Tackle Tuesday… Daiwa Emblem BR25A Reel

This entry was posted on 15th August, 2017

Reviewed by Carpology Magazine…

EMBLEM… UPDATED! How do you improve one of the most iconic carp reels ever, the famous Emblem? Well, read on and we’ll show you exactly how Daiwa has done it…

You can trace the fame of the Daiwa Emblem right back to the moment a young Terry Hearn chose to adopt a set of those workhorses for his Yateley fishing. Make no mistake, Emblems were highly regarded already, but this was the moment their place in carp history was truly cemented. The fact that you can still buy reels that, for all intents and purposes, are the same as Tel’s, speaks volumes about their enduring appeal. So, when Daiwa embarked on a mission to bring new blood to the Emblem stable, they had to get it just right. Allow us to introduce the Emblem BR 25A…

Free-spool system Unlike all Emblems before it, the BR 25A has free-spool capability. This is a genuine step forward and immediately marks it as it an extremely versatile performer. A lever mounted on the rear of the reel allows you to flick the BR 25A into free-spool mode with the minimum of fuss and free-spool tension is controlled by means of a simple knob at the back. When it comes to it, why wouldn’t you want your reel to have free-spool facility? We certainly can’t come up with a good reason!

Compact chassis The compact nature of this big pit reel makes it the perfect all-rounder. It’s built around the same chassis as the impressive Cast’izm BR, which we think makes it pretty much ideal for use on almost all waters. Given that it can still deliver remarkable casting distances in the right hands, we see no reason that this Emblem won’t be the go-to reel for all your UK carping.



Genius spool design In keeping with the compact design, Daiwa has fitted the Emblem BR 25A with a rather fetching compact spool too. It’s what they call a ‘shortened mini big pit spool’, which measures a diminutive 25mm from front to back. Far cleverer people than us have designed this shortened spool so that it can still be used to cast massive distances, just don’t expect us to tell you how they’ve managed it!

Reliable drag Daiwa reels have a reputation for clutch performance so reliable that you could put your mortgage on them never seizing at the wrong moment. This, of course, extends to the Emblem BR 25A, in the shape of its UTD (Ultimate Tournament Drag). The quality of this clutch system allows you to make tiny adjustments in the heat of battle, which help to protect your hook hold, should the carp of your dreams surge off unexpectedly (it’s never expected, is it?).

Cranking power A ratio of 5:3:1 gives the BR 25A superb cranking power, which is a Godsend if you’re not keen on spending half your session reeling in from long-range! That ratio delivers a top crank rate of 107cm, which kinda blew us away to be honest – this is a ‘small’ reel after all. Over a metre per turn; whatever next? Of course, this also helps you keep in touch with fast-moving fish, which can be critical to protecting your hook hold.

Buy The Daiwa Emblem BR 25A