Hi, I’m new to the forum and was wondering if anyone knows how much the Martin 61 Fly Reel weighs. Just curious if it is lighter than a 1492 medalist. Thanks!
First of all, welcome to FAOL. My guess is that the Martin is a bit heavier than the Medalist. The only reason I say that is because the Medalist has a more skeletonized frame. Either would make excellent reels for a quality vintage fiberglass fly rod. I’d feel comfortable using either.
The Martin 61, popularly called a “tuna can”, is known for it’s light weight.
Medalists are know as "work horse’ reels due to their solid construction.
Without weighing them out, I’m fairly positive that the Medalist will be heavier
Thanks for the replies! I ran into a TON of info about vintage reels on the flyglassrodders site, including weights of many of the vintage fly reels. It looks like the “tuna cans” are lighter than medalists like you said. I’m looking for something to balance my 6’6" glass rod. I think a tuna can is the ticket. Man, after seeing all those vintage style reels I want to start collecting, that would be a fun hobby. I’ll have to hold off for a few more years until I’m out of grad school, ha ha