Pflueger AUTOPLA

ORCA Online Forum - Feel free to talk or ask about ALL kinds of old tackle here, with an emphasis on old reels!
Araye50
Super Board Poster
Posts: 653
Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 1:27 pm
Location: Micanopy, FL

Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Araye50 »

Is there a 12 Step Program to get off the Slippery Slope that is reel collecting? What can I say, I could not resist the splendid orange & black marbled knob on this old Pflueger. I'd never known how the AUTOPLA worked or realized it was pronounced Auto Play. Still not sure why Pflueger developed the concept & am intimidated by the recoil spring inside. Seems like a zany idea, guaranteed to cause problems. It did make a good Birthday present.

Would enjoy reading a copy of the instructions if anyone has them. It must have been like fishing with a big tape measure, fighting a fish against the coiled spring. Has anyone actually fished with an AUTOPLA? Can I presume this was a short lived phenomenon around 1930?
RAM
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2345
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:21 am

Post by RAM »

YO Araye 50-Did I miss your name somewhere? Anyhow, I wrote one of my "Pflueger Pfacts" articles several issues back on Pflueger automatic reels and discussed (with an illustration) how the Autopla was to be used. Check it out. If you don't have that back issue, it is available from the ORCA Store. Too much effort to rewrite it here (lazy in my old age). But it was a relatively easy process and shown in the Pflueger catalog. Beautiful reel! Bad Bob

PS- It was not an Enterprise patent but one they bought rights to. That patent is also shown and described in a book I wrote-Reel Related Patents of the Enterprise Mfg. Co. (out of print but maybe a friend has one you can look at). Ciao!
Reel Geezer
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2313
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 11:06 pm
Location: On the Snake River or Lake Lowell
Contact:

Post by Reel Geezer »

I wrote one of my "Pflueger Pfacts" articles several issues back on Pflueger automatic reels and discussed (with an illustration) how the Autopla was to be used. Check it out. If you don't have that back issue, it is available from the ORCA Store.
Only for ORCA members.
grayrock
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by grayrock »

Is there any way for me to get a peek at that article? I have an AutoPla and need help with it. Thanks.
User avatar
Midway Tommy D
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3135
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:23 pm
Location: Eastern NE

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Midway Tommy D »

The article is in the Jan 2003 Reel News, pg 14. You can purchase that, and other Reel News magazines, if you are a paid ORCA member. You can order volumns here or view the Bibliography here.
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
grayrock
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by grayrock »

Do I have to become a member to order that $7.00 article?
User avatar
Midway Tommy D
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3135
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:23 pm
Location: Eastern NE

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Midway Tommy D »

grayrock wrote:Do I have to become a member to order that $7.00 article?
That is my understanding, but and Officer or Director could better answer that question.
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
grayrock
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by grayrock »

Let's see... $40 to join, plus the $7 for the article vs. I buy a working reel on ebay for $32.50. Hmm. No thanks. I'll muddle through the disassembly myself, then buy a replacement if needed. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pflueg ... :rk:2:pf:0
User avatar
m3040c
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2485
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:52 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by m3040c »

This might help a little and it is free.....................<:O)
Last edited by m3040c on Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
mike cass,,, if you can't collect it, it must be food
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8541
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by john elder »

You can also ask questions on this board and will almost always get answered. This board is supported by the club and is free to all. Part of each member’s membership fee goes to support not only this board but the Fishing Reel Research site maintained by the club, which is chock-full of info about all makers and growing constantly. The search program also has much information to harvest, all for free.
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member

Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
User avatar
escharfie
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 103
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:56 am
Location: West Virginia

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by escharfie »

Hi Rob. Good to see you here. The answer is that there is no 12 step program. Just live with it.
User avatar
Paul M
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2200
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:10 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Paul M »

Midway Tommy D wrote:
grayrock wrote:Do I have to become a member to order that $7.00 article?
That is my understanding, but and Officer or Director could better answer that question.
Just to expand on John Elder’s post, the corporation within which the club operates is a registered non-profit 501(c)3 so to maintain this status we can only charge what we have to for survival of the club. Club membership fees are the only routine way to cover the costs of producing the club newsletter- The Reel News, providing and operating this website, operating the ORCA online library, organization of the club and its conventions etc. Membership fees plus a dedicated team of volunteers and a few very generous donors help keep the club going. The club charges its paying members for back issues of the Reel News to cover printing, storage and handling costs. Going forward our paying members will be able to self-serve downloads from our extensive digital library. Join the club online by setting up an ORCA Online store account in order to get self-serve library access. This will be posted officially in the upcoming November 2018 edition of the club newsletter. We charge members fees for library items that the librarian has to pickout/print/mail/email.

Anyone taking that reel to a for-profit reel repair business will pay multiples of the costs discussed above and will learn nothing about reels. Our non-profit mission includes education about the history of reels and their makers. If you want to learn about old reels, there is no better club. Sometimes the info you seek is contained in the public part of our website. Paid membership gains access to the rest. Hopefully this explains the rationale behind our related fee policies.
Paul Manuel

Member since 2006
User avatar
Midway Tommy D
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3135
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:23 pm
Location: Eastern NE

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Midway Tommy D »

Thank You for a precise and extensive explanation of the ORCA membership policies and benefits, Paul!

