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Hi everyone im pretty new to the forum, i joined because i wanted some more info on my vr50. I live in europe austria to be exact and sending in reels for service isnt something i would do i always serviced reels myself which isnt a problem at all im a mechanical and electrical technitian and i know quite a bit about stuff like that i service all my reels mostly high end shimanos like twinpowers and a vanquish, those are not hard to service yourself and Van Staals are even easier. The only problem is that there dont seem to be any self service kits and i wanted to ask if someone knows the seal and bearing dimentions, i could check everything myself once i need it but that means that i have to wait to get all the right bearings and seals before i can put it back together and im really trying not to do that. The other thing is grease, i know van staals use rheolube, type 797, 362HB and maybe NC346 for some reels ? I think the lighter one is used for the VR50 gears and the thicker really sticky type for parts like the handle thread, which would not be a problem if the grease at the handle thread is not the original one, atleast as long as it doesnt damage the seals. I have tried a bunch of different grease like most shimano grease types, daiwa grease and quantum hot sauce but i have found that the XR1 penn grease is by far the best, you have to use only a tiny bit on really small reels otherwise there is a bit too much resistance but other than that its perfect for mid sized or bigger reels. The XR1 penn grease could hurt seals a bit in the long run but that should not be a problem if i can get seals for it, but again for that i need to know the seal dimentions. I would not be able to buy the original rheolube since its already way too overpriced as is and with shipping and customs it would be like 100$ or more and thats not something im going to do. The only seals i would need to change are the main shaft seal, line roller unit seals and the handle shaft seal, i already had some orings that fit the housing covers (1x40mm oring), and i probably have the other orings needed for the VR50 they are also the same material as the original orings. I would really apreciate it if someone could help me out with the seal dimentions

