Fellow anglers,
Many would have used this small little jewel of a reel. I am contemplating of owning one. But would like to find out more from the actual users about the construction and performance of this reel. I understand it comes in the forms of Calcutta 50/51, Calcutta TE 50/51 dan also Conquest 50/51. And how is it compared to the well known Daiwa Pixie, which as I know, does not have left hand version?
Thanks.
i think u have made a decision, just follow your heart. 
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Piscator,
I own a conquest 101 which is a left hand version of 100 series. Is very solid reel compare to calcutta 101B. Most parts are metal. The weight are compareable with the standard calcutta by heavy porting. It also makes it more beautiful. Free spooling is good but I am not sure if is anywhere close to Pixie or Alphas.
Using correct equipment can make a difference
Piscator bro,
Been using my old faithful Calucutta 51 for awhile now and i think should be able to comment a little on it… Purely my personnal opinion la
Very beautiful and nice reel to own, good and durable, consider mine to be the one of the oldest and less refined model(no money for higher end one ma).
Bout the machinery and parts i don’t know much le, cos i also not sure of their function and most of the time i wouldn’t open it. Unless to oil it and setting the centrifigual thingy…
Been catching kg plus haruans and pacus on it, so the power is there and ability for rough use is there too(not sure pixie can do so or not, i dun own one, again[no money la]). Casting distance is fair, been using small lures on it(5gram) and the distance is good too but minor adjustment must be made to the centrifigual system(loosening and tightening the pins). And i believe a pro-caster like u should be able to thumb very well(i don’t) haha… u need lots of it when casting small lures.
The one thing tat i’m not glad for the reel, perhaps only my model is that the line counter/guide???(the place which the line need to pass through in and out of the reel) stay stationary even when fish is peeling out line, unlike other newer reels.
The point that i love this reel most is it sits really low on the rod and it’s really a comfort to fish with! If u are searching for a round reel tat u can palm like a low-profile, look non other than Calcutta! It sits even lower than the Ryobi T-1 by comparison.
All in all, it’s very much a jewel like u said!
I’m just a college student and only have 10 years of fishing experience, so must beri tunjuk ajar!
TJS,
if I did not get it wrong, did you mean the line guide moves when lines is being pull out of the reel in normal mode??? I own 5 reels and i yet to see that feature. Even conquest doesn’t have it. Which reel have that feature???
Using correct equipment can make a difference
I think what you mentioned is more accurately termed as the syncronized line guide. generally, IMO there are 3 basic types.
the most common is the wind-sync. this means the line guide in in sync with the handle when turned. almost all baitcasters and small multipliers, with a line guide offcourse, have this function.
the other is the cast-sync. this means that when you disengage the trigger to make a cast, the line guide is in sync as line is stripping out of the free spool. most mid-size to medium large multiplies have this function. but not many baitcasters do.
lastly, the drag-sync. this means that the line guide is in sync when line is stripping out of the spool in winding mode. not many baitcasters have this function. as far as i know, all Pixy and all Alphas models have this function. i don’t think shimano implements this on their baitcasters.
My fishing site @ http://fishingboy.multiply.com/
Yea that’s right fishingboy bro,
Thanks a million for the clarification!
I won 5 reels and only the Calcutta and the old Ryobi T-1 don’t have this function, the rest all have this feature. The most prominent bc tat have this feature should be the Abu Garcia or at least the higher end Abus(both my abu hav it). For i own an vintage reel tat have tat function too!
The rest i’m not sure. I have a Daiwa which also have this function. Maybe like wat fishingboy said, shimano reels do not come with this function, and i think v Ish bro u should be a great fan of shimano hahaha, just my thought tho…
I’m just a college student and only have 10 years of fishing experience, so must beri tunjuk ajar!
TJS,
Out of my 5 reels, 3 are shimano, 1 diawa and 1 abu. Number shows I am a fan but I am always kept my option open. I always choose the reel that I find suitable to me. Speaking of shimano, don’t ever send your reels for repair at shimano PTE. It didn’t solve the problem and it actually make things worse. My Calcutta reel was so over lubricate, my free spooling was not the same as before. Probably they have use a different lubrication. To compensate for that, I adjust the friction to 0 and VBS to the minimum. Still able to do the job but not the same anymore.
