statesquider 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Pardon me for being totally stupid when it comes to this topic but are they any good? I know there are a lot of people that are devoted to them but I've never known a person to own one :)Please don't take this as me thinking they are rubbish as I am indifferent on the topic Just thought if they are that good it could be a cool new thing to own and it seems like they are virtually unbreakable. Can anyone tell me a basic rundown of their pro's and cons?Thanks for your time to anyone who replies :)Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 im very biased...alvey 650c.had it 20 yrs almost...i DID break it though, but i fixed it as well.took a huge chip out of it when it fell off the workbench onto the floor.mate... i love it...once mastered,( pretty easy) you will find ( i did anyway) that your casting INCREASES a lot.as the reel is turned sideways (sidecast)there is little resistance when casting...nothing turns causing friction, reducing the cast.YOU NEED A SPECIAL ROD THOUGH. it has a low mount reel seat, and the first eye on the rod is in the middle of the letgh, and is also larger in size.there is also a clip down near the reel seat, that hols the line so it runs along the letgh of the rod when your fishing.in fact..to better explain it, i will go take some pics and post them up.the ratchet is LOUD to put it bluntly...it will wake you from the deepest of sleeps when it goes off...when fighting a fish, the drag is at your finger tips... i prefer the star drag to the lever drag on the alvey.and i can adjust it without taking my fingers ff the reel handle.eing low slung on the rod, they are really comfortable to use as well. i use a rod bucket, to make it even more comfortable as it takes the weight of the rod and reel off of your arms,and spreads it around your waist.photos soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vb4me 1 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Pros easy to clean low maintenance if ya drop em in the sand you can rinse off in the water thats by your feet :cheer: Not much inside to stuff upCons ummm cant really think of any Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kelvin 2,200 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Great for casting light baits such as unweighted pilchards.Not as well suited to lure fishing Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Kelvin wrote:Great for casting light baits such as unweighted pilchards.Not as well suited to lure fishinghave to agree with that... you can chuck lures, but damn it hard work retrieving them time and time again.alvey make a 2 speed reel though... ive seen it on youtube but dont know prices on itthat would make lures an easier option to use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 this is the clip im talking about...it sits under the rod, not far from the reel seat.the line on an alvey comes from the bottom of the reel, clips over this clip, then it runs parrelell down the rod through all of the eyes.you wont find another alvey this colour... i painted it after the repair i did on it.its a ford falcon metalic blue hahahaa.automotive paint which is pretty tough, but its started to chip in small places...''this is the first eye on my snyderglas 5163...its approx half way along the lentgh, and is over sized... i think its big for when your casting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 turn up your speakers... THIS is the sound i love to hear...sorry about the lack of light... blown globe outside.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 now my alvey has fell over HUNDREDS of times on the rocks... but just once from the workbench which is 4ft tall...'DOH. i actually used it like this for 10 yrs, then decided i better do a patch up on it.it was still smooth and didnt cause any probelsms, thats why i left it as it was for so long.though it did catch my knuckles a few times when a fish ran hard.heres how i fixed it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 this is before i sanded the araldite back, scuffed the reel,and painted it.this is an old bakerlite reel, the new ones are fibreglas.this is a shallow spool, will hold about 600mtrs of 25lb mono. they also make a deep spool, which 1000 mtrs will easliy go on with plenty left over. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 this is the geared alvey...also shows you the basics of casting... i USED to use my thumb, but i now prefer to hold the line with my fingerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5-oiOBrE9M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuckemback 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 nice repair job m8 and great photos too ...i remember the days where few mates were fishin with alveys and surf rods of jettys ....YEA LOUD ratchets aye????listend to the vid afew times, bout back pleasant memorys.good strong reels they are ,but also slow ratio from memory,they suit mainly bait fishing id say, but they also cast a mile once u get used to the long rod.good post rocknev can see why you like them with all them rocks everywhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 for sure great reels.its what you get used to as well... i find im using it 2nd knowledge...ove used it often enought that its instinct on how much drag to set, casting is a breeze,and using my finger to wind the line on flat and even comes natural as well. i once sent a balloon out 400mtrs with strong tail wind and outgoing tide.bloke that was with me had never used an alvey, and offered to wind it in...hell ..go for it mate.cept he just wound it in without leveling the line.so i had 400mtrs of line all in the one spot when he got it all back.i thanked him, took the reel home, and cut it all off. i can sail it out there a great distance.next time i go the rocks, in calm weather if im with someone, i will video a cast.a big have ho, and it just keeps going.i normally chuck out a good sized sinker with squid bait... i prefer heads, but the flaps or a strip will go further. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
