Thoughts on Peetz Mooching Reels?

[Mark Steffens]

Hi folks! I'm looking at upgrading some old reels and came across these guys. I love that they're made in BC and the beautiful wood reminds of the classic Australian Alvey side cast reels I grew up beach fishing with. I like that they have a 1-way drag mechanism as I'm often fishing with beginners or my 5 & 6 year old sons. And the price seems right. Love to hear your thoughts on these or anything else you'd recommend. https://www.peetzoutdoors.com/products/5-inch-evolution-wooden-fishing-reel?variant=1329115936

 

[Corey_lax]

Everyone should have at least one peetz

 

[oguard]

I have an old one that was rebuilt. Nice reel,smooth action. I agree with Corey, everyone should own one

Mike

 

[Sangstercraft]

We called them knuckle busters, because when the drag wasn't set right and the fish was running, you'd whack your knuckles as you tried to control the reel Newbie mistake.

Great reels, and I usually put my most novice fishermen-guest on them, and reserve the more finicky Penn reels for the more experienced.

$319 is a high price (to me anyways). I got mine used online, cheap, and sanded and oiled it back to it's original glory.

 

[Rockfish]

There are a great many of them available used at Garage sales etc. especially around Victoria. You should be able to find one in very good condition cheap. Some have a display port (called the recorder reel) that indicates the amount of line out. The factory in Victoria will also upgrade them to the new one way drag system for a fee which is still much cheaper than buying a new one.

The wood reels are classic but they work best/perhaps were designed for wire line. If you use mono make sure to put lots of dacron backing on them to absorb the compression when the mono is reeled on under load. Lots of the them have had the wood break from the force of the compression if only mono is used with out backing.

If you don't want the classic beauty of the wood reel, they do/did make the same/very similar reel out of stainless and brass that are more durable than the wood version. You can find them used also, but there are a lot less of them around.

 

[Mark Steffens]

There are a great many of them available used at Garage sales etc. especially around Victoria. You should be able to find one in very good condition cheap. Some have a display port (called the recorder reel) that indicates the amount of line out. The factory in Victoria will also upgrade them to the new one way drag system for a fee which is still much cheaper than buying a new one.

Unfortunately I live in Whistler, where second hand skis and bongs are plentiful but salmon gear not so much :-(

Good to know about the need for backing thank you, while I love the look of the wood perhaps their new Stainless version is the more practical option.

I just can't see the value in something like an Islander when they creep, the Shimano 4000 looks like the best value / performance but I do like the look and sound of these Peetz reels as a way of supporting local and getting a great product...

 

[wishiniwasfishin1]

Another thing to consider is the older ones have a two-way drag and the newer are one- way i believe which is the case for the stainless (one way).

 

[high tide]

I sold hundreds and hundreds of the 5 and 6 inch wood ones years ago.....then they came with built in depth counter too. Classic ol reel for West coasters. Specially off the Cowichan area.
The great thing about them is if your trailer winch fails you can always use em to get your boat back on the trailer and home. .......all in fun.
An ol Classic. I have a couple. But never used them.

 

[Rockfish]

The metal versions of the Peetz wood reel were made using the same construction principals as the wood reels. Of the early metal reels, all were two way drag and the first was a 4 and a quarter inch recorder type designed by Ivan Peetz in the 1960's. There were a number of metal versions made after that including the coated brass reel 1980 and the nickle plated version in 1982, which were for-runners of the "2000". It was not until 1995 that the 5 inch stainless version named the "2000" became the first truly successful Peetz metal reel in the market place and these are the ones you will most likely find used. I picked up mine alone with a good rod at Lunds Auction House back room in Victoria some years ago for I think it was $18.00. I expect it is worth much more than that now. It has not been converted to the modern style one way drag but I assume it could be. If they have a current version of the 2000 I assume it has the new modern one way drag system like other similar modern reels.

There is a lot of history with this company and the rarer Peetz reels are very collectable. Douglas Pollards book "PEETZ A Reel For All Time" is worth the read.

I think of the large Wood Peetz reel as the downrigger we all used to fish deep before Scotty brought out the first early blue manual downriggers. If you needed to fish deep before downriggers you used a large Peetz wood reel paired with a Peetz roller rod and steel line, either the braided type or the super soft mono stainless steel line. To get it down large weights or the large early commercial type planers were used. You could get this combo down very deep even in current and for fishing deep the recorder version that would indicate your depth was very useful. Of course in those days you either had no fishfinder or one of the paper recorder type.

