Abel Super 4N fly reel is made in the USA with precision! (continued)

Drag: While many manufacturers are going for sealed drag systems using a variety of materials, Abel continues to use their proven open cork disk drag system.  The drag surface is quite large, and is made entirely in house using top grade Portuguese cork with a bit of neatsfoot oil on it.  The user may set the reel up to have either the classic outgoing click, or as I opted for, a totally silent drag.  When the cork drag surface is clean and lubed, it exhibits no start up inertia and is butter smooth.  However, when it eventually becomes dried out and/or dirty, it can make a bit of noise and lose some smoothness.  On this reel I have only felt the need to have the drag lubed twice in a year or so of usage, which literally takes seconds to accomplish.  A sealed drag system is definitely less fussy, but keeping your reel clean will let it perform at it's peak.

While not a sealed drag, the surface is quite large

The drag performed great overall, except when some damp grit found its way into the reel a couple times.  To be fair, this only happened because I had carelessly left the reel down near the waters edge.  This is also one downside to the generously ported frame, but one I'm willing to live with for the weight reduction.  If I was buying an Abel to use strictly in beach type environments, I would go for the optional solid frame since it does a better job of keeping grit out of the reel. One thing that has always bugged me about the Super Series reels is that they do not feature a spool quick release.  This makes servicing the drag or simply changing the spool somewhat of a pain on the water.  The rear nut is easily removed with a dime or penny, however it is extremely small and easy to drop or misplace.  This is a very simple task, but is best done with extreme caution!

No spool quick release here

Durability:  These reels are built tough with the best materials, and I encountered no durability issues in the last year or so of usage.  After fishing Gulf beaches as well as harsh desert alkaline waters for Trout, there has been no sign of rust or corrosion.  If anything were to arise with the reel, Abel offers an original owner lifetime warranty against defects in materials or workmanship.

Light saltwater is no problem with this reel

Price & Applications: While the 4N costs $500, it is a premium fly reel that falls right in with other comparable top end reel offerings from companies such as Bauer, Nautilus, and Hatch.  The price may be a bit shocking to some, but you have to remember than this is much more than just a basic fly reel.  With all parts being made and assembled right here in the USA by skilled workers at Abel, these reels have a very custom feel and look to them even if no optional colors or parts are added.  With such robust construction and precise machining this is a reel that can be fished an entire lifetime for much more than just Trout.  Rated for 4 and 5 weight lines, it is equally at home on either size rod.  An added neat feature is that a Super 4N standard arbor spool may be purchased and used on this reel as well, giving it the added capacity to transform itself into a 6 and 7 weight reel.  You can think of it as almost having 2 Abel reels in 1.  If a person really wants a true collectors piece, Abel offers ultra premium limited edition reels featuring artwork by acclaimed artists Tim Borski, James Prosek, and Derek DeYoung. These are true works of art, with prices touching the $2,000 mark for the Borski reels.

Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):

Pluses and Minuses: