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Classic Reels

Classic Reels 
46K views 161 replies 40 participants last post by  Brookie_Hunter 
#1 ·
Nothing compliments a classic bamboo or fiberglass rod like a classic reel. Let's hear (or see) what yer using.

Here is one of my "pimped" Pflueger Medalist reels on board an 8' 5wt. bamboo rod.
I LOVE my Medalist reels! :thumb:

 
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#63 ·
Early in this thread someone mentioned the Johnson Magnetics. I went back and looked for the post but somehow I missed it. It's getting past my bedtime but we need some more pictures.

The Johnson Magnetics...curious reels that I believe were once endorsed by the man himself; Lee Wulff. Inside there are no gears, pawls, or springs, just a spindle for the spool to slip over and held in place magnetically. I once checked to see where the magnets are - spool or spindle - but I've since forgotten...old age I reckon.

As far as I know they came in two sizes. The Model 3 and the Model 5.







 
#67 ·
Some Local Flavor

Here is a reel that I bought just because of where it was made - Vashon, WA
I tried to get more information on it from the web and pretty much came up dry. My last stop was at the ORCA board and here is the information I got back from a member posting as Reel Geezer

Arthur Sanford was a Presbyterian minister in Whitefish, MT c1915-1919 when he got interested in fishing reels and developed and patented an automatic reel with the spring power built into the rod handle. He moved to Vashon in 1919 and apparently developed that single action fly reel. The single action reel and the automatic reel are both shown in a Piper & Taft, Inc. (Seattle) catalog c1920. The automatic reel was advertised in the April 1920 issue of Outers Recreation magazine.

The single action reel was simply called the Springfisher Single Action Fly Reel. His automatic reel was labeled the Sanford's Springfisher Automatic Reel. Your reel came