Penn

[insanefish]

Picked up a Penn Model79 it has tortiose shell like side plates and no drag what so ever but does have a leather strap that i assume you would use your thumb on as a drag. This is the first reel i have purchased and know nothing about it (paid 2 bucks at a yard sale) is it a good start?

[ak-fish]

It's a good start if you like it! Your reel isn't a heavy hitter -- on eBay they go for $10 - $20 -- but Penn hasn't made those brown mottled sideplates for quite a few years so it's a nice example. Honesty forces me to tell you: You are about to succumb to a horrible disease. You'll know you have it when you start going to yard sales instead of fishing on the weekend.