OKEH reel- Question about how it was used...

[JoeW]

Just picked up this Meisselbach OKEH 620 free-spool! I've seen them, but didn't quite know how they worked. Remarkable! Back up the handle a bit- line guide drops, handle disengages- true free spool! Start winding and guide pops back up and handle re-engages! Unbelievable! How's it know to do that! It's like... it's computerized or a mind reader or something!

My question is... After casting and re-engaging the handle and line guide, I had assumed that somehow the line "climbed back over" the guide to fall into the slot. Hmmmmm- doesn't seem to happen. Did the fisherman have to manually set the line back into the line guide after a cast. Maybe I'm missing something here, but for me, that ruins the whole concept behind the falling line guide. Makes it a real chore. And, it also seems that the line would frequently jump out of the guide during a retrieve and have to be reset? Hmmmmm. Right now, I'm one I'm one thumb up and one thumb down on this idea. Maybe that's the reason the idea doesn't seem to have really caught on with reel makers?

Thanks for any help and your insight! Best---- Joe Walkowski (WNYTC, ORCA)

[Low Profile]

Joe,

Yes those were meant for the fisherman to place the line in the guide after casting. Can you imagine casting a top water plug out - bass blasts it immediately- and you fiddling around with the line guide. No wonder you see so many of those with the guide removed. Still a very cool reel.

Low Profile

[Reel Geezer]

You didn't have to place the line back in the guide. The guide pushed the line over to the ends of the tube frame where the line climbed the curve and dropped into the guide slot.

I hope that is clear enough to explain the process.

[spadej1]

I've wondered this myself a little. I think they are pretty cool little reels, and one of these days I'll pick one up. Joe are you just trying it out with loose line or is it on a rod? Maybe that makes the difference? Just thinking aloud...

[JoeW]

James, Phil, and Low Profile-- I tried it on both an offset and a straight handled vintage casting rod. The line guide hopped over into the slot about once every 10 times! I can see how it SHOULD work. Just had an idea- I only put a few yards of line on the spool for the tests. Maybe if I loaded up the spool, it would change an angle somewhere and make it do its thing! Gotta go find some line. I'll be baaaaaackkkkkk! Best---- joe Walkowski (WNYTC, ORCA)

[Midway Tommy D]

Joe,

Make sure you have a tight line and are holding your rod tip up like you would while actually fishing. With the reel tilted upwards, and if you aren't reeling crazy fast, the line will automatically fall into the slot, unless, that is, the wings on the slot are bent somewhat inwards toward the middle. The edges of the wings can get worn, too, which can make the line hop over the slot.

[JoeW]

Ha! It worked!

Loaded the reel to capacity with line, put it on a rod, peeled off line the length of my family room, and cranked... line guide picked the line right up at the end of its traverse! Repeated a bunch of times and only had the line skipped over once! I did have some occurrences of the line hopping out of the guide as I reeled, but I possibly loaded too much line on the spool. Very, very sensitive! Making any kind of jigging motion with the rod also caused a lot of "guide jumping". I can't imagine "walking the dog" with that reel!

Overall- the idea is sound and it does work! But I can see a fisherman getting really frustrated by the number of times he'd have to "reboot" the line into the guide. I can see why this system just never made it big.

Thanks for all your help, peoples! Now I can sleep at night! Best---- Joe Walkowski (WNYTC, ORCA)

[john elder]

Joe, you got a tennis ball? Hook the line to the dog’s collar, open the back door and throw the ball. Let us know how the reel performed under load!

[Reel Geezer]

Joe,
The varied results with the Okeh line guides are probably why we find so many Okeh's with missing line guides. It was not a good system.

[JoeW]

John! You don't really... I mean c'mon... a dog! As a reel tester! Well, I guess ya use whatever is handy! Speaking of which- I gotta start a topic about things you've hooked that you shouldn't have! I'll tell you about what I tested my new Shimano baitcaster on!

And Phil-- Funny- I've been looking for an OKEH for a year now and until this one, I saw one other at an antique mall and one at a website... BOTH missing that line guide!

Best--- Joe Walkowski (WNYTC, ORCA)

[Roger Schulz]

Joe

Line guides are about impossible to find unless you can find a parts reel with the line guide still on it.

I have two Okeh 620 free spools for sale. One for $75 and the other for $100, shipping included. They are duplicates from my Meisselbach collection. Let me know if you are interested. I could send you some pictures.

Roger Schulz

[JoeW]

Thanks for the offer, Roger. But I got the one and that's all I need. Pretty good prices though- I just saw one sell at Ebay for $160. Best---- Joe Walkowski

[sdlehr]

They are duplicates from my Meisselbach collection.

I think Phil mentioned some of those reels when I was visiting last fall. The sentence might have started something like, "I used to have more reels, but..."