orvis madison reels

[flyred06]

Can anyone tell me anything about these older orvis madison reels made by flueger? Are they any good? I thought about putting one on a fiberglass rod but wanted to know if they were any good. Mainly for bluegill and vintage looks?

[BuckeyeRick]

I have a Madison 7/8 that I still use for my sinking line. I believe it is equivalent to the Orvis Battenkill that they are selling now for $79. My old Madison was $50 as I recall. As long as all the parts are there it should be just fine. After 20 years, the only bad thing to happen tomine is that the drag knob fell off.

[flyred06]

Thanks. This is a 70's model and I was just wanting it for a vintage style reel for a cane rod.

[cubefisher]

I fish one of those on an old madison rod, and I've not had any problems with it. My dad used to use it on an old bluegill rig. It's a great reel. Mine's been through a lot and it's held up really well. Mine's a 7/8, and I'm pretty sure it was from the era when Pflueger was making them. Cool reel. You can find them on ebay pretty often, and they aren't terribly expensive.