Advice on best (and value) reel for teek sling/trigger-less gun

In general depending on the metal thickness used, stainless steel and aluminum reels are not a good choice because they deform easily. If the gun has any weight just dropping it on the boat deck reel down will bend the reel spool. If the metal is thick enough for the spool to be sturdy the reel becomes too heavy and sinks the gun even without the shaft. By contrast plastic/composite reels have a springy quality, when the material is good the plastic reel can take a good whack without losing its shape or breaking. The steel reel spool will deform when simply dropped on a hard floor from chest level, the plastic reel will just bounce around. The metal bracket of that particular Headhunter reel will deform if you just sneeze on it.

The Speardiver reel. One of its nice feature is the sliding line guide ring, it straightens out any kinks in the line before they end up on the spool.

Not sure what you mean by flat or vertically. I would mount it where it doesn't interfere with the grip and stretching/contracting of the bands.

Quote from silverspearo

Thanks for taking the time to reply Pete - good quality brass for me then - with a small hole to avoid a splitting I'm thinking! You've got my imagination going with a oranger head and have to see one of these! I simply must have one as it sounds so cool ; ) I'll google it and see what comes up.

Off spearfishing from the shore nw Anglesey - an island off North Wales early next week so make have a go with a longer line and an old fly reel I own - and then think about a more permanent rig taking on board some of these suggestions.

Best wishes Rick

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Here is the front end of that gun with the pranger head. This is a short tine or barb version, there are longer ones for a deeper reach into the meat of bigger specimens and slightly more streamlined versions for higher speed, but you still need to be close for the shot and have a reasonably powerful gun. Not too much power or you will dissipate energy in turbulence behind the pranger head.

Silverspearo, I don't understand your question. There is only one way to attach the reel, it looks like this.

Quote from Dan

It looks good in the pic but the "Headhunter" reel is cheap, designed and made in China by people who don't use reels. The metal bracket/line guide is weak and bends easily.

Looks like the red tide reel. Matt had one, it's not any worse than all of the other reels in the same price range and fits the same mounting bracket as rob allen, wong, speardiver, hammerhead, mako, nautilus, and a few others. For what the OP wants it for it should work fine. I'm sure it's been tested in the Bahamas for a while now.

Most dive gear is made over seas and almost all dive gear is unoriginal rebranded merchandise. There's not an abundance of factories that make this stuff...

Probably the best reel on the market is the ulusub followed by the aussie and both are made over seas.

Quote from Chase

Looks like the red tide reel. Matt had one, it's not any worse than all of the other reels in the same price range

If you say it's the Red Tide reel but more specifically it's the Taiwan Sports reel. And yes it's the worst reel in it's price range for the reasons I stated. Here are more pictures from less flattering angles to show how cheaply it's made.

Quote from Chase

Probably the best reel on the market is the ulusub followed by the aussie and both are made over seas.

Ulusub is a different class of reel. It's too robust to be used on a euro speargun or sling.

By Aussie do you mean this one? There's nothing special about it, especially to justify the price.

Quote from Chase

almost all dive gear is unoriginal rebranded merchandise. There's not an abundance of factories that make this stuff...

Now you're really talking nonsense.

Quote from Dan

Now you're really talking nonsense.

:rolleyes1: So you're saying there's not several "brands" that offer gear with more than just a resemblance to another? I know you've called out a few... :laughing3:

The ulusub 50m isn't much bigger than most other 50m reels. It's just built solid. You can mount to a railgun but it looks better flush mounted on wood. The aussie is another great reel and has a great warranty too. I'm sure barry paxman in Australia has put it to the test once or twice... And it's an original.

Several brands like piece of shit Mako is not "almost all dive gear" as you put it. And I don't call out decent gear, even if it's rebranded.

Quote from Chase

The aussie is another great reel and has a great warranty too. I'm sure barry paxman in Australia has put it to the test once or twice...

You're sure Paxman put it to the test. But I'm sure you've never seen or handled the Paxman reel in person (otherwise you wouldn't be so impressed with it). I have, it works but it's nothing special, especially for the price of $150. Here in the US with other options available, the Paxman reel is for guys who want something different and mistakenly believe the high price reflects performance.

Quote from Dan

Yes it's also the Red Tide reel but more specifically the Taiwan Sports reel. And yes it's the worst reel in it's price range for the reasons I stated. Here are more pictures from less flattering angles to show how cheaply it's made.

http://www.taiwansport.com/div…gun/linereel/DSC01268.jpg

http://www.taiwansport.com/div…un/linereel/DSC011869.JPG

Ulusub is a different class of reel. It's too robust to be used on a euro speargun or sling.

By Aussie do you mean this one? There's nothing special about it, especially to justify the price.

http://www.spearandfish.com.au…-thickbox/aussie-reel.jpg

Now you're really talking nonsense.

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Ive used the 50m hatch reel (red tide etc...) it works fine. It is by no means in the same class as higher end reels like ULUSUB, Aussie Reel, or ERMES/MEANDROS, but it gets the job done. I started using this reel because it is easy to install, and it is light.

Ive used ulusub and aussies on shorter railguns 100cm> and they tend to make the gun negative.
The drag is basic, nothing to brag about. Line (especially stiffer dyneema cores and poly core) tends to get wrapped on the shaft between the mount and the spool, not when a fish is running, but after the run when reeling back slack line. But for general purposes it does the job.

I have also used the composite speardiver reel, I would say the performance is on par, a little bulkier and 90% composite, but it does the job. It makes a great belt reel.:thumbsup2:

I have an aussie reel (bought into the hype) I like it, no line tangles, good drag. I feel like the money is in the clamp style reel mount though, very innovative. (why arent other brands doing something similar??) With the spool sitting so close to the mount there is a small (very small) chance of friction fusing the plastic on a long fast run. (theres a video floating around the internet of a wahoo causing an aussie to fuse)

Ulusub reel as far as smooth reliable performance is my pick. rarely have tangles, spool and mount is rock solid. Its just as Dan said a little bulky and heavy. It is made of a teflon composite i believe, this eliminates the possiblity of friction causing damage to spool (no fusing).

Yet to try a vertical reel, but i dont think these will be appropriate for a sling IMO.

Guys remember what will be at the other end of this sling type shooter, a fish of modest proportions for which the sling has been selected. Line handling and retrieve is the key attribute here, so reel quality and capacity needs to be matched to the job. The "Academy" reel was cheap and cheerful in its day and I am sure a simple drum reel equivalent is all that is required. From memory the "Academy" reel was $4.00 and many spearoes of my vintage used them as a simple line gatherer fit for the modest task required of it. Of course that was about 30 years ago!

Here is another of my home-made guns with an "Academy" reel, on this one I kept the "clicker" by making a new flattened control lever. Used for grouper and other reef residential fish the long 3/8" shaft did the damage and the fish never ran far heading for their nearest bolt hole. Line retrieve was important as this gun has line wraps on each side running the full length of the gun. Now retired and restored as the era it was used in has passed, its potential victims are now protected species as less discriminating spearoes nearly wiped the big ones out and are only now recovering their numbers.

Seems that the old plastic reel has passed into history, but you can see them here and there must be something very similar today.

Academy – Australian Fishing Museum

http://australianfishingmuseum…DEMY_FISHING_REEL_020.JPG

This one is green, but they were either black or white when I was buying them.