Lew’s Speed Spool BB - 1NSW

[SySkinner]

My wife picked up a few rods and reels from a garage sale. One in particular is a Lew’s Speed Spool BB - 1NSW. I know nothing about it. Is it worth anything? Or do I consider it another weapon in my arsenal? I don’t want to fish with something that could possibly be a collectors item. Thanks

[Jonathan P. Kring]

Have several Lews Reels. All good to fish with. Not old enough to be worth much more than retail but nice reels.

[Ron Mc]

Welcome to the forum.
total Lew's junkie here, going back to my first Browning-marked BB-1NG (not shown here, but could still be fishing)

As Abu was a clean sheet of paper in the 1950s, Lew's was a clean sheet of paper in the 1980s.
With the big narrow spool, they were able to disengage the flyer during casting, which turned every reel into a tournament-casting Talbot.



My BB-25SW above has become too valuable to fish, worth over $250 to collectors now - Jon, that's twice its retail - so over the last few years, been retiring my venerable Lew's by adding to my arsenal of new low-profile Lew's.
Your BB-1NSW will be very close to this value, depending upon condition, box, papers, etc.
My dad has the one I bought him in early 90s, and fished it back-up our last trip.


Something else on the new LPS reels, the new generation of mag casting brakes really works. Gave my dad an original BB-1LM mag in the 80s, and could never tell the difference with the mag all-the-way on or off.
With the new generation mags, spinning an empty spool, you can see the effect of one notch on the mag, and on the water, that next notch will eliminate the pending backlash you were getting on the previous cast.

they're also putting over-qualified drags on them now - nobody outside of blue water needs 20 lbs drag, but that's what they're making.

[Jonathan P. Kring]

I've got a few basically N.I.B. Lews as well as many New ABU Garcia. Pretty much all easy to use. Just don't get around to fishing much. Couldn't cast an old collectible casting reel if my life depended on it. Always amazed to see ORCA casting competitions and hearing tales of people still fishing with those old reels.

[Ron Mc]

after all that, on my Texas Tropics trip last Nov, my BB-25SW on Lami Classic Glass was the only rig I fished on the flats all week - and it was a Joy.
But I did officially retire it this year with my 3rd Lew's LPS.


Same trip, my then 89-y-o dad fished his BB-1NSW, along with his newer LPS back-up.
(turns 90 this year and still wants to fish)







My friend Josh is still fishing his Lew's SW reels, April trip to Aransas, though I informed him on this trip they're paying up to $350 for them on ebay.

[Neel]

Ron, whens dinner? Those trout, are some good eating! Thanks for sharing the photos .

[Ron Mc]

look at the week's ice water bowl - November we were staying on the Arroyo Colorado navigation channel. I was releasing everything I caught on the Lower Laguna Madre flats during the day, because every morning I had a limit of specs from the dock by 5am.
First morning I released 40 (counted them) nursery trout to get my limit.
By the end of the week, I could sit on the dock, watch the school sign, make selective casts to get under the nursery trout, and have a limit in 15 casts.
We were also catching a few snook from the dock.
We ate fish tacos, we ate fried feast with hush puppies - it was a good week.




here's the full essay
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 8&t=248845

I've got a few basically N.I.B. Lews as well as many New ABU Garcia. Pretty much all easy to use. Just don't get around to fishing much. ...

Jon, the BB-25 series reels, including the SW and 25th Anniversary presentation reel are the Lew's models bringing these high prices. As I remember, you mentioned you have the presentation reel last time we were on the topic - would love it if you'd post a photo. These were the last "original" Lew's before they went to LPS and, also, before they moved production to Korea.
Our OP's BB1-NSW, the first Lew's salt model, is right in the mix (where do these guys go, bringing this up and not apparently returning).

Though we fished our original black BB1-NG's in the salt, they took a bit of pampering to protect them from the exposure, and those who didn't pamper them destroyed them in the salt. With neglect from salt exposure, the original black Lew's reels would filiform corrode beneath the powder coat and destroy the frame. My first Browning BB1-NG doesn't have any of this, and only very minor boat rash. I did have to replace the handle and weak anti-reverse pawl (Roy's Bait and Tackle in Corpus Christi bought the parts inventory when Zebco discontinued support on the original Lew's). The BB1-NSW and BB-25 reels began the roller-bearing anti-reverse with no release option.

My dad cranks the casting brake so tight on his BB-1NSW, I've had to fabricate friction shims for him from phosphor-bronze sheet (which I have around for fabricating Talbot spring).

I first bought my BB1-NG because surf-fishing sand ate the Ni-plated brass worm gear (440SS pawl) from my Daiwa Millionaire 6H - even though that reel was only 6 or 7 years old, Daiwa no longer supported the parts - of course, ebay and internet didn't exist. With 440SS worm gear and zirconia pawl, the Lew's LW mechanism would grind the sand, instead of vice-versa.