Looking for info on Shakespeare Wonderspin 1780 and 1785

[The Fishing Hobby]

Does anyone have info on these reels? I would love to see any pictures of the internals or literature on them if anyone has any. I am looking at possibly buying one or both models but I would like to know more about them. I know they cast by backreeling to release the line. It looks to me like the 1785 has an oscillating spool and the 1780 does not, but I may be wrong on that. I have no idea how the drag works or what the gears/internals are like.

Semi-enclosed spinning reels really work well for my kids and these are interesting models to me. They have some semi-enclosed abu and daiwa reels that they like that have push buttons on the face of the spool. They prefer these type of reels to trigger activated underspin reels because they say they get better casting with ultralight lures and I agree with their assessment. The larger opening seems to cast better and I would assume that is because there isn't any bend in the line going to the center hole like the closed face underspin reels. At any rate, I am proud to have two young kids that enjoy fishing enough to take the time to notice the differences in reels! They fish out of their own kayaks along side my wife and I on small rivers and creeks and they aren't comfortable with regular spinning reels yet and still get tangles. The semi-closed face spinning reels give similar castability with less fuss/more time actually fishing.

Maybe someone knows of other similar models that I haven't discovered?

This is a niche market for sure but I am a little surprised these type of reels aren't still being produced by more companies. I think Abu and Daiwa (Abu 704 and Daiwa 125M) still make some that are pretty pricey and geared toward match/coarse fishing in the UK. Not many options here in the United States.

Here are some pictures (I found online) of the Shakespeare models for reference:


Thanks in advance for any info and or other models made in a similar manner some of you might know of!

[Midway Tommy D]

They're not much different than the 1750's model Spin Wondereels & South Bend 22, 1200 & 1400 models other than, like you said, they don't have the front cover & small center hole. They were made from the mid '50s - through the mid 60's. There are models 1780, 81, 82, 85, 86, 90 & 91. The main differences are the type and location of anti reverse, i.e. lever or button and drag adjustment. They don't have quite the line capacity of an open face. They're nice reels to fish with, though.

[The Fishing Hobby]

Thanks for the other models to look for. I have seen the South Bend models you mentioned but another big difference other than the cover openings is that they have a short leg the reel foot is on. That means you gave to hold your rod in front of the reel from the looks of it. I was really looking for something held with the leg between your fingers like a regular spinning reel.

[Paul M]

This is a distant cousin I picked up last week for my collection of Canadian marked reels. You may be interested in the drawing in the box papers. Let me know if you want a proper scan of both sides.

[The Fishing Hobby]

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would love to have a scan of that! I am sure the inner workings are very similar. Now that I am looking at those reels again, they look like a great candidate for a reel that could be used on a fly rod. My daughter is learning to fly fish and those reels would work well with a fly rod if she wanted to switch back and forth depending on what lures she wants to use. It would be a lot easier to carry an extra reel in a kayak than another rod and reel. How does the reel feel while cranking? Is it fairly smooth? Does the drag work well? Thank you!

[Midway Tommy D]

but another big difference other than the cover openings is that they have a short leg the reel foot is on

Yeah, that was obvious so I didn't mention it. I was talking about the mechanical aspects. The drag is adjusted, on those like Paul's example and others that don't have a star drag, by turning the front cover, in to tighten & out to loosen. The cover puts pressure against the spinner which in turn acts as, or is, the drag.

[Paul M]

Kevin - Here is a link to a page where you can download a copy of the box papers:
http://reelyoldreels.weebly.com/inglis- ... -docs.html

This particular reel is very heavy. That can be overcome by using a heavier fly-reel and a fly-reel/line combo so that a fly line will match the rod and that either reel will balance the rod. I have used spinning reels on fly rods on occasion. The balance is weird and takes a bit of getting used to. One idea is to get a fly rod with a small removable fighting butt section so that the rod seat will set up more like a spinning rod when the butt is attached.

[Paul M]

Another approach is shown in the box papers. The paper shows a rod with 2 sliding rings on the cork. That style on a fly rod would allow installation of any reel type in any position along the cork, as desired.

[The Fishing Hobby]

The drag is adjusted, on those like Paul's example and others that don't have a star drag, by turning the front cover, in to tighten & out to loosen. The cover puts pressure against the spinner which in turn acts as, or is, the drag.

Thank you sir!

[The Fishing Hobby]

Another approach is shown in the box papers. The paper shows a rod with 2 sliding rings on the cork. That style on a fly rod would allow installation of any reel type in any position along the cork, as desired.

That would be perfect I think. Thank you for the scan, that will be of great help!

[The Fishing Hobby]

The internals look pretty robust so I don't think that would be a concern.

[The Fishing Hobby]

Does anyone think this reel would have any problems picking up 4lb mono? I saw somewhere that 6lb line was the lowest mentioned. Maybe they just didn't make 4lb back then? I have seen some modern closed face reels that have trouble with picking up 4lb line without tension on the line.

