penn torque spin reel

[Sydney Neal]

Has anyone had a play with one of these

[Mark Harris]

Had a little play with a Canadian friend's. It was the big model... size 7 I think?

Design and look is fairly horrible - spaceage bling gone mad, and I hated the under-sized knob.

But, had a few jigging drops with it and it handles nicely and feels like a decent quality reel. Unfortunately did not get a fish on.

Can't really add much more than those bare bones I am afraid.

[Sydney Neal]

Cheers mark
The reels are half the price of the stellas and saltigas and I agree that they look ugly,
JM probably have a after market handle for it so it might end up as part of my tackle collection. Just wanted to know if it was comparable to the above mentioned reels like smoothness anti-reverse and so on cause I couldn't find any info from that Allan Hawke guy or anyone else

[Jamie Moir]

The mistake with the case seal was pretty hilarious. The body o-ring seal goes outside the sideplate screws, so it leaks through the screw-holes.

Penn is represented in Australia by Jarvis Walker, not really an outfit known for top quality sales and support.

Bit odd that neither Alan Hawk or Alan Tani have reviewed it.

[Mark Harris]

My main concerns would be:

- how sealed is it really?
- the drag (I have yet to come across any America spinning reel that lays out drag satisfactorily)
- only 7 bearings

A better comparison might be to Twinpowers rather than to Stella and Saltiga.

And you would have to leave the house with something that looks like this:

[Sydney Neal]

It's so ugly that its beautiful.
No I have the twin power and most of the other top end reels but if it leaks then maybe not the one to get. Being a landbased fisho I tend to be in the water a lot

[Vasko Dimoski]

Reminds me of the old shakespear sigma reels what a ugly reel would have looked good 20years ago maybe

[Andre van Wyk]

Sydney - If you are looking for a land based "tough as nails" water proof spinner, it might be worth checking out the Van Staal reels... These have been well proven over time in harsh saltwater environments, and are pretty mkuch 100% waterproof... they are also pretty "different" looking, but nowhere near the Penn's "Drag Queen on Halloween" looks... man that thing is UGLY!!

I had a play with the Penn Torque's at a Tackle Trade show here in SA last year and the agent was going on about how it was "built to take on the Stella's and Saltigas, and is actually way better" and I just smiled.... I would not put this in the same building, never mind the same class...
The handle had a fair bit of back play in it, which for me is an instant  "no-no" on ANY spinning reels... instant anti-reverse is not an optional function in my books... that bearing will take way too much starin, and be way too annoying to be used in any jigging or popping applications in my opinion...

They have been out for a goodly while now, and i have seen absolutely nothing in regards to the on water reports using them anywhere on the net, and I've done a fair bit of looking around...

I reckon you'd be better off with the OG SPinfishers or Slammers from PENN if you wanted to go that route... otherwise check out the Van Staals...

My 2 cents anyway..

[Mark Harris]

Andre, won't a Van Staal VSB cost just about the same as a Saltiga or Stella though (maybe even more in Asia and Australia) and more than a Twinpower?  In which case, surely, why bother?

I mentioned earlier that I had briefly used a torque for jigging and although I certainly did not love the reel, I did not get any noticeable back play on a fast jigging retrieve. I did find the cranking harder work that is should be though, with the handle and knob feeling too small. And the thing is just too ugly for words.

[Andre van Wyk]

Mark - Not sure on pricing where you guys are with regards to Stella vs Van Stall... here in South AFrica the Torque was going to be priced almost at the same as a Stella!!!!!! 
I suggested the VS as specifically a Surf fishing option as these are pretty much 100% waterproof.... designed specifically for surf fishing, so suggested it on that strength... but like you say, the costs may be the same as a Stella.... and unless you are actually wading and "in the water" all the time, Stella would defintely be my choice... but I would probably choose a Stella for pretty much everything! 

I mentioned the handle play on the Torque to the agenct when I picked it up, and he said " oh, that must be the prototype, here, this is the new one" and handed me another reel, and the back play was even worse!!!! 

But perhaps these were both dud versions.... I dunno... at the price its said to be released in SA, I didn't bother actually doing more research...

[Jamie Moir]

The VS are on special here in Aus ATM, you can get a VS 300 size for $820. Still a long way towards a stella

[Luke Wyrsta]

Even priced at "FREE", I think may be a little bit too much for this reel too 

[Neale Bird]

Why not look at the Tuff Tackle Diablo?? 

[Ben Furness]

Why not look at the Tuff Tackle Diablo?? 

I have never actually fished with one but I know of two shark fisherman in VIC that have destroyed of few of these after a few blistering mako shark runs.

[Jamie Moir]

You missed the "rolls eyes" emoticon.