Striper Sniper
Well-Known Member
What ^^^^^^^ said......

Dropped my MR3 off at Islander a couple of weeks ago to have it serviced. I mentioned the "creep" issue. The lady I talked to said that these reels were made for mooching rather than trolling. Explained a bit to me as most of us complaining of the creep are using these reels for trolling rather than mooching - something they were not designed for. Notice the new reel is a TR (trolling reel) rather than an MR (mooching reel). I have to wonder how the TR3 would stack up against the Able folks here were talking about a couple of weeks ago.
No offense to Islanders, as its great to have local companies still producing their products at home (and not in China). It just seems a little ballsy to charge a 50% premium to correct long standing reliability issues on their already pricey reels. It's great that they've corrected their line creep and bearing issues, but it seems for the money they are charging these fixes should be incorporated into all their mooching reels. To expect their loyal customers to now have to shell out over a grand (with taxes) to have these issues corrected seems a bit much to me. Yes its a nice looking new reel, but should you really have to pay such a steep premium to correct reliability issues that should have been fixed years ago. Sorry if I've offended all the big Islander fans, but that's just my opinion.
Sad, but true. Very poor justification for not upgrading their mooching reels though. I'm sure 90% of their mooching reels are used for Downrigger fishing, not mooching. It's a pretty lame cop out to say people are not using them in the way they were intended. I'm sure they have known full well for many years that these reels are primarily use for trolling with Downriggers. The drags should have been upgraded years ago.People seem to pay it so they seem to charge what ever.
For the record, the MR3 is listed at $650 on their website. Which is still a lot of $$$...
I personally would be happy to pay for this. They don't have to warranty anything or admit fault. Just offer us an upgrade.yes, the correct fix would be a new clutch/drag assembly which i am sure all the islander owners would be happy to pay "cost" for the upgrade. whats a 100.00 to make it right ?
read this islander.
same goes for abel reels ..... I have never paid msrp for them ....Any retailer will sell for less than that though. It's only the MSRP.
The entire single-action reel market here in BC is about aesthetics and tradition rather than practicality. Americans and Brits ask why we fish for salmon with what they perceive to be fly reels, and really there's no good answer other than "we've always done it this way," or "because those reels feel good when a fish is on." I've caught my share of salmon with single action reels, and I have an MR3 of my own, but I've also caught plenty with conventional overhead reels and they work just fine. Sure, I like the smooth controlled drag of the MR3 and appreciate the beautiful craftsmanship and finish, it's a possession that makes me happy. But my level wind Shimano makes me just as happy when I pull in a nice spring or feisty coho with it. I like it even better when fishing deep and the clip pops or a fish gets off, much faster to retrieve than the knuckle busters.
Not much point complaining about Islander pricing, they make and price their product with aesthetics above all else. They're appealing to tradition, feel, national pride and our perception of beauty, all in one fishing reel. You either buy into the concept or you don't. Just ask the guys running marketing at Harley Davidson how it works - to me it's an overpriced, overweight bike that's much more show than go. But millions adore or covet Harleys above all else, because they bought into the idea. That marketing dept are absolutely brilliant, they've built one of the best known, emotionally powerful brand images on earth despite their product's shortcomings. Islander have built their brand along similar lines.
Please explain then the practical reasons single action reels are the normal equipment for salmon fishing in BC. I might have missed some good reasons for their apparent supremacy and will be happy to consider and discuss.
Sportfishing is purely for fun. If you wanted to efficiently bring as many fish to the boat as possible you'd be fishing commercially, and if you wanted to get the most fish for your buck, you'd buy them. With a Single action, you can lower the drag significantly and play a fish by palming the reel, while still maintaining the ability to reel without it "spinning out". It also adds a level of challenge, where you can lose a fish by not paying attention. You are directly connected to the fish, the drag only kicks in when you let your hand off the reel. This is what sport-fishing is all about. I wouldn't trade my single action reels for level-winds, with the exception being halibut and bottom fishing.Please explain then the practical reasons single action reels are the normal equipment for salmon fishing in BC. I might have missed some good reasons for their apparent supremacy and will be happy to consider and discuss.