re anti-backlash devices
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john elder
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re anti-backlash devices
I enjoyed the little article re the anti-backlash "hub" by Terry Olds in the latest Reel News...thing is, I was hoping to hear about the field test, but it never appeared! So the question is, how well did the device work? And what about the other assorted backlash devices? Obviously, none of them revolutionized reel making...except, of course, the spin and spincast reels. Has some past issue of Reel News dealt with this issue? Or what can you knowledgeable vets add from your own experiences? I have no successes to report in my own experience...except the day my dad came home with my first Johnson Century. That was in response to the terrible backlashes I seemed to always get in the South bend within 5 minutes of getting to the pond on our quickie trips after he got off work. I still remember him standing in our back yard, trying to get this bird's nest out of that casting reel after one of our brief adventures...and finally taking a knife to it..the man was a saint.
John,
You must be mistaken. Advertising for South Bend-- and for a zillion other suitably equipped baitcasters way back when--clearly indicated that backlashes were impossible. Maybe you were using a Meek or a Union Hardware or a Montague or some other less enlightened brand of 100% rapid-backlash reel.
The earliest gizmos I'm aware of that could be considered antibacklash designs are the Dougherty drum-brake of 1864, which was designed to "control the delivery of the line," and the Bradley ball-handle reel of 1868, which was designed to facilitate using a thumb or finger as a brake during casting. Then Winans and Whistler invented the spinning reel in 1875 specifically to eliminate spool overruns. Reelmakers have been failing ever since to eliminate backlash, which still plagues even kids using spincast and spinning reels.
Nevertheless, hope springs eternal. I just saw an ad for a new Shimano reel with a "Revolutionary Digital Control Braking System" that applies "the optimum amount of braking force every 1/1000 of a second," depending on your pre-programmed choice. Spool rotation provides the juice required to run the circuit board.
With any luck, they'll be able to automate the entire process of fishing so that we can stop wasting our time outside and get back to cleaning reels.
You must be mistaken. Advertising for South Bend-- and for a zillion other suitably equipped baitcasters way back when--clearly indicated that backlashes were impossible. Maybe you were using a Meek or a Union Hardware or a Montague or some other less enlightened brand of 100% rapid-backlash reel.
The earliest gizmos I'm aware of that could be considered antibacklash designs are the Dougherty drum-brake of 1864, which was designed to "control the delivery of the line," and the Bradley ball-handle reel of 1868, which was designed to facilitate using a thumb or finger as a brake during casting. Then Winans and Whistler invented the spinning reel in 1875 specifically to eliminate spool overruns. Reelmakers have been failing ever since to eliminate backlash, which still plagues even kids using spincast and spinning reels.
Nevertheless, hope springs eternal. I just saw an ad for a new Shimano reel with a "Revolutionary Digital Control Braking System" that applies "the optimum amount of braking force every 1/1000 of a second," depending on your pre-programmed choice. Spool rotation provides the juice required to run the circuit board.
With any luck, they'll be able to automate the entire process of fishing so that we can stop wasting our time outside and get back to cleaning reels.
Hub Ati-Back-Lash devices
John, I have not had the time to test the HUB yet. Once I do, I'll either post a follow-up here or write a subsequent article in ORCA. I'm concerned that the instructions suggest that the devices work better for expert fishermen which suggests that I may have a problem using it even if it does work. Who knows, it might even make me seem like an expert.
Terry Olds
Terry Olds
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john elder
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well, that's scary! first of all, I'm sure any "expert" fishermen of that day or this would assume the vital parts would fall off if they stooped to using any trick to preven backlash...so, they probably wouldn't have sold very many. Shoot, uncle Joe made fun of Uncle Gene when he started using a spinning reel...much too gurly :-]