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Shilton
I have both the black and titanium colors of the SL series in stock. Shilton has set up an importer/distributor in Denver so all of their reels should be available with virtually no wait.
Call or e-mail for more information on the CL and CK series. Since we now have an importer/distributor for Shilton in the US, getting these models, as well as any of the models in a black finsh, should now be a matter of just a few days. The CL and CK models range from $285.00-$345.00. |
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In
the Spring 2006 issue of Wild and the Fly there was a very
short article with a photo of a one hundred and twenty-eight pound
yellowfin tuna caught on a fly. As anyone who has even tangled with
a thirty-five pound yellowfin can tell you, they're one heck of
a fish. The copy said the fish was caught off the coast of South
Africa and the reel used was a Shilton, made in South Africa. There
was no way for me to resist looking into the Shilton reel. What
I found were really three completely different models. Two of them,
the CK and CL series, are very nice reels essentially designed for
freshwater fishing. Particularly since they did not feature an outgoing
click, something about 95% of all North American freshwater fishermen
expect, I decided to not feature those two models. They are really
very nice reels, however, and the CK is a large arbor model. I can
special order either for you. However, the reel which caught both
the tuna and my eye, was the SL series. Here is a large arbor, skeletal
frame, saltwater reel with a gear and pawl clutch. So many of today's
large arbors are going to the one-way bearing clutch which can be
a nice feature, but the gear and pawl is stronger and more reliable
in the long run. That is especially important when pursuing large
fish. The only feature this reel doesn't have is an outgoing click.
Designing one into a gear and pawl clutch has always been a challenge
and those reels out there that have one usually have a mushy sound
to the click. This is a cork drag, drawbar design reel machined
from 6082T6 monobloc aluminum. They have detents in the drag adjustment
and two stainless ball bearings. At the current prices, it is a
superb value in a top notch design. More than that, they are beautiful.
Each reel comes with a nylon reelcase that has a pouch
for the drag lubricant included, plus a box and instruction manual.
New for 2007 is the SL8 which is designed for pelagic fish. It might very well be the best value in a serious direct drive bluewater reel.
