Mainline fishing line lb test on mooching reel

[VLD43]

Tried everything on them sob mr3's. Got tired of taking them apart every other fricken day to dry off and grease drag cork. Now I just squirt some wd40 in there on the fly as needed. Havnt taken em apart for a couple years. They are a horrible reel when the cork drag is wet...
30# mainline and leader works but you have to keep a close eye on it for knicks and abrasions. A spring on a full out run will part it easily, just with the resistance of the flasher. Been there done that...

Your first mistake is putting grease on the cork. I was told by the guys at Islander to use "Neats Foot Oil. I did and didn't have any problems. Mind you, I hardly ever used the drag to much, other than to prevent backlash. Typically you palm a reel to slow a fish down. All said, I have agree with piperdown that Islander reels are not a very good reel for salmon fishing. They work, but a basic shimano reel works as well or better. I ended up selling my Islanders and bought Hardy Longstones(Classics). If I wanted a quality reel in future, I would be looking at Tibors or Billy Pates. Those are both proven offshore reels.

[Sako 75]

Yes the Hardy Longstone is definitely a classic reel. My late friend had one and also Hardy Ten Ten mooching rod. I am hardcore Hardy reel fan. Got 4 regular Silex and 1 Silex Major. 2 St.John Fly reel and Marquis Salmon No 2.

[VLD43]

Yes the Hardy Longstone is definitely a classic reel. My late friend had one and also Hardy Ten Ten mooching rod. I am hardcore Hardy reel fan. Got 4 regular Silex and 1 Silex Major. 2 St.John Fly reel and Marquis Salmon No 2.

You are right on the money. I got a Hardy 10-10 blank, and built a great mooching rod with it. Nice slow action blank. My brother has a reel collection that would probably interest you. Lots of Hardys, both old and new, Bogdans, Sage, Billy Pates, Tibors, Seamasters(the reel that Islander copied sorta), and a bunch of others I can't remember the names of. I have handled lots of very well made, expensive reels and can tell that there is a night and day difference with a well made reel. Especially when you get into a strong fish that runs hard. The bearings on the less expensive reels usually either seize or blow up when put to work. Same with the drag systems.

[835]

Piper down..... as VLD pointed out, which i missed as wellnas a few... "mooching reel" is a bit of a confused term. If the Sako75 is using it for mooching, something i have near never done...i cant address the line weight..

But since the mooching reel is used for trolling, that was where i went with it... to explain the line weight..
Braid at 50lbs... ypu need that, with braid as we know it is a high tensile strength with narrow diameter.. you need the diameter of around 50lb or your line will be knots in no time....

40 lb from main to flasher is all about me wanting the mono to be in the clip and not the braid. The braid we use is slick.. it pops out of the clip if ypu drop the gear too fast.. and it doesnt matter what the line weight is for this
So you may as well make it big so you dont loose a flasher

As for a 40lb leader... i find with short leaders on hootchies and shorter leaders to teasers.. the stiffness of the 40 puts more action on the terminal gear..

It is not about how heavy of a line a guy needs to land the fish, it is what you are doing with it..

Again, i know zip all about mooching.. i have always trolled or jigged...

[.264winmag]

Your first mistake is putting grease on the cork. I was told by the guys at Islander to use "Neats Foot Oil. I did and didn't have any problems. Mind you, I hardly ever used the drag to much, other than to prevent backlash. Typically you palm a reel to slow a fish down. All said, I have agree with piperdown that Islander reels are not a very good reel for salmon fishing. They work, but a basic shimano reel works as well or better. I ended up selling my Islanders and bought Hardy Longstones(Classics). If I wanted a quality reel in future, I would be looking at Tibors or Billy Pates. Those are both proven offshore reels.

Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about, but I got a few hundred days on the mr3's. I think the biggest problem with mine is they are the ported backs that allow moisture to the cork easier. Never heard of this foot oil, but I'd be surprised if I didn't try an oil that was similar composition. The problem in my opinion, after a few hundred days running them, along with thousands of fish caught with them, is the moisture getting to the cork. Wd40 displaces the moisture and voila. The new TR3 with the flouropolymer drag is likely the answer, but for $900 kick rocks...
MR3 also have an annoying drag creep fishin deep, running a clip tagged to the rigger clipped to mainline just above reel helps, shouldn't be necessary for a $450 reel I agree. Still a quality canadian product with great customer service. I've had both cork drags replaced, and all the bearings once totally free of charge...
As far as playing fish on them when they're tuned up, pretty darn nice...

[.264winmag]

And FYI, a dozen years or so ago when I got the MR3's Islander then recommended the oil they came with mixed with some powdered graphite into a slurry. What a pain in the arse that was, and messy...

[VLD43]

Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about, but I got a few hundred days on the mr3's. I think the biggest problem with mine is they are the ported backs that allow moisture to the cork easier. Never heard of this foot oil, but I'd be surprised if I didn't try an oil that was similar composition. The problem in my opinion, after a few hundred days running them, along with thousands of fish caught with them, is the moisture getting to the cork. Wd40 displaces the moisture and voila. The new TR3 with the flouropolymer drag is likely the answer, but for $900 kick rocks...
MR3 also have an annoying drag creep fishin deep, running a clip tagged to the rigger clipped to mainline just above reel helps, shouldn't be necessary for a $450 reel I agree. Still a quality canadian product with great customer service. I've had both cork drags replaced, and all the bearings once totally free of charge...
As far as playing fish on them when they're tuned up, pretty darn nice...

Your statement I have highlighted in the above text says it all. While I fully agree with the idea of supporting Canadian Industry, for the money I would not recommend an Islander. I have seen to many people pick a reel because it's shiny. "Shiny" doesn't mean it's good.

[Piperdown]

Ya, just like the moochers at Ferrer. Hog the hole for half hr with a 15#er...

Lol, nope, not a chance. Or maybe i could imitate you and leave the boat in gear with the riggers down and have the fish get further and further away from the back of your boat, taking up the whole area Man what a great fight. It is the funnest way to fish by far, every take is different, the feel of the fish is amazing. Takes a hell of a lot more talent to fish this way, but if your desire is to go offshore to the highways and drag them up good for you. VLD get back into it, can toss you some pointers might even be able to talk me into parting with a longstone or two as i have 9 of them PM me if you want some info. In Renfrew there is maybe a dozen of us that still mooch and there aren't many days when the sporstdraggers out fish us. Its all about the fight

[835]

do I sense some "fly fisher vs gear chucker " here? lol.

[Piperdown]

do I sense some "fly fisher vs gear chucker " here? lol.

Naw never