# New Shimano Symetre FL



## burnsie8495

Just a shout out to the board, has any one used the Symetre FL yet any feedback will be much appreciated.


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## grinner

i'm not sure what model symetre mine is.

i had an old one that was fantastic, i gave it away after the washers sort of died a bit.
then i brought a stradic which was maybe 5 % better than the symetre.
a numptie dropped that overbaord and now i'm back with a symetre.

i would say the stradic ci4 is a SLIGHTLY better reel , but only slightly.

for the price and for a kayak where there is always a chance of losing gear, i would go the symetre.

it is a very smooth piece of equipment,
i sbrought one of those cheaper shimanos , a sienna the same day as the symetre.

whilst it was 1/2 the price, it is a noticeably worse reel.

i think mid range reels 140 dollars is probably about the go.

i only buy shimano sss rods now for the kids and shimano raiders for myself. the raider , i have found is an incredibly tough peice of kit and it has been rammed into more mangroves than i can remember.

i had an sss lying on the ground and a horse stood on it. unfortunatly it got a bit of line caught in its shoe and as it walked off it pulverised it into a million pieces. the reel ( a sienna thankfully must have got a bump as well and is trash.

but the symetre is a fine reel. match it to a raider mexican 2 and i dont think there's anything you wont be able to land.


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## honb

Hi Burnsie,

I have the FL in the 1000 and have now taken it out 4 times. On the first trip it got dunked (broke my heart) but after a rinse and an oil I haven't noticed any permanent damage to its insides. It's very much like the FJ and the same weight as well. I usually pair it with a 7 foot 2 inch Shimano Raider and find that it is just a little bit too light for such a long rod. Drag-wise I think it's great -- it feels smooth enough for the bream and flatties I normally pull in.

Unfortunately I've never had the Stradic so can't compare, but next to the Sienna it's definitely worth the jump in price.

Hope that helps.


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## Jenko

Apparently the new Symetre has changed a lot, I have 4 of the previous models and can't fault them.
New model http://www.shimanofish.com.au/publish/c ... re_FL.html


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## rino88

Just bought one of these in a 1000, matched it up with the Starlo stick 1 - 3kg 6 foot 6 inch. Going to spool it with Suffix 832 6lb. Can't wait to get out and use it! Will mainly use it for lite lures and surface stuff. The new reel design is a bit more compact than the previous model, lighter and :twisted: sexier :twisted:


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## munro91

Since reading this thread I've done a bit of researching. Is it worth the risk of buying of eBay from the US or just bite the bullet and spend the extra few dollars and buy it locally ? (About $100 from US or $115 locally).

Cheers, Munro.


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## rino88

munro91 said:


> Since reading this thread I've done a bit of researching. Is it worth the risk of buying of eBay from the US or just bite the bullet and spend the extra few dollars and buy it locally ? (About $100 from US or $115 locally).
> 
> Cheers, Munro.


For the extra $15 I'd be buying locally. You'll get the reel quicker and your warranty stands with the Australia distributor. :mrgreen:


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## GaryD

Can't speak for the latest model, but I have a similar story to the previous poster. I had the previous model Stradic, lost it overboard (doh!) and picked up the symetre FJ as a replacement. It's 95% as good as a stradic, and for the fishing I do it's more than enough. I also do like the el Cheapo $70 BCF combo of a SSS rod and a sienna and for bait fishing they are plenty. The Sienna's cop a lot of abuse and plenty of salt water and still keep working. No where near as smooth as a symetre but great bang for buck - and you won't feel so terrible if you lose it overboard.


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## Evoids

Got one of the 1000 FLs recently for my birthday. Haven't used it yet as I'm waiting till I've finished building a rod for it. Its going on a 6'7" 1-5lb blank and I'm going to spool it with 3lb fluro straight through. I love the 1000 FJ I have which is why I went with the new FL. Will definitely post results one the set up is complete.


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## mangajack

I run Symetres in 3 different models including the latest, Saros, and Stradics in 3 different models including the latest.
Symetres are a damn fine reel for the price, actually prefer it over the Saros by quite a bit......the Stradics are marginally better and the difference between the Stradics and the Sustain is very minimal as well.
My first Symetre is still going strong after 20+ years and 1 week at the bottom of Moreton Bay (snagged it back up the following weekend and gave it a overhaul and replaced three bearings and drag washers....good as ever still).
I can't see the point in going past a Symetre for yak fishing....they are perfectly suited.


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## Evoids

mangajack said:


> My first Symetre is still going strong after 20+ years and 1 week at the bottom of Moreton Bay (snagged it back up the following weekend and gave it a overhaul and replaced three bearings and drag washers....good as ever still).


Haha thats amazing! Glad I've got a couple of these reels, just cant wait to use the new one.


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