So, I've got this truly ancient Shimano 200, one of the first ones with the teak handles, and I'd like to have it rebuilt. I sent it to the well-known shop in Portland and did not like the results. Drag is still kinda skippy. Does anyone know of a better place. It is a great old reel and I still love to fish with it from time to time. The old devil has helped me land fish from the Situk to the Rogue over the past two decades. I just can't bring myself to stick it in a drawer and forget about it.
One more cast.

Jcw there's a nice place in down town Sumner called the Antique Angler the owners name is Bill he's been repairing reels longer than dirts been around and his work has always been top notch.If you have any ?s I'd be glad to help you.

Thanks Last Cast. I found Antigue Angler in the yellow pages. You know, I heard of him and forgot it. Getting old ain't for wimps.

I would recommend Mel Williams in Mountlake Terrace. He did me and a friend well by repairing and cleaning our ancient Amb 5000D and Shimano Bantam reels. He does this almost more as a hobby and loves it. His number is 425-778-8515 and works out of his home and charges next to nothing. FYI...there's quite a hot secondary market out there for these old reels, but I could never part with my 5000D!

Thanks Smolt,
I'll be in the area this weekend at the boat show. I'll give him a call. To heck with the secondary market. I've got like twenty old reels, most in perfect condition, all Shimano and Garcia, and I'm gonna be buried with them. It would be impossible for me to turn them over to someone who might mistreat them.
jcw

I'm hearing that....Mel is an old-fashioned fisherman who loves his old reel repair/cleaning "freelancing" career. He used to own a bait shop and is now retired except for his dabbling in old reels. He is one of the few who I have found is knoweldgeable and knows how to get parts. He won't try to get you to sell them, but he sure knows what they are worth out there and if I knew then what I know now...I would have bought a hundred 5000D's and I could retire! Mel says the build quality is far superior in those old reels to anything today. I've used my 5000D in the Situk and all rivers locally too for years, and it still looks like new...that was how they made 'em in Sweden years ago. You will like talking to Mel about this topic. Good luck!

Thanks again Dean. I'll get in touch with him this weekend.
I've tried some of the newer Diawas, Shimanos, and such. Most seem to work okay but I just don't like them. It's like they are too light weight or something. I use two 5000's on my plug rods. I leave them on the ugly old one piece Fenwick 83C's I built in another incarnation. They only get out of the boat to get cleaned a few times a year so they look pretty ratty but the drags are still smooth as silk and they've each caught hundreds of fish.
I don't know about this secondary market business. Fishing with someone else's tackle sounds rather like wearing someone else's underwear to me. Kinda creeps me out. I'm probably being to sensitive but the newest reel I currently fish with is a near perfect Shimano 251 that I've had since they first came out.

I agree JCW...I wouldn't want someone else's gear, but Mel says my friends Bantam is worth as much as $400-500, he probably paid $80 new 20 years ago. My 5000D probably worth a few hundred and I think I paid $40 25 years ago. But I ain't sellin'

I know a guy that has a AMB5000D, used once broke the spool when he hit a snag, and just stuck it back in the box. Would it be worth my time to get ahold of that reel? What do you think a fair price would be?

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Dean probably knows more about them than I do. If the reel in question is an old one you probably ought to locate a replacememt spool before you talk the guy out of the body. But even the newer ones are very good. I'm just an old fart that likes his old gear. The old 5000D's were probably the best thing going until the Shimanos came along. Now there are Shimano guys and Garcia guys sort of like there are Ford guys and Chevy guys. I lean toward the Shimanos but they are both good and I own and fish with both. I niether buy nor sell used fishing tackle but then I had the good luck to acquire a lifetime supply when the things I liked were abundant. There are reels in the bottom of my fishing chest that haven't been used yet. I'm gonna hit the Cowlitz and rid the world of a hatchery fish or two tomorrow and the boat needs some TLC.
Later,
JCW

Dean,

I think I'll contact Mel also; thanks for providing that advice. I have an Ambassador 5000C that is over 30 years old, and the drag isn't as smooth as it used to be. I fly fish for trout and don't fish for salmon all that often, so the reel hasn't had as much use as its age might suggest. I'd like to keep it in good repair and be able to bag a salmon with it for as long as I am able.

I think I paid $40 or so for it. That included a leather case, spare parts, and a tube of reel oil. It never occurred to me that it might be worth more now; or is that just for the 5000D?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Salmo g. The 5000d and 4000d are the the direct drive models they are rare and command top dollar for one in good shape.You can find them on Ebay from mint still in the box to thrashed and every where in between.The 5000c ABU are not as rear they made Millions of them they go for about 50.00 for one in decent shape.

[This message has been edited by Bill (edited 01-21-2001).]