That would be disappointing.

Isn't that a 2 speed reel. Did you have it in gear properly? It looks like it has a 2 speed handle also, maybe they ship them with the handle loose so that you can select the speed.

Penn are excellent 

ITSABOAT,
Reply to yours,

When I just started to learn to fish, my Dad sold a guy a JEEP Station wagon, in those days JEEP was a tank hard to get hold of.
His name was Keith Hilder apparently a very competent engineer, not a fisherman though. he was an aviator, built the original airstrip at Blackalls near but North of the Swansea Bridge, built on Coal wash, council as usually tried to f .. him in the 'aisles.
He moved the strip further to wards Belmont end. It was Hilder who inspired me and I joined Broadmeadow Aero Club. dad freaked out. Bob Russell was the President of BAC. Russell field at Thornton is named after him. Flew Spitfires and Hurricanes in the battle for Britain, I was in awe at what they did in those times any way he dobbed me into Dad, not good.
Hilder started to make SURFMASTER reels, he is not the original designer as I found out. Dad and a number of friends would give the Surfmasters a work out, had no star drag initially, the alternatives at the time were GRAEME reels made by Bennet in Sydney. They were a fragile bit of gear. At the time there was a batch off 23 Studebaker Champion 9G's were imported dad as a distributor was the only dealer to get two of.
Through that dad met someone who had contacts in the US.
Cannot recall how but Dad had a friend from the US who knew Keith Egly, President of PENN reels at the time. Dad and his fisho' mates would wrap Australian dollars in carbon copy paper and post it to Egly. All of a sudden with the PENNs we were hitting big fish in big numbers nothing to go down to Redhead and spin or with mackerel / mullet slab baits 5-60 Taior in a night between say five people. The walk back over the sand hills was really hard, even as a 13 year older. Then from another contact in the US we had Ocean City's, Pfleugers and so on, one make I have never seen before or since was a 'South Bend' a smaller type reel that was used for perch up around Dungog, That is where by the way Bellbrook lures were first hacked out of dowelling sticks.
About this time Seascape came up with a Star Drag, as the Surfmaster.
Hilder used to stamp the persons name on the winch plate, we had a number Black, Red, Silver with 'CBL' my Dad's initials. Was a joke back then my fathers initials were CBBPL,
He did not like it all that much Cyril Bay Bear Park Lawton when his driver licence regularly came though with C....B....B... PORK used to really get him pissed.
So yes I am disappointed regarding PENN, I met an elderly person couple years bag he had an original ABU ... had it for yonks, my 7000 looks crappy the anodising has come off all over, the level wind shit after the first few months.
So the argument could be 'cop it' things ain't like what they used to be .....

pass the bottle ...........

About PENN.

I cannot remember his name but the guy who designed Ocean City reels really hit the big time, had the market virtually.

An engineer working for O C had other ideas, that was the start of PENN.

Think we had a PENN Level Line, bit after the time the SQUIDDER came out, the L L  had no pawl but a bar the line ran over to lay it on the drum which we disconnected. Never was a good reel to cast compared to the Squidder. I think I was given my Squidder 1955/1956.

Another point that helped PENN reputation and hugely here in Oz was when Zane Grey, the famous America author of cowboy books came here to Bermagui chasing Marlin,

Not dead set sure of the reel he used but was told had PENN features. Had a number of reels came to Australia after a jolly to NZ.

Famous bit from that era was a young employee of Mick Simmons SYDNEY was sent to Bermagui as a (bait boy) gesture for Grey.
Story is that there were no hook ups on a particular outing, the so called experts had their input .
That junior was to us 'Uncle' Jim Simpson (as we knew him in later years) put his three penneth in about and why the rig should be altered, the senior know it alls discouraged him from commenting, told him to 'can it' they knew better than Jim.

Grey is on record as saying "let the young guy have his say" result was a record catch the next day.

Mick Simmons made Jim Simpson manager of Mick Simmons NEWCASTLE over night.

When we were kids, he had a radio show on the Newcastle network "Good Fishing and tight Lines"

Was great;  fisho's would come in to buy tackle and bragging as we do ? ? well some do ?? "don't tell anyone but the tailor are on down at Catherine Hill Bay near the 'big wash'" .(around the corner)... phones would run hot many, of Dad and his mates would  be down there, pick us up from school and that night, an Arnott's biscuit tin of Mum's rissoles and into it.

Was always taught to have a spin first if nothing, then bring the Garfish out (4 x 6/o Mustads) however on some outings would never bait up, all taken on KEEL spinners that we used, others preferred Graeme Chromed spinners.

Wow memories ???? always had a freezer full of Tailor / Jewfish in those days.

Reminds me of ITSABOAT famous quote ....then Ya Get hitched sort of dampens the view, life gets in the way ! !

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ITSABOAT.

I am surprised your comments re PENN and Jarvis Walker, can't imagine that there is any connection of similarity.............

Have been to a few BIG tackle shops in the USA, never got to BASS PRO at Fort Myers (supposed to be biggest in the world)

Orlando, was simply unbelievable.

Just the LODGE cast Iron cookware display would be the size of an average tackle shop here.

Bow hunting just for fish was huge.

I also went to other shops around Winter Haven also in Florida, the advice on rigs, knots was something to see.

I saw a guy at Orlando who I would describe as a 'tyre kicker' from my car sales days.

You ain't got the 'coin'.

He had reels and rods all over the counter, went on for a number of hours.

I thought what a do do .... had all really big gear out on the counter PENN Internationals the whole bit.

Later at the huge BROWNING handgun display this same guy was there.

I could not help asking "Did you buy and gear?'"

He was from the DEEP, DEEP South.. wow ......  I would say GATOR countreee he was hard to understand.

He said "Yeah I bought eleven reels and eleven rods"

"I came down here last year and set up a FISHING charter business, borrowed all my rods reels from MA KUSINS and MA UNCLES TO GET ME GOING, NOW I IS GONNA REPAY THEM"

Wot is the saying ? Don't judge a book by DE CUVVER.

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