Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

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Al03
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Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by Al03 » Thu Nov 08, 2018 12:26 pm

Hi, after some advice on a good combo for the Salmon and Jew off the beaches. At present are running Snyder 12 Foot rods with Abu 7000 o/head reels using nylon as I do a lot of rock fishing.
Have never used an Alvey, but are looking for something that if I drop it in the sand or It gets seriously wet from the saltwater I can continue using it without having to strip it down and wash all the sand and crap out.
Am i on the right track here? Not interested in threadline reels for this task. Thanks in advance.

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Lecterfan
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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by Lecterfan » Thu Nov 08, 2018 3:01 pm

I've used alveys off the beach and rocks almost exclusively for the last 17 years. I still use a couple of threadlines and overheads, but all my heavier (30lb+) beach and rock outfits are alveys. To be honest, if I had the money, I would upgrade one of these outfits to a heavy duty fully sealed threadline, but I don't, so I haven't. I'll talk about the good stuff first.

I've owned 3 alveys through the years (and fished with mates with different model alveys also) and my recommendations are: get one with a clutch/drag and a reel handle (not 'direct drive', i.e. NOT ones with the handle fixed to the spool itself) unless you really want some close range fun and games with heavy mono off the rocks. Direct drive can be fun off rocks with say 50lb mono, but I generally found them a pain in the arse to be honest. Others will disagree.

My two enduring favourites (both well over 15 years old and going strong after servicing and new washers) are:

1. the vented, plastic, lever drag version (6500 bcv I think). This is my fave reel of all time. I run 30lb braid on it and have skull dragged monsters as well as had fun with salmon etc (I prefer a long sloppy rod with sidecast reels rather than a heavy duty crow bar that puts me at the wrong end of the fulcrum). After about 11 years of abuse I sent this reel to a bloke in Qld who cleaned it up, replaced a few washers and calibrated the drag a touch heavier for me and I still use it now.

2. Metal 651c5 - I have this beast loaded with many hundreds of metres of 80lb braid and have stopped tiger sharks off Carnarvon jetty with it. It is almost unbreakable but is physically very heavy to fish with and only has a star drag (although it can be almost locked up and will handle 80lb braid no worries).



Pros: they really are primitive, easy to maintain, easy to clean, and they do the job. I love them. To get the same toughness and line capacity from a threadline reel starts to get very pricey for beach/rock use. For what they are, Alveys are cheap as chips.

Cons: they take some getting used to - you have to learn to be an alvey user. The metal ones are too heavy for holding onto off rocks (fine with a holder in the sand). The line retrieval rate is generally 1:1 so they can be hard work on big fish...it even gets boring winding in to check/change bait by the end of the night. You need a rod set up for sidecast reels.

Alveys are a bit like a vintage motorbike (or any vehicle)... they are a lifestyle more than just another fishing reel. To keep the vehicle metaphor going - an alvey might not do the 'daily commute' as efficiently as a modern vehicle, but it is more fun, quirky, and does all sorts of other things even better.

But hey, if people can afford to spend a grand on a threadline then I'm sure they would be awesome also.


Edit: I forgot to say.... using lever drag on a long rod off the beach is also a cool as f*** feeling, much more fun (IMHO) than a bait runner or stuffing around with other systems. If you can still find a plastic vented lever drag 6500bcv somewhere I would recommend it above almost all others for value for money for a beach/rock reel.

Al03
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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by Al03 » Thu Nov 08, 2018 5:04 pm

Thankyou so much for your reply. Love my over heads but am looking for an alternative. I like the idea of a lever drag Alvey, have a couple of over heads with this feature and I find that it is just instinctive to use the drag as you need it.
Am planning a trip to Johanna in the colder months next year for a few days and am confident what you are putting forward will be a viable option.
I also like quirky old things, such as cars and guns so am thinking that the Alvey is ticking some boxes here.
Am only 50ks North of Ballarat and fish the Ocean Rd, Portland etc whenever I get the chance. Once again, thankyou for your help, I appreciate it.

greggo
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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by greggo » Thu Nov 08, 2018 6:33 pm

All my surf fishing is done with either 12ft Snyderglass or Nitro Messiah, depending on where I'm fishing. Both rods are fished with Abu 7000's, I really cant get any sort of comparable distance with a spin reel.

I have fished a lot on QLD beaches where they all use the Alvey reels with appropriate rods. I've used them quite a bit but cant get anywhere near the distance I get with my overheads. I find they aren't too bad to handle when casting a light sinker, but get really difficult when casting heavier sinkers.

I'm definitely no expert on them and will most likely be slammed by the Alvey guys, but I'd be sticking with the overheads.

Al03
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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by Al03 » Fri Nov 09, 2018 5:44 am

I usually use 4 oz sinkers when surf fishing. So casting an Alvey with heavy sinkers can be challenging? Have used my 7000's for over 25 years and guess I am just looking for something a bit different that can also do the job. Anyone else on here have issues casting an Alvey with heavy lead?

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Kimtown
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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by Kimtown » Fri Nov 09, 2018 5:47 am

The little sidecqst lever bracket came off on mine... It's like a pop rivet that held it on. The bit is missing too.. Who would be able to fix this and replace the part? Can local tackle shops do this?

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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by Bayrock » Fri Nov 09, 2018 7:36 am

A good quality overhead should be able to handle pretty much anything you can throw at it in surf or rock fishing. If you drop it in the sand rise it with fresh water (if you have any on you) or salt water then rinse properly with fresh water at the end of the day's fishing. At the end of the trip give it a good service and regrease and you'll be good to go. For your application I can recommend a Torium 20 with 20-30Ib braid, casts a mile, tough as nails and very durable, and powerful drag.
This reel is a favourite among south african anglers and those guys hammer their gear on massive edibles and sharks/rays

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Re: Alvey Sidecast surf combo.

Post by dezza68 » Fri Nov 09, 2018 7:51 pm

The ABU 7000 is just about the best overhead made in the last 30 years so why change? I use one for most of my surf fishing and I have had it for over 20 years, looks like crap but it still works fantastically.

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