Mergantroider,

As my moniker implies, I fish a 5000D, 5500D and own several 5500DA's. All great direct drive reels that nowadays are all but impossible to find, i.e., new direct drives. I semi-retired the 5000D by fishing it ocassionally for steelhead when my buddy Spawnout is gracious enough to take me out fishing (not necessarily catching). I have really overused these reels in the salt chuck mooching for salmon. The result is simply sprung spools, the result of 4-5oz sliding sinkers.

The phflueger supreme is really the classic and perhaps the standard that I suppose all the subsequent direct drives that were made thereafter tried to mimic.

Nowadays, new direct drives in the size of a 5000D are impossible to find. I have several Shimano Bantam 50's that John at Johns in Everett converted to direct drive for me for salmon. Spawnout has seen a couple of the results of these reels. Last year, I was able to purchase a Bantam 1000 at Ted's, again like the 50, this has the direct drive option switch. Again, a reel I use in the salt chuck.

5000D