These photos show the condition of the reel now. I then put them in a box and always give them a quick blast (more of a haze) with WD40 or another water repellent on the outside, only quick and careful as you don’t want this to enter the reel as it can degrade any lubricants or greases involved inside. After every use, and on the odd occasion maybe after two days if they’re required a second day running, but no longer, the reel is washed and wiped under a tap of warm water, then placed in the airing cupboard overnight to dry off. My reel care for the boats equipment is no different to my personal reels. Give or take a few days, that particular Penn Squall reel has been used over the last two years on over 200 separate occasions. One of the reels was notched on the reel foot, and ensured this was used on every day our equipment was requested. We acquired 8 for the boat and they have been in use over the last 2 years offering a true test of time. I opted for the size 20 reel over the 15, you could argue slightly oversized for our general all round fishing, but for My Way, this was to allow for the potential of line loss in a day should we tangle or snap off, this leaves us with slightly more line available on the day before the need to re spool the reel. Combined with the famous Penn HTR100 Versa drag system including anti reverse bearing. The Penn Squall reels feature a graphite frame and side plates, with marine grade bronze main and pinion gears.

Drag system being crucial, for personal fishing I love the ease of a lever drag reel and value my Penn Fathom 15 twin speed immensely, but feel a star drag is better suited to novice anglers and our general hire rod clientele, simply for its controlled spool release and the incremented drag system. Reels had to be robust enough to endure the rigours of novice handling, especially line lay, so a strong level wind in particular was essential. With the likes of Penn, Abu Garcia and Shakespeare all part of the Pure Fishing family of companies, we had quite a decision to make on the exact products that suited our needs. When we embarked on our sponsorship deal with Pure Fishing, it was important for us to obtain the right equipment for our waters. Sailing daily from Holyhead Marina - March to October Port Dinorwic - October to April Tel: 01248 716315 | Mobile: 07971 924046 | Home

Penn fathom 2 20lw