|
Daddy’s Lean and
Mean, the Magnesium Pflueger Patriarch Spinning Reel
| Date: |
3/25/11 |
| Tackle type: |
Reel |
| Manufacturer: |
Pflueger |
| Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.75 -
BEST VALUE AWARD!
Introduction:
The appropriately named
Patriarch is the “daddy” of all other Pflueger reels and displays the highest
end materials and overall feature set. This lightweight spinning reel combines
magnesium and carbon fiber design into a single package that on paper looks like
the company’s best spinning reel yet.
|
Pflueger
Patriarch 9530 Spinning Reel
Specifications |
|
Line Capacity (lb/yds) |
6/150, 8/115, 10/90 |
|
Gear Ratio |
5.2:1 |
|
Weight |
6.3 oz. |
|
Bearings |
9SS BB + 1RB |
|
Additional Features |
Magnesium construction,
Anti twist titanium line roller, spring loaded line clip, spare aluminum
spool, carbon handle, EVA knob, neoprene protective bag |
|
Origin |
China |
|
MSRP |
$199.95 |
The Patriarch is the flagship reel
in the Pflueger lineup
Impressions: There
are a total of four reels in the Patriarch lineup with the largest being capable
of holding 200 yards of 8lb. line. This series is designed to handle everything
from Panfish and Bass to hard running Steelhead. The lightest reel weighs in at
5.6oz. while the largest still weighs a very respectable 8.1oz., and perhaps
even more impressive is that there is a flat price of $199.99 for all versions.
The Patriarch makes use of a
magnesium body, rotor, and sideplate
Pflueger
takes weight reduction very seriously with this reel. Not only does the frame,
sideplate, and rotor all feature lightweight magnesium construction but the reel
also makes use of carbon fiber in a number of key areas. This carbon is the real
thing, not some cheap painted facsimile, but actual carbon based material. It is
used in both the spool and handle and is designed to be extremely solid and
durable without the weight of normal aluminum alloy.
The mid sized 9530 weighs only
6.3oz.
It
doesn’t end there, the Patriarch is also ported in a number of key areas for
further weight reduction. In the lab we compared the ported hybrid carbon and
aluminum spool with the spare spool. The ported spool not only looks a lot more
aggressive it is also a lot lighter and weighs in at 1.1oz. (which is very light
for a spool capable of holding 150 yds. of 6lb. test line.) while the spare
spool which features more traditional aluminum construction weighed in at 1.6oz,
that’s a half oz. difference on just the spool alone!
The Patriarch is in the lab for a
closer look...
In the
lab we weighed each component separately and the carbon elements did effectively
reduce weight versus a traditional aluminum design. I hoped that these carbon
elements would perform equally as good as they looked when it came to actual
fishing in the field.
...we start with the spool which
is a work of art in itself
Real
World Test: To
test the Patriarch I wanted to wait until we got into our WTF (What The Finesse)
coverage for 2011 so I could compare the reel alongside many of the other
spinning reels in terms of performance and overall feel. Though the theme is
finesse fishing I also used the reel for working some reaction baits as well
just to test the reel in a wider rage of applications.
Inside the spool we can see the
spring loaded line clip
Next Section: Spool up and start casting |
