I don't usually do this and I'm not going to mention brands with the exception of the reels I know are a safe bet but I feel I have to issue a blanket warning to all those people out there thinking of buying a Magnesium framed reel from ANY manufacturer and using it in Saltwater.
Be aware that it is not likely to last very long.
The only two exceptions to this I have personally come across are the Shimano Core and the Shimano FE Stella, Some of the Metanium variants seem to be okay too but I'm basing my opinion on a reel recieving minimal care. Shimano seem to have their coatings well in hand but do your research before purchasing. There may be others out there that will work and once again do your research, but I am yet to come across them and I service alot of reels.
If in doubt PM me. But be prepared that I may just give you a plain "yes" or "no" if I'm busy at the time.
Again today I came across a two month old Magnesium reel that had serious corrosion issues from 6-7 trips to the point that the paint was "bubbling" off the reel. Admittedly the bloke said his maintainence hadn't been perfect but he had washed the reel down after every trip.
For the record I myself tried to use a Daiwa Pixy which is a lovely reel even though I was totally aware of the potential for disaster inherent in saltwater use and went to the lengths of stripping the reel down and fully servicing it every 3 trips.
IT STILL FAILED Not a great photo but suffice to say the jagged hole where the thumb bar used to go through should be rectangular in shape. Luckily for me the Alphas Platform shares the same dimensions in aluminum and I was able to salvage the reel by replacing the frame with one from an Alphas R edition.
Anyway I hope this saves someone a lot of grief as Magnesium reels also tend to be expensive!
Cheers,
John.