 

[staying alive]

I’m not very smart and have used old school Peetz for years , love the challenge ,once your used to them it’s great.
Granddaughter caught a 18lber on one last year

I bought a evolution version on the buy and sell here last year and quite like it , except for the fact they are silent when the fish runs , who thought of that , that’s the main reason for having a Peetz is the noise when a fish peels the line out

But They just look cool in the rocket launchers

 

[Mark Steffens]

The metal versions of the Peetz wood reel were made using the same construction principals as the wood reels. Of the early metal reels, all were two way drag and the first was a 4 and a quarter inch recorder type designed by Ivan Peetz in the 1960's. There were a number of metal versions made after that including the coated brass reel 1980 and the nickle plated version in 1982, which were for-runners of the "2000". It was not until 1995 that the 5 inch stainless version named the "2000" became the first truly successful Peetz metal reel in the market place and these are the ones you will most likely find used. I picked up mine alone with a good rod at Lunds Auction House back room in Victoria some years ago for I think it was $18.00. I expect it is worth much more than that now. It has not been converted to the modern style one way drag but I assume it could be. If they have a current version of the 2000 I assume it has the new modern one way drag system like other similar modern reels.

There is a lot of history with this company and the rarer Peetz reels are very collectable. Douglas Pollards book "PEETZ A Reel For All Time" is worth the read.

I think of the large Wood Peetz reel as the downrigger we all used to fish deep before Scotty brought out the first early blue manual downriggers. If you needed to fish deep before downriggers you used a large Peetz wood reel paired with a Peetz roller rod and steel line, either the braided type or the super soft mono stainless steel line. To get it down large weights or the large early commercial type planners were used. You could get this combo down very deep even in current and for fishing deep the recorder version that would indicate your depth was very useful. Of course in those days you either had no fishfinder or one of the paper recorder type.

Rockfish thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful piece about the history of these reels, it makes me want to get one even more to become a part of a local tradition!

 

[Mark Steffens]

I’m not very smart and have used old school Peetz for years , love the challenge ,once your used to them it’s great.
Granddaughter caught a 18lber on one last year

I bought a evolution version on the buy and sell here last year and quite like it , except for the fact they are silent when the fish runs , who thought of that , that’s the main reason for having a Peetz is the noise when a fish peels the line out

But They just look cool in the rocket launchers

I think they must have changed the setup of the evolution now as they state they all have a clicker, and the "Banshee" even has a 2-way clicker so you also get a milder click on the retrieve...

 

[staying alive]

Thanks Mark I’ll have to contact them and see if I can upgrade mine so I can hear a screamer scream

 

[Rockfish]

There is certainly a sense of satisfaction when ocean salmon reels like many Peetz or the Hardy Longstone loudly scream when a big fish is pulling line. However it does have its downside in some circumstances. That very loud clicker sound travels down the line and long distance through the water. In some locations like off South VI, the very large Piniped populations (especially the Seals) in close proximity to sport boats, have learned that sound (some more than others) and it is like ringing the dinner bell for them to come and grab a very easy to catch meal off the end of your line. When you have had a bad day getting in a number of hatchery Chinook jaws only to the boat out on Constance Bank or the Flats, you come to realize that a reel with stealth capability may have some advantage in those situations. This was not much of an issue years ago, but as Piniped numbers continue to explode, it will only get worse.

 

[Kildonan]

There is certainly a sense of satisfaction when ocean salmon reels like many Peetz or the Hardy Longstone loudly scream when a big fish is pulling line. However it does have its downside in some circumstances. That very loud clicker sound travels down the line and long distance through the water. In some locations like off South VI, the very large Piniped populations (especially the Seals) in close proximity to sport boats, have learned that sound (some more than others) and it is like ringing the dinner bell for them to come and grab a very easy to catch meal off the end of your line. When you have had a bad day getting in a number of hatchery Chinook jaws only to the boat out on Constance Bank or the Flats, you come to realize that a reel with stealth capability may have some advantage in those situations. This was not much of an issue years ago, but as Piniped numbers continue to explode, it will only get worse.

I run my longstones in stealth mode around Victoria, you can do the same with Peetz reels. (Click pawl off). Haha. Damn seals!!!

 

[Saxe Point]

Everyone should have at least one peetz

I agree. At least one. I have 4. Two 6 inch old wooden ones that I had refurbished, retrofitted with the new one way drag, and converted to left hand retrieve. They are for halibut and fantastic. I also have two Steel Wheels, both left hand retrieve, for salmon. Love them.