High-end spinning reels — reels that are top-quality, are made with
the highest precision
and are frankly pricey — first came onto the scene in the late 1980s.

A certain handcrafted reel that an aircraft machinist made was
the first to be mass-marketed.

Engineers from that reel later formed another company, introducing their own version under another name that also became well-known.

Some of the major tackle manufacturers also mass-produced their own commercial versions.

Penn Reels is now throwing its hat into the ring.

The Penn Torque is a high-end spinning reel that is apparently built to be rugged, and made to be among the best quality at a competitive price.

The reel, available
in either black with
gold trim or gold with silver trim, comes in three sizes for 12- to
30-pound mono or
20- to 100-pound braid.

With a one-piece, machined aluminum frame, the reel features
a forged and machined aluminum spool that
can be used with
either monofilament
or braided line.

The side plates and handle are also forged, machined aluminum.

The reel, made in the United States, comes with a stainless steel bail that is high strength, the company says.

A unique system allows the angler to choose between automatic or manual trip of the bail with a flip of a switch.

But a kit is available for bailess, dual manual pick ups.

The reel’s gear box and drag are fully sealed to keep out saltwater and sand.

Tech-heads will want to know that the reel includes Penn’s oversized
HT-100 Versa-Drag system for a greater range of drag settings, an integral clutch sleeve that eliminates back-play during hook-up, a hardened pinion gear and seven stainless steel ball bearings.

Some specs:

Model         Mono                                        Braid                                  Line Retrieve     Weight
                    (Yards/Pounds)                     (Yards/Pounds)                (Inches)             (Ounces)

TRQ5          340/12 ● 300/15 ● 210/20        550/20 ● 400/30 ● 290/50        32                      19.9
TRQ7          490/15 ● 340/20 ● 300/25        470/50 ● 390/65 ● 340/80        38                      26.5
TRQ9          490/20 ● 440/25 ● 330/30        575/65 ● 490/80 ● 425/100      48                      28.5

The Penn Torque spinning reels, with a retail price from $659.99 to $699.99, will be distributed to stores in December.

For more info, visit the Penn Reels Web site.