First off, let me say that although being a long-time member, you can see I hardly ever post. I do enjoy reading most of the other member's posts. I did post one other short story about the Plover situation a few years ago. As titled, the following is "wishful fiction" and the author wishes to remain anonymous. It is meant to be entertaining! It all started in the early 90's when the brothers T-Bone and Finbar were still pounding Nauset Beach and Pleasant Bay. They had discovered a good early May run of schoolies in the Bay. At the right stage of the tide, they could easily catch and release as many small bass as wanted and the occasional keeper. Later in May and on into June, the bigger fish would show up and it was game on! One night they had waded out to one of the many bars in the bay and were into the fish right away. Standing in waist-deep water with a dropping tide, something huge swam between them! "Did you see that?" Finbar asked. Before T-Bone could answer, a huge creature surfaced mere feet in front of a startled Finbar and made a horrible noise! Well you can only run so fast in waist-deep water, but Finbar did his best - until he heard T-Bone laughing. "It's only a seal, probably choking on a small bass". That was their first encounter with what would soon become the scourge of the entire outer Cape. Within the next two years, they couldn't buy a fish from their favorite hot spots in the bay. The Chatham seal population exploded and the bass didn't stand a chance trying to enter the inlets where the seals practically outnumbered them. The brothers started concentrating more and more on Truro and P'Town. Fishing was still good but the over-protected sea rats were getting worse every year. Finally, they decided something had to be done. Everyone was aware of the problem, but what was the solution? How to drive the seals away without going to prison. Some bullet-riddled seal carcasses had recently been found down Cape and the word was that the FBI was on their way! The solution had to be undetectable. T-Bone(the former Marine) wanted to hook them with heavy gear, drag their "sorry asses" up on the beach and beat them to death. This was, obviously, highly impractical. Finbar (the thinker) researched the seal and discovered a few interesting facts. There was a virus that could wipe out whole populations of certain types of seals. This would be ideal except that obtaining the material and dispersing it would involve too many future witnesses. Nope, it had to to be something that the brothers could do alone. this was the way they always did things and why they were still free and able to chase stripers on the beach. The second promising solution involved audio technology. Finbar had read that seals were anatomically similar to dogs. They obviously had canine teeth, but was their sense of hearing also similar? If so, Finbar was sure there was a fairly simple solution. There are several companies that sell dog-barking control devices. These devices send out audio signals that the human ear cannot hear but hurts a dog's ear to stop the barking. When finely tuned, they will actually make a dog run away. I always thought it was a good way to deal with bad neighbors and their barking dogs. And so, the game was on! The brothers shopped the net (incognito) and within a few weeks they had an assortment of electronics, audio equipment and lithium batteries. They were always careful to wear latex gloves when touching any of these parts. With the help of an audio tech/engineer, who was told they were working on a predator control device, they soon had several prototypes. They were able to field-test the "Sealerator" over the long winter months. They walked into a popular seal haul-out area to test their new toys. When they got to about 100 yards from the stinking mass of seals, Finbar flipped the toggle to 'on' and prepared to adjust the rheostat. There was no visible movement until the dial was almost on 'max' power. Then the whole herd seemed agitated and headed for the water. Overjoyed, the brothers approached the water's edge and flipped the toggle back on. Sure enough, the herd took off down the beach and stopped about 100 yards away. After running several more tests and fine-tuning their equipment, the boys were ready for the Spring run. They had perfected and waterproofed the devices so that they could bury them in strategic areas and set built-in timers to send out sound waves only at the seal's usual haul-out times. Thanks to the Park Service's warning that the precious critters needed their resting times, Finbar figured that with constant interruptions, the herd would either move on, or get sick and die. Either option was fine. After burying the devices at the strategic spots in April (under the cover of darkness), they only had to replace the batteries once monthly. Finally, it was mid-May and the brothers were happily fishing their way to the outer Cape beaches. They had started fishing the estuaries 2 weeks earlier and had a ball catching and releasing fish to 24" on light tackle and small plugs. T-Bone had even scored a couple 30" fish early on! Finally, they walked over the dune to the major seal haul-out area and were awe-struck by what was happening! There were a dozen Government vehicles, some with DC plates and 20 or 25 workers working on a large pile of seal carcasses! The whole area was roped off with 'crime scene tape'. when the brothers approached the area, they were quickly confronted by one of the officials, wearing his shiny badge and hand on his holster. "What are you guys doing here?", he demanded. "Well, sir, we were planning to do a little surf fishing - hence the fishing rods, plug bags and waders", replied Finbar. T-Bone piped up "What the heck happened here - did somebody get murdered?" Barney Fife replied "Oh, no-it's much worse than that! Last night, a dog-walker and bird watcher called 911with a report of some crazy seal behavior. By the time we responded, there were 22 dead seals in the wash! We are preparing to do necropsies on them now." "Wow, what kind of crazy behavior did the witnesses report?" asked T-Bone, while Finbar struggled to hold back his laughter. Barney replied "They said the poor creatures would climb up on the beach and just as they settled in, something would scare the Bejesus out of them and they would rush back into the water. This happened over and over until some of them actually drowned and the rest of them left the area! The witness, a Mrs. Vanderbooger, also stated her dog 'Poopsie', was acting as crazy as the seals!" T-Bone and Finbar said good bye to the officer, thanked him for his service and wished him luck in solving this horrible catastrophe. Once they were back to their trucks, they laughed until they cried and their sides ached. They went on to have another 5 weeks of great striper fishing - never bothered once by the filthy sea rats. When the story was finally released to the news media, "The massive seal kill at Seal Hollow has been determined to have been by natural causes. The top scientists have concluded that the seals were simply worn out and could not forage, thereby malnourished and extremely fatigued. Congress is rethinking the Marine Mammal Protection Act as it may have actually caused this over-population problem leading to these unfortunate deaths. Congress is also sending their Thoughts and Prayers." Some of the preceding story is fictional entertainment and the author strongly advises against any illegal activities. The penalties for any illegal actions against protected or endangered wildlife are much more severe than harming humans....

Came across these pics in FB which was taken on 2/22 in long island south shore. my questions are, what kind of fish is this seal munching on? if shad, blue, striper or whatever fish, etc, is it possible these moved into our water already or residential ones?