Using correct equipment can make a difference
Gerard,
I have not made up my mind actually. There are many good reels around and Conquest 51 is about the smallest among the good ones. Just wonder how this little reel would perform for throwing small lures and spinfly, especially when it is windy. This happens often when we are outdoor. I think a rod in the region of about 8 lb would be matching it.
V Fish,
l01 is good for general fishing. As far as performance is concerned, it is unbeatable. I love it. But for lighter lure it is still not free from overrun when the setting is on light side. Otherwise the cast will be short. Do you find lots of free play in this reel? I dont know if 51 is built about the same way.
TJS,
Good advice from you. Plenty of thumbing. But I always forget about this aspect of line control and always thumb it a bit too late. Have you tried 50 for spinfly? I should learn more finer points from you about using this reel, if I should buy it.
Fishingboy,
Does the cast syn help casting distance or it will curtail it. I believe when the spool spins to pay line and at the same time it also drives the line guide, the extra duty performed by it would slow down the spool. Just a belief. I am quite blank about this.
Piscastor,
I have a rather classic Abu Rocket IAR which has cast-sync line guide. but most medium to large multipliers have this function as well. IMO, this particular function is only good for casting heavy stuffs to extremely long distances, surf casting is a good example. other than that, the additional friction created by the an additional set of gears would severely hamper casting distance.
My fishing site @ http://fishingboy.multiply.com/
Piscator bro,
Those were just my opinion and experiences, hope they will help…
For spin-fly i don’t think it’s a problem for the using heavier sinker, therefore it depend very much on wat’s how heavy for fly rig is! But as u know, bc can only handle as light as it can take, plus bc are not meant for light casting…
anyway tat apart, i’ve actually stubborn enough to use 2gram jig heads on my cal51(the name i always call my calcutta 51), cos my tackles consist of mostly super light lures… trust me if u wanna do anything as light as tat forget it la, the humble spinning setup would definitely have a upper hand and heavenly to use! The distance i manage to cast is roughly 10metres away with correct friction knob dial, so u can draw ur own conclusion by now.
For me, spin fly using lead of over 9grams can be easily cast to some reasonable distance on the Cal51… shouldn’t be a problem for pro like u to achieve over 20metres(agak-agak la).
I’m just a college student and only have 10 years of fishing experience, so must beri tunjuk ajar!
Piscator,
you mean free play as free spooling or back play??
if free spooling, the bearings are fantastic but the start up inertia maybe a little too much for ultralight lures due to the spool mass. 101 is good for lures the size of river2sea soft plastic frog.
if is about back play, no back play notice.
one thing I like to highlight on this calcutta family is the cast to retrieve mode issue. i notice it happens once a while. immediately after a cast. the moment i start to retrieve, the thumb bar will reset but the smoothness is not there. if i continue to retrieve, i will notice a click then the smoothness returns. it is like some mechanism did not disengage completely. Anyone experience this problem? Even conquest has this problem. and this is the reason I send it to shimano pte but still not solve.
Using correct equipment can make a difference
Piscator,
Take a look at Abu 1500 iar.
I have a calcutta 50 and loved it. Only played with the TE and conquest in shop. They’re really nice but cost a lot of money.
But there are two things that i dislike about the calcutta 50:
Not to poison you but I like ABU better. They’re smoother, drag is smoooooth & strong and casts longer. Not to forget they’re cheaper too… [:D]
“Out for the thrill, not for the kill!”
quote:
Originally posted by gelama_pisang
I have a calcutta 50 and loved it. Only played with the TE and conquest in shop. They're really nice but cost a lot of money.But there are two things that i dislike about the calcutta 50:
1. Jerky Drag (replaced with ABU carbon matrix washer)
2. No cast sync line guideNot to poison you but I like ABU better. They’re smoother, drag is smoooooth & strong and casts longer. Not to forget they’re cheaper too… [:D]
“Out for the thrill, not for the kill!”
Jerky drag can be replaced, like what you mentioned above. IMO, i always prefer slightly wet drag setup. it’s more consistant.
Don’t worry about the drag-sync and cast-sync feature, most baitcasters don’t have them anyway. however, these features are somewhat important for medium to large size multipliers.