[Midway Tommy D]

I would think 4# should be doable as long as it is quality line like, say Trilene XL or something similar, and you stretch the memory kinks out before you start fishing after it's been sitting around unused for awhile.

[The Fishing Hobby]

Well, looks like I will be getting a 1780 or 1785. Did anyone know if the 1780 uses a non-oscillating spool? I read an old advertising piece that said the 1785 is but I haven't run across any info like that on the 1780. The spool cover looks longer on the 1785.

[wrong99]

From Shakespeare's 1956 catalog.

[The Fishing Hobby]

From Shakespeare's 1956 catalog.

Thank you sir! That was exactly the info I was looking for!
Thanks to everyone for being so helpful!

[jimbofish]

I happen to have both the 1780 and a 1785. I was looking for one or the other and ended up getting both for about $35 from the same guy. I like them both.
One thing you'll want to watch for when you buy is the handle grip. Some have the self-destroying white plastic that plagued many Shakespeare reel handles in that era. You can see it in the third picture in the OP. It can be replaced with the handle shown in the first pic which I think is preferable for actual fishing.

[The Fishing Hobby]

A lot of the white plastic grips I have seen have been broken. I would much rather have the grip you mentioned, good tip!

[Smead]

I have both the 1780 and 1785...the 1785 is essentially a poor boy's ABU 503/520, 505 reel. They are very much simpler in construction than the ABU's. They are fun to play with, especially for kids. Trying to use 4# line will really require backing of some sort IMO.

If you keep an eye out, every so often an ABU will pop up for a decent price. I have two 520's and one 505...two are near mint and I paid no more than $30-40 + shipping for any one, luck and sellers who listed them as a Buy-It-Now. They have spools with arbors available, and you can use a regular Abu-Matic 170 spool for heavier line.

They all do run heavyish regarding weight though.

Manual says that the 1780 is rated for 6# at 150 yards and the 1785 is 8# at 150 yards. Both are listed as being able to use 4#, but the capacity on a spool without an arbor is huge...200 and 300 yards.

[jimbofish]

Does anyone think this reel would have any problems picking up 4lb mono? I saw somewhere that 6lb line was the lowest mentioned. Maybe they just didn't make 4lb back then? I have seen some modern closed face reels that have trouble with picking up 4lb line without tension on the line.

IME this is an issue with any spincast type reel at one time or another. Usually a quick lift of the rod tip is all it takes to catch the line on the pickup pin. Just one of the quirks of that design. Sometimes fresh line solves it.

Another point that may or may not matter is the AR has to be disengaged to use the reel normally. When the AR is engaged, the handle can't crank backwards to release the line. This seems to be inherent in reels of this type, including the 1800 series, as the AR mechanism and the pickup release mechanism are independent of each other.

[Smead]

Yes, the A/R must be off to retract the pick-up claw into the rotor head. I've read that it was advised to keep the A/R off until a fish struck. Another selling point of the design was the easy ability to adjust the drag with a fish on.

If you take one of this reel type apart, the design is interesting...have to give credit to the engineer(s).

You can pick up one of the short stem models cheap...I got a 1735 for $8.00 shipped. It was no beauty, but perfect for tearing apart and seeing how they did it. If you get a better one, you already have a parts reel.

One thing to check immediately is if the pick-up claw is grooved. Also, do not overfill the line...you'll feel it bind the rotor if you do.

It's conceivable to change the whole arm out, but it wasn't meant to be repaired easily...simply due to what kind of fasteners are used.

Supple light test mono might very well be easier for the claw to pick up; I use Sufix Elite.

The ABU's use the same system as all their of Abu-Matics 120/140/150/160/170 reels...round pins. You can always set up any ABU of this type to use two pick-up pins. A nice thing about the ABU reels is that the pick-up's are easily replaced; again, supple line is better. I've read that the ABU's can even use braid, though I haven't tried it. You'd most likely have to keep a close eye on the pins.

Johnson also had a reel line of this type called the Fiskar. Looks like you use the lever to retract the pick-up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Johnson ... 7675.l2557

I've read that the Daiwa versions were copies of the ABU's with what they considered to be improvements.

[The Fishing Hobby]

The Fiskar reels look nice! I will keep those on my radar. Thanks for all of the tips and pointers. My son uses a Abu Fast Cast I which is a nice little closed-face spinning reel even though it uses a plastic housing. It is very similar to the Abu 500 series.

[The Fishing Hobby]

The Daiwa 125M we have is a nice reel although it is a little bigger than the Abu reels.

[The Fishing Hobby]

Just found another Johnson made one called a Uni-Spin. It looks like a nice one as well.

[The Fishing Hobby]

If you keep an eye out, every so often an ABU will pop up for a decent price. I have two 520's and one 505...two are near mint and I paid no more than $30-40 + shipping for any one, luck and sellers who listed them as a Buy-It-Now.

Just caught one on eBay that was just listed for $32 to my door with buy it now. I had been waiting for a while to get one under $50 and today was my lucky day! It was the 520