then again.. i havnt been looking either.. usually only there for my YFW bait.. happy to help out mate.. tho im not often around at moment due to work. but if your dead keen on beach fishing... you cant go past a alvey.. not the best for tossing lures due to their 1:1 ration on retrieve.. but.. for chucking baits.. you cant get better i use them to target salmon/snapper/rays/small sharks and hopefully get a mully trip in soon.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 gday nate and welcome, alvey all the way for me... as mentioned,an MT8144 from snyderglas or an older butterworth with an alvey is a perfect match imho..., i have 3 alveys, with my latest being bought 2 weeks ago brand new,,,it feels exaclty the same as my 25 vintage alveys, and yep, can swap parts if need be...the new one sounds a bit different though, more high pitched, but still that great sound...i swear by them, so does my brother who uses the same combo, as does another brother also with the snyder/650c, and yet another brother with butterworths and alveys X2, as mentioned, an oval for a fling without hooks is a great idea, its how i learnt to cast them, but unlike most, instead of trapping the line with my thumb, i use my index finger...my snyderglas mt8144 , is currently getitng a birthday, with new thread work im doing, ( which is taking longer than i would like as almost done, and i decided i didnt like the gold thread, ) so ive gone back to my COME ERE rod, which is a mt 7w 153.... BEAST of a rod... must say, if i ever hook onto ANYTHING big, this rod will bring it in, without breaking a sweat, ( i will let go before it does, ) have had a few xxxxos eagle rays bend it double, and the old alvey( 651 deep spool holding 1000mtrs of 25lb line) just wont quit...couple of yrs ago, on the west coast, a rouge wave took my brothers alvey and snyder away when it receded... it popped up again about 10 mins later, having been bashed and crashed, fully submerged and rolling around in sand and salt water...being an alvey, hell just rinse it off, and carry on fishing... and he did, for another 5 hrs without a hint of a noise out of place...my pb snapper with the old alvey, was a shade under 12kg ( my profile pic) and the pb for the new alvey was yesterday, pulling cert scaled down to 7.1kg.they no longer make butterworths, but you may find the odd one for sale at garage sales, or swap meets...same deal with snyderglas, no longer made as such, but i believe WILSON now make snyderglas rods, and are available as new rods.. dont think they have the fuji guides thoughas mentioned, down low on the butt is where an alvey belongs, with the first LARGE eye roughly in the middle of the rod... make sure you find a rod with the little retaining clip near the reel seat, thats a must, it holds the line after casting, and keeps it running along the rodat a better angle..believe me, NO greater sound will be heard from any reel when that alvey screams... fancy a sleep? ure go for it, you have a built in alarm that sounds like a friggen growl ... love that sound....,i prefer a star drag, others like the lever drag... each to there own, but i would personally stay clear of the B series, they dont have the anti rewind in them... and yeah, SOME SORE KNUCKLES ARE JUST WATING if that reel spins backwards...they also make a 2 speed alvey, with one turn of the handle, roughly twice as much retrieve as an abu7000 overhead...they dont take long to master, and once you have, sailing a big bait, little bait, unweighted bait, or even a float out will come pretty easy...to top it off? new alvey i bought has a 5yr warrenty, cant think of another reel offhand that will do that, and its aussie made.... love my alveys, and they will always be my weopan of choice, about the only thin i can fault, is for lure casting, it does get tiring with the 1:1 ratio, but must be remembered one turn is using Pi, not too bad in distance.. , and the weight factor, which is easily taken care of with an alvey rod bucket..., which i wear, to stick the butt into when catching or winding in.... this reminds me actually, the old 651 might be due for a bit of an oil and grease.... hasnt been rinsed of oiled for around 5 yrs or so, but its still running silky smooth, so might just leave it be....alveys aint for everyone, but everyone i know whos using them , swears by them... the biggest fish ive seen landed with an alvey 650c, and a snyderglas rod? a 78lb mullaway from yalata about 5 yrs ago... that combo is in its role, and loving every minute of it.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnny440 0 Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 cheers rocknev, i heard you were the man to talk to, your not the sales rep are you?? haha.cheers for feedback all i think we can put this to rest i'm gettn oneooroo!!johnny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spog777 1 Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Ive been using alveys for about 40 years and have never had a problem. Theyre great low maintenance, easy to use and no hassle with exploding when battling a big fish. Always make sure you "tie" your line onto the real before winding on line (i use a double loop-less pressure when you get spooled so a bust off is less likely) I have taken to using an alvey open runner on my heavy sports and my beach rod . Found it handy when i hooked up on a couple of rays. To get into casting i would just practice on an oval and see what suits you better. You could use the casting style illustrated in the alvey guide book but i have a different cast that i use that is comfortable for all rods rather than "alvey" style ones. If youre not using a "drag" version be aware of the reel spin as a big hit will cause sore knuckles and hand. Also a surprise run may cause the odd finger cut but you'll get used to it. Cheers and all the best and for me Alvey is the go Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yellowbelly14 0 Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 my dad has used alvey reels for years he thinks they are good less tangles that an egg beater reel I have used them myself and once you get used to them they are fine easy to pull apart and maintain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnny440 0 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 i bit the bullet and purchased a 6500bcvrr with a "custom beach king"(Alvey) 12' rod to suit, now all i need to do is get down the nearest oval and do a bit of practice, the reel came with a dvd too. go you aussie.hopefully i don't tonk anyone in the back of the scon! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 i bit the bullet and purchased a 6500bcvrr with a "custom beach king"(Alvey) 12' rod to suit' date=' now all i need to do is get down the nearest oval and do a bit of practice, the reel came with a dvd too. go you aussie.hopefully i don't tonk anyone in the back of the scon![/quote']well done... wont take long and it will become second nature, and the best bit about alveys? the star drag is at your fingertips... no farting about with rear drags or front drags on eggies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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