Ocean City reels any good?

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (BlackHillsBill) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:21:53 GMT

trootfisher,

It doesn't appear you need much more convincing--especially about the 76. I have one
lined with a DT5, its line guard reversed for LHW, its retrieve set on either silent or click
according to whim. As sturdy as a Sherman tank, it's a tad hefty, takes a lot of thumping
about without damage, but is real purty in its way. I keep its nifty line weight indicator set
on HEH just to show the boys I know what I'm doing. The 76 goes...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (BigVinyard) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:28:22 GMT

bulldog1935 wrote:
the line is enameled silk - not really worth trying to do anything with.

This reel is a variation on the Ocean City Wanita, about the time the Wanita added "35 and '36" to its name.
It is a prewar reel.
A nice collectible with the box, but still a modest value.
It may not have enough weight to balance your Heddon, though - just a thought.

Bull...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (stickleyboy) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:28:11 GMT

Just showin' off how nice my #77 looks on an 8' Heddon #17.

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (bulldog1935) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:43:29 GMT

if you have something that works, that's great - stick with it.
recently, I have had luck buying laminated shim washers from McMaster - but they're expensive - $6/pop.

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (oldboyscout) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:30:32 GMT

Does anyone know where to get a replacement thrust washer that puts pressure on the back of the spool of some models? It's thin brass and the bend has worked out of it so it's too flat to work well. I used a flat nylon washer that's just thick and soft enough to work really well, but for purities sake i would love to replace with brass.

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (BigVinyard) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:47:39 GMT

Thanks for the info Bulldog. Maybe I'll fool around with it sometime when I should be doing something else but don't wanna.

Jim

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (bulldog1935) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:31:17 GMT

the line is enameled silk - not really worth trying to do anything with.

This reel is a variation on the Ocean City Wanita, about the time the Wanita added "35 and '36" to its name.
It is a prewar reel.
A nice collectible with the box, but still a modest value.
It may not have enough weight to balance your Heddon, though - just a thought.

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (BigVinyard) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:00:32 GMT

Hi everyone. I'm posting pics in hopes that someone will kindly provide information and/or suggestions. I am a novice, a flyfisher, and only an 'accidental' antique collector. I was gifted a bamboo fly rod. Now I need an appropriate reel. I 'begged' a reel from my bro-in-law but it's too small (an SA #4) for my Heddon 5/6 fly rod. Then I begged the pictured reel from my sister (nautical deco plans). It doesn't have any markings, only the box. I would try...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (bluejayee) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:22:31 GMT

Hi Guys, Find an Ocean City 'Viscoy'. Lightweight with a sprung shoe that releases the spool as well as acting as a 'drag'. It has no 'click' but the spool release looks like one. It has a round line guide. I keep a 3wt. on it 'cause the start up is nil. $3.00 at the pawn shop. My departed friend Jim Wolcott said, "I'd like to have that reel." I said, " I'll bet." Nice cheap reel. Jay Edwards

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (whrlpool) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:39:51 GMT

The spring mounted to the backplate is the one that's going to affect the click, but evidently some of these reels are fitted with a coil spring that produces light winding resistance when the click is off (prevent's free-wheeling, as someone said above.) It would be easy to find a comparable coil spring and tinker with its length or select a slightly weaker or stronger spring. The click provides most of the winding resistance, but a different spring would have some effect. Anyway,...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (bulldog1935) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:54:07 GMT

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (harleydeen) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:34:05 GMT

flyboy I too have a #305, but mine doesn't have any spring at all. If someone was to post a photo of what one is suppose to look like then perhaps I can find something that can work. I often wonder why everyone talks about the "heavyness" of the Ocean City reels, but mine feels like it weights about as much as a feather...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (Brian Shaffer) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:45:56 GMT

My O/C 35 needs a re-tune of the springs... which I kind of fouled up getting RHW tinkered in. The spring assembly is one I am not used to... compared to say, JW Young springs.
I cannot figure out how to lighten it up.. its quite strong both in and out.

Brian

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (flyboy) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:44:12 GMT

Thanks, This reel has but one screw, that which secures the spool to the center shaft. The body in its entirety seems to be cast aluminum in one piece. It cannot be disassembled. The round line guard is a little loose. It can be moved slightly. How is it held in, by small posts and tension within the sides? If so, is there a replacement available to avoid removing quite a bit of material to dress up the grooves? Those agate round ones on a previous post by Bulldog sure look nice, but then of...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (Cane Head) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:44:37 GMT

Possibly grooved by silk fly line - just like the way it will groove Carboloy strippers, snakes, and tiptops. I've had to replace guides on some of my rods that were grooved from the stuff.

Cane

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (flyboy) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:04:42 GMT

My 305 has a spring inside that presses the spool against the hold-in screw. No click, or means to adjust it, just the spring that creates some reasonable drag to prevent freewheeling. However, the round line guard, referred to earlier as nickel silver, has some sharp grooves cut into it by some kind of line. Two of them, that would damage a fly line as they have rather sharp edges. What could have cut them? Should they just be filed out and smoothed out? I suppose, there is no choice but to...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (canebreak) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:32:05 GMT

Like Bulldog said, "a blue collar classic." My 76 looks just about like the one in the photos above. Cleaned, tuned a bit, oiled, and greased, it's a surprisingly decent reel. I bought it to use on a SB 290...seems a reasonable match-up in quality and the time period is about right, too. Keep your eyes open on Ebay...occasionally a bunch show up at the same time and go cheap. That's how I found mine...it was almost sort of an after-thought to bid it, and it ended up costing...

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (cwfly) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:09:43 GMT

Ocean City #76

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (bluejayee) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:38:46 GMT

Hi Guys, My first real reel was an Ocean City bait caster. I have several fly reels by them and some made for other retailers. I believe they ended up with the Vom Hofe company. That makes them interesting, eh? Jay Edwards

Re: Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (tiethefly) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:34:52 GMT

I was first lured to this nice little reel because of it's round line guard. It took some time to get it tuned just right so the click is nice and steady. When the reel first arrived the reel spool wouldn't even turn. Now it has a nice strong click and engages or disengages nicely when needed.

...

Ocean City reels any good?

feeds@yuku.com (Trootfisher) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:21:11 GMT

Another question- are Ocean City reels
any good? They don't seem to command
much on Ebay, but I saw one at a local store
and it seemed solid, was made in the USA,
and looked nice.

Are these considered poor quality?
What's the scoop?