Cabelas CR-67 fly reel

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Ron Mc
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Cabelas CR-67 fly reel

Post by Ron Mc »

I talked about the Harnell 645 Christmas-gift rod on another thread (OP'd that thread about Phillipson glass)
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I'll also tell you about the reel I bought to go with it. It was a great ebay snag, and paid less than it's worth.
And of course plan to share it with my other salt rods.

The CR67 was made (in Miami) for a short while for Cabelas by Fin-Nor c. 2000, and is an excellent drag reel.
It was also sold as the Fin-Nor CR.
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It's the cork drag design originated on the Seamaster, and copied by Abel. The whole reel is a clamp that squeezes the spool against the clutched cork.
Sealed radial bearings in each face of the spool, and a roller-bearing clutch in the cork plate, in place of a ratchet and pawl. Switching wind direction is easy by sliding off the cork plate and flipping the keyed roller bearing.
The detentes on the drag knob give Very Fine, subtle adjustments on the drag.
ImageBehind the cork plate is a circular spring that pushes a pawl into the spool detentes to make the subtle pay click (no wind click).
My photos probably don't show it well, but even the anodizing on this reel is every bit as good as Abel.
I've always wanted a Seamaster No. 1, never wanted to pay the price, but for function, this reel is as good if not better.

Managed to find this parts diagram online so I was ready to take it apart.
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For comparison, here's my 12-wt Abel - the X-Stream doesn't have the fine finish polish Abel is known for.
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The clutch is a ratchet and pawl on the circumference of the cork plate, only clicks in wind - with a bit of presence. Also sealed radial bearings in the spool.
This ratchet mechanism gives the spool a small bit of end play and rattle, and something less than the tight smooth feel of the Fin-Nor CR.
ImageThe Abel also has detentes on the drag knob, and doesn't give near the fine steps on drag adjustment as the CR -
- and yes, it should stop UPS trucks and tarpon up to the shear strength of the foot screws.

Would have to say Fin-Nor now as part of Zebco (in turn part of Pure Fishing) is very different from their Miami roots, and now just a name marked on flashy imported mass market reels.
And of course they don't offer fly reels any more.
Their roots were quality benchmade salt reels. conventional, spinning (Gar Wood design), fly.
https://antiquefishingreels.com/?s=fin-nor
a quality-first business model copied in the '80s by Abel, Ross, Lamson, Van Staal (IRT, Accurate, Siegler today) - only Abel copied their whole reel and still makes it today.
Noteworthy about Abel, they're still in the same business, and haven't moved production offshore -
- they've managed that because of their fly reel focus, smaller sizes, their prices ballooned and their name took over the spot Fin-Nor used to occupy.

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bones72
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Re: Cabelas CR-67 fly reel

Post by bones72 »

I just saw this. Way cool and as always the history that comes with the post is awesome.

Is that a slime line on there or am I just seeing a heavy leader? Could be my farsightedness taking over too.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Cabelas CR-67 fly reel

Post by Ron Mc »

The Abel has a 12-wt floating line.
The CR-67 has a TS-250 sinking line, which only takes up 1/4" of the spool - lotsa backing.
and thanks, you know this is my kind of fun.
I'm an historian of this stuff.
https://fiberglassflyrodders.com/forum/ ... um.php?f=4

patient e-bay shopping can still find occasional exceptional buys on excellent tackle - I paid $80 for the CR-67 and think I showed above its better than a $600 Abel.

btw, my Abel was the $300 version they offered in the limited X-Stream series, further discounted by Abel on closeout.
That was a really good deal.
I also bought this pretty click-pawl X-Stream trout reel then, inside same as the TR-2.
But it turned a hole in my pocket and I sold it, actually for a slight profit.
Especially like the way they used the half-daisy cut-outs for spool balance.
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bones72
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Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2019 1:42 pm

Re: Cabelas CR-67 fly reel

Post by bones72 »

Yeh that was a heck of deal. I dare you to find an Abel for that price these days that hasn't been run over by a Mac Truck.
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