Well thought out and written!
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
User avatar
Paul M
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2200
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:10 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Paul M »

BTW if anyone really needs reel information from ORCA that requires the payment of membership fees etc they could join, pay the fees and then research and write an article or several about their reel(s) or anything related to old reels. If it is unique and good enough and gets accepted into the Reel News, ORCA pays contributors for what is published. Write a couple of good pages and you could get back more money than the cost of joining and the document that you would like to have.
Paul Manuel

Member since 2006
User avatar
Brian F.
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3536
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:23 am
Location: Hilo, Hawaii

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Brian F. »

That was an excellent response, Paul. If it's not already, it should be made part of our introduction on the web and FB pages.
Aloha
Brian F.
_________

ORCA Member 1997
Got a spare reel stamped "Pflueger" or a Montague Imperial?
"Caution, objects in reel view mirror are older than they appear."
User avatar
Paul M
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2200
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:10 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Paul M »

Brian and Tommy thank you. I expect there will be a few statements and announcements related to this subject in the November Reel News. Let’s see what words David and Richard decide to publish officially. Corresponding policy statements and announcements should follow on Reel Talk.
Paul Manuel

Member since 2006
User avatar
Jonathan P. Kring
Super Board Poster
Posts: 1404
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:28 pm
Location: McMinnville, Tn.
Contact:

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Jonathan P. Kring »

I never knew that! I think I wrote an article and probably had to pay to have it published. It wasn't about reels since I know nothing and that was in the Dark Ages, perhaps it was about starting a fire with a flint? I think I am going to have a brief article published about ORCA and collecting in the Nov. Arizona Fly Casters News Letter (Or not) Stay Tuned.
Cast your cares upon the Lord. Psalm 55:22
Then He said to them, "follow Me and I will Make you fishers of men". Matthew 4:19
User avatar
Paul M
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2200
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:10 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Paul M »

You have to read the fine print in the Reel News! But we like it best when authors donate their payments back to the club ;)... seriously!
Paul Manuel

Member since 2006
grayrock
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by grayrock »

So what is the normal procedure for using this reel? What sequence of events happens to cast it? I took mine apart for a basic "field strip" without touching the spring side. Removed the crank side and the spool. Cleaned, lubed and reassembled. It still won't freespool.
RAM
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2345
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:21 am

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by RAM »

The method is simple: When you lift up the rod while playing a big fish (as you normally would do) the spring is not "playing the fish", but when you then lower the rod the spring automatically winds in the few feet involved in the drop of the rod tip. Hence it automatically "plays" the fish. You don't have to crank in line. Hence the name. The method is well illustrated in the catalogs (1930s). I included a copy of the illustration in my article on automatic Pfluegers which can be purchased by members from the ORCA store. Membership and availability of research are super bargains for anyone seriously interested in reels. Much better investment than lottery tickets. Did any ORCAns buy one? Odds of winning the 1.6 B are one in one quintillion. Odds of finding the answer to a reel question are one in one-for members.

Bad Bob
grayrock
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by grayrock »

How do I cast the bait with this reel? Mine will not let me.
User avatar
Brian F.
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3536
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:23 am
Location: Hilo, Hawaii

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by Brian F. »

It's been a while since I had one in my hands but the lever on the head plate should function as a freespool release just like all of Pflueger's other models put out at the time. Not sure why your reel doesn't. The Pflueger bridge and freespool mechanism is very similar to a Penn. The Pflueger schematics that came with the reels are not that easy to read so not sure even if you found one that it would help.
Aloha
Brian F.
_________

ORCA Member 1997
Got a spare reel stamped "Pflueger" or a Montague Imperial?
"Caution, objects in reel view mirror are older than they appear."
grayrock
Big ORCA Fan
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:10 pm

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by grayrock »

The last time I remember playing with this reel when it functioned properly was over 40 years ago. If I remember, the knurled knob on the left side of the reel pulled out to allow it to spin freely. The lever on the right just seems to disengage the crank. However, now the knurled knob does NOT seem to pull out. Am I wrong in thinking that was how this reel worked?
oc1
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 214
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:49 pm
Location: Windward Oahu

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by oc1 »

The coin edge knob on the tail plate pulls out to disengage the spring. You can not disengage the spring if it is loaded. The lever on the head plate disengages the main gear from the pinion with a Koph-style clutch.

Disengage both spring and clutch to get free spool for casting.

The only way to load the spring is by pulling out line or turning the handle backward with spring and clutch engaged. If you are retrieving line with the crank then the spring will not be loaded.

It was a really stupid design. Don't try to make sense out of it.
-steve
arley
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 293
Joined: Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:05 am
Location: central Pa

Re: Pflueger AUTOPLA

Post by arley »

The magazine is worth every penny of the membership fee.
you can tune a piano,but you can't tuna fish.
Post Reply