My fishing site @ http://fishingboy.multiply.com/
quote:
Originally posted by Tan Jiin Sheng
Piscator bro,Those were just my opinion and experiences, hope they will help…
For spin-fly i don’t think it’s a problem for the using heavier sinker, therefore it depend very much on wat’s how heavy for fly rig is! But as u know, bc can only handle as light as it can take, plus bc are not meant for light casting…
anyway tat apart, i’ve actually stubborn enough to use 2gram jig heads on my cal51(the name i always call my calcutta 51), cos my tackles consist of mostly super light lures… trust me if u wanna do anything as light as tat forget it la, the humble spinning setup would definitely have a upper hand and heavenly to use! The distance i manage to cast is roughly 5metres</font id=“red”> away with correct friction knob dial, so u can draw ur own conclusion by now.
For me, spin fly using lead of over 9grams can be easily cast to some reasonable distance on the Cal51… shouldn’t be a problem for pro like u to achieve over 15metres</font id=“red”>(agak-agak la).
I’m just a college student and only have 10 years of fishing experience, so must beri tunjuk ajar!
Sorry the distance is off and i hereby change it, sorry for misleading at first</font id=“size3”></font id=“red”>
I’m just a college student and only have 10 years of fishing experience, so must beri tunjuk ajar!
quote:
Originally posted by v_lsh
Piscator,you mean free play as free spooling or back play??
if free spooling, the bearings are fantastic but the start up inertia maybe a little too much for ultralight lures due to the spool mass. 101 is good for lures the size of river2sea soft plastic frog.if is about back play, no back play notice.
one thing I like to highlight on this calcutta family is the cast to retrieve mode issue. i notice it happens once a while. immediately after a cast. the moment i start to retrieve, the thumb bar will reset but the smoothness is not there. if i continue to retrieve, i will notice a click then the smoothness returns. it is like some mechanism did not disengage completely. Anyone experience this problem? Even conquest has this problem. and this is the reason I send it to shimano pte but still not solve.
Using correct equipment can make a difference
Haha,
You’re not the only one bro, my Cal51 behave the same too but i didnt know the higher end models have the same problem as well, thanks for the input bro!
Anyway, if u face the problem again, try to pull the line to put the reel back in function.
Apparently, as u start retrieving the line the tumb bar have not fully been lifted up yet and by pulling out some line helps to put it back to it’s position, a fool-proof method tat from time to time manage to help me solve the problem… happy trying and i hope it helps.
I discovered this method during one regular pacu casting trip where the pacu took the lure as it;s sinking, and before the pacu take the bait i was having similar problem, but when the fish starts pulling that’s a slight ‘click’ sound and the reel went okay again. I’m sure u quite familiar with tat sound too… So normally i would just cast out and let the lure sink, that make a sudden jerk instead of pulling the line myself to reposition the reel, haha…
tat why ur reel went back to it;s function only when u start pulling, cos some force is needed to reset the reel!
Hope this help
I’m just a college student and only have 10 years of fishing experience, so must beri tunjuk ajar!
TJS,
that makes 2 of us. Calling all calcutta owners, do you experience this problem??? I believe it is a design problem for round reel because my calais don’t have this problem. If indeed is a known problem, shimano should do something to correct this flaw.
Using correct equipment can make a difference
i’m also a owner of calcutta conquest 51 and abu revo.
but abu revo drag is much better than my conquest although i’m using conquest each time i go fishing..check this out..
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimanoconquest.html
[W]ith [W]inds~~[S]hall [W]e Cast??
[quote]Originally posted by Piscator
Gerard,
I have not made up my mind actually. There are many good reels around and Conquest 51 is about the smallest among the good ones. Just wonder how this little reel would perform for throwing small lures and spinfly, especially when it is windy. This happens often when we are outdoor. I think a rod in the region of about 8 lb would be matching it.
Bro, Abu morrum 1600 forell is to me one of the most temperamental reel i ever own and i actually own two sell two. yet now i am thinking of the third one. I would rate the pixy most expectable, conquest most reliable, the forell most temperamental. All three cast light stuffs greatly, depends on whether u want your fishing bored or frustrating 
Anyone has a piano that needs to be tune?017-6718716