CF, I have fished with a JLH Salmon since they first came on to the market. My wife bought one for me as a Christmas present it has a very low serial # so it was one of the first couple hundred made. I have used this reel for steelhead fishing and it has been in on the playing of large and many times very hot steelheads from Alaska to Idaho and most places in between.
The JLH Salmon has an achilles heel, the pawls for the clickers are attched to the side plate by aluminum studs. When you hook enough large snotty fish the soft aluminum wears and the pawls start to wobble and this increases the wear and eventually creates a grinding into the surace of the spool.
I was able to get it repaired at a reasonable price at Archeulettas reel works and am very happy with the results however I am certain that it will given enough good fish need to be repaired again in the future. I view this as a small price to pay the reel damage has probably been to my hearing:devil:
I like the light weight of the reel and the size is adequate for 7/8 Grand Speys and ample backing for any application in steelheading.
Pescaphile mentioned to me that this model is being discontinued and I wonder if maybe someone else had a similar problem to mine if they did I congratulate them. (can you say pompus)
