The Abu Page
Go here to see my 500 series section or
here to see the Cardinals.
The ABU reel company developed from a maker of BOMB TIMERS during the second world war to a maker of fine fishing reels. Perhaps the quality of the reels can then best be understood as follows:
The men and women working in the factories after the war were the same group that worked there during the war. During the war they built VERY IMPORTANT AND PRECISE pieces of equipment. Would you want to be flying in an airplane full of bombs that were not built to precise standards? Probably not. Therefore you can understand the mentality of the individuals working for ABU at the time.
After the war the markets changed. Sure there was a market for timers, alarms, clocks and watches, but what do you do with the equipment that is too big to manufacture these items? The ABU company ventured into fishing reel development. Think about it. The same group making bombs during the war is now making fishing reels. The same mentality and dedication of these craftsmen and women went into the design and construction of the new product. They must be good!
The 500 Series
The 500 series is a very unusual line of reels. They sit underneath the rod, yet they have a closed-in cowling.
The reels vary in colour, but the appearance is essentially the same. They do, however, vary in complexity. The features that they share are as follows:
Common Features
- A fixed spool ( Not Revolving)
- Cross Winding of line
- Push front button line release
- Stainless steel winding cup
- Top quality materials and workmanship
The series looks like this:
- ABU 501 * All Black, very simple drag (the least expensive)
- ABU 503 * Copper coloured cowling, a more sophisticated drag
- ABU 505 * Red cowling, star wheel synchro drag
- ABU 506 * Blue metallic cowling, auto synchro drag
- ABU 507 * Same as 506 but bigger
The reels do have more features, of course. An excellent article is available from a guy in England, where the MATCH FISHERMEN made the reels famous. Look it up or ..........
This is easier look it up:
here
OR See if you can find one that you want to buy!
here
Coming next........ The Cardinal Series
This page was last updated on March 27 2001
Send me your comments G. Schuetz
Zebco Cardinal 6 
Zebco Cardinal 3 
Abu Cardinal 4 
Abu Garcia Cardinal 5 
Abu Cardinal 44 
Zebco cardinal 4