Merwin: A Jewel of an Ultra-Light

Here’s one of the best new reels I’ve seen making its debut here at ICAST, the annual fishing-tackle trade show, this year in Orlando, Florida. I’m very much into ultralight spinning, so I really liked this Quantum PT 05-size reel. It’s the smallest reel ever in that popular series and truly a mechanical jewel.

Most ultralight spinners are okay, but usually priced at $50 or much less and are built accordingly. The new PT, at about $140, gives Swiss-watch smoothness when you crank it. The $100 price difference over comparably sized models, in other words, is readily apparent in quality. It has all the PT-series bells and whistles, including that wonderful nickel-titanium bail that will not bend or deform, 10 ball bearings, and a very precise ceramic-washer drag stack. You won’t see this in tackle stores until next spring, but you can join me in salivating meanwhile.

Otherwise, one of the best things in my 30 years of attending this trade show is always running into old friends and acquaintances who I rarely see otherwise. I had a very long talk with legendary bass pro Denny Brauer yesterday, for example, that I think you’ll find interesting also. Check back here next Monday morning for details.