Just retired in May! For the first time since the 70’s and early 80’s (dating myself here) I’ve had time to re-explore my old favorite beach fishing locations around the Cape and Islands. I’ve been away from New England for a long time and now as I’ve covered a lot of beaches here I’ve been shocked at how many smart and aggressive seals I’ve encountered. “Smart” because while surfcasting, 9 times out of 10 no matter where I’ve been, within 5 minutes of the splash of my lure(s) one or more seals pops up near me. Fly fishing does not trigger the “seal stampede” immediately to my location I’ve come to expect while surfcasting, but I believe simply the daylight profile /shadow I create by fly fishing on the beach or in shallow water elicits fairly “soon and certain” seal “swim-bye” too. “ Aggressive” because several fish I’ve hooked have been attacked by Seals. Several times I’ve reeled in just fish heads. One time I reacted too slowly and got spooled. Then to add insult to injury the attacking seal then circled back and munched on what remained of “my” bluefish less than 10 yards out in front of me. Wow!! This reminded me of “educated”. Barracuda and bull sharks over heavily fished wrecks and or reefs in Florida. There I reeled up many fish heads there too! So my question to this community forum .... What do you think we (beach fishermen) can safely do for us and the seals to mitigate the seal participation in our fishing outings? A fellow fisherman I talked to on a Cape beach the other day (in between Northeasters) said he opens his bail or loosens his drag once he sees a seal in pursuit of his hooked fish. His claim is the now “free swimming” fish gets a better chance to escape the pursuing seal... (???). In my opinion, maybe an escape initially may not end well if the seal is persistent... ideas, alternatives or recommendations? One obvious insight for me is location - I've found shallower fast moving water creates less hungry seal encounters. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!

This needs to happen on Cape Cod. "According to the release, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) approved ODFW’s application to lethally remove the California sea lions that are present at Willamette Falls in order to help save winter steelhead and spring Chinook salmon from extinction."

The Cape is aslither with seals. There's a population of Great White sharks eating them, albeit too few to matter. Where are the orcas? As mammals, they have a much faster metabolism then a shark. A pound of orca will consume a multiple of the weight of seal meat that is adequate for a GW. I've never heard a reliable report of an orca attack in the NE US, though I've seen apocryphal claims that an Australian explorer (Mawson?) had to run for his life on an ice floe in the Antarctic while a pod tried to knock him into the water. Is Massachusetts too warm in summer for orcas? Are they worried that the State will tax them? Why no orcas? Anyone with a decent knowledge of orca biology here?

For the last 2 years, I have gone to Cape Cod in August. I have had very little luck on the ocean beaches - Nauset (including the inlet), Coast Guard Beach, Head of the Meadow. SEALS EVERWHERE, even at night. With no oversand vehicle or permit, I found the Race just too much walking to get to good spots. Are there any good ocean beach spots where a guy like me may have some luck?

what i want to know is what happened to the fluke in cape cod bay - especially off truro and around p-town. i have not asked for a few years after hearing similar answers from a couple different local f/t fishermen i know - "seal potato chips" etc...but is that it ? - it was/is the seals ? curious.

There was an interesting show on NatGeo channel about white sharks in California's Farallon Islands, where they go to seasonally munch on sea lions. Apparently an adult is only good for half a dozen sea lions a season, and after that, they commute back to an otherwise indistinct bit of bottom far from shore, almost in mid-ocean. No one knows why. This leads me to wonder just how substantial a catch of seals a great white can make here on the East Coast. Supposing a fully adult shark, Mary Lee or a colleague, gets the munchies for seal fat. How many of them do they actually eat? Sharks reproduce slowly and GWs are very slow. They give live birth. AFAIK no one's every gotten them to reproduce in an aquarium setting. Could we do some infishiyo fertilization (infishiyo instead of in vitrio? Get it? Get? Hahahahaha) and perhaps breed more pups then would mother nature? Introduce two-foot GWs into the Peconics each year when the bunker choke themselves into asphyxiation and help out the bunker while putting some good fat on the sharklings, to get 'em started. Anyone know how many seals a year makes a Mary Lee happy?

Great white shark all-you-can-eat buffet. http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/12/video-shows-horde-seals-off-chatham/7sfMidCYOs2ljwkKJXfmqO/story.html