statesquider 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Haha I knew you would jump on this Rocknev I was thinking of it just to be used off the beach really with bait. Whats one worth along with a rod? Just a ballpark figure to give me an idea would be awesome What range of fish can they handle? Can you get different versions or are they all a standard size? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 alvey make different sizes.... an alvey will set you back about 150 -200 bucks...ive seen them on ebay for around the hundred mark for a good one.mate put me onto a place where they were selling cheap, but out of respect to the sponsers of this forum ( and many thanks to them) i wont list where, but the cheap price was about the same if you got it posted over anyway.if all you will be doing is rocks or beach, i personally think you cant do better...simpley for the fact, its so tough.it can fall in the sans over and over...rinse it off in the salt water, and keep going.couple of mths ago at sheringa, we got dumped big time by a hige wave.we ran to get the gear, forgetting about the rods left in the pvc spikes..now we were high and dry, but went knee deep in seconds.a woman also fishing yelled iut...i turned, and my brothers snyderglas and alvey 650c were gone.i ran through the water ..still knee deep, and got to the edge of the hill we were fishing from.the rod was in the crashing waves,for a good couple of minutes by the time i got there, and the woman jumped in to the waves ( to her chest) and grabbed the rod by the last eye as it was going out to sea for the last timebro picked it up, thanked the woman, put some new bait on and carried on fishing.the reel STILL hasnt been pulled apart for a clean or an oil, as its working great... no clunks or grinding nosies.try THAT with a spinner or overhead.given the nature of the rocks where i fish, its enevitable the reel will get knocked about.its fallen over many times,and save for a few chips here and there, its in great condtionvb and sandywhiting seen me launch it out the other day, and seemed pretty impressed by the cast. i GOOD rod will set you back anywhere from 130 - 200 bucks... if you decide to go the alvey route, make sure you ask for a rod thats built for an alvey..cheers mate...good luck with it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 i have 4 brothers... 3 of them fish, and so does my bro in law.ive got one alvey, eldest bro has one alvey, younger bro has 2, the other bro that fishes has 3 of them.bro in law is also an alvey man.they can be a hassle winding in as its 1:1 ratio, but its not too bad. as the size of the spool means 1 turn gives back a decent ammount of line. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
statesquider 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Sounds like I have to start saving always keen for simple low maintenance gear that can handle abuse Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Del 245 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 i was always an egg beater user for small land based fishing. but soon as i started fishing the beach for salmon and the rocks for snapper over coffin bay area my step father passed me down one of his old Alveys and a big old rod for it. 13' single pce the rod needed sanding back and re-glassing and the eyes rewound.. so that was some summer work for me to do. he took the time to teach me how to clean up the old rod and make her new again. then came the alvey.. learning the finer arts of casting her and also how to retrieve the line correctly (no lil helper clips on the old rod) so to avoid a birds nest when casting.armed with 25lb line and a nice alvey set up ive fished many many hours for salmon mulloway and snapper.there is no better reel for beach bashing. the simplicity of them is what makes them so good. the only con for them i can think of is guiding the line on with your finger and the 1:1 ration can be a slow retrieve at times. but ive been fishing 3-4 meters above the water on a cliff face cranking 5-6lb salmon in one after the other then up the cliff face and literally watching the people close by using large egg beaters have their reels explode in their hands. when i go back home i still look at the alvey with great respect for what it can do.. and it must be at least 30-40yrs old! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
szkolka 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 i love my alvey, ive fished it from the boat, jetty, beach, rocks and cliffs. its a 650 that i picked up for $40 bucks off my old mans mate. not a thing wrong with it either. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
coonta kinta 1 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 They are a bit agricultural, heavy and a bit cumbersome when compared with other types of reel, but for ease of use they are only bettered by an eggbeater. For ease of maintenance, cleaning, & winching ability they are without peer.Like Nev, I had two, mine being the mustard coloured fibreglass models. Loved using them could cast an unweighted bait a country mile in suitable conditions. Only got rid of them because I wasnt rock fishing like I used to and they were replaced with ABU 7000's on new sticks. The reels being suitable for both the boat, stones, & jetties.Have sent you a PM with a cheap combo I seen advertised that, if ya serious about getting one, is the ducks guts.Only advice, Id give in regard to them is dont get too stiff or too supple a line. I used to use a german line called Schnider. Its relatively cheap which is good. Reckon Maxima green would also be suitable, but is dearer. A suitable rod bucket will also go a LONG way to making the outfit user freiendly and a joy to use.Oh!.........and dont for get to ALWAYS have a GOOD quality swivel between the reel and any rig you have on the end of the line as line twist will kill any enjoyment you get out of these reels. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
penthrox 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Thats all very good advice. Makes me want to get my old alvey out of the shed and start using it:)I got it at a garage sale for $5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Del 245 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 i can also attest to the Schnider and Maxima, as that is all i ever used over on the west coast.And i stuck maxima on my 8' pen combo soon as i bought it too :Dbraid on every other set up ive got tho.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SandyWhiting 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 penthrox wrote:Thats all very good advice. Makes me want to get my old alvey out of the shed and start using it:)I got it at a garage sale for $5 :ohmy: :ohmy: bargain, top stuff..I'm trying to pinch the OH since his Rod Snapped, RIP.. :woohoo: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cal 480 Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 Hers a link with heaps of vids,on how to use an Alvey ,some great vids here,I like the big yellowfin Tuna caught in the "trolling with an Alvey clip,+ the nice school mully he gets off the beach.I hope Nev reads this as I was going to IM him these vids but couldnt.Cheers http://www.alveyusa.com/video.php Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocknev 2 Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 Cal wrote:Hers a link with heaps of vids,on how to use an Alvey ,some great vids here,I like the big yellowfin Tuna caught in the "trolling with an Alvey clip,+ the nice school mully he gets off the beach.I hope Nev reads this as I was going to IM him these vids but couldnt.Cheers http://www.alveyusa.com/video.phpexcellant ..thanks mate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
statesquider 0 Posted September 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 Heading out fishing shortly but i'll check the video's tomorrow Cant wait to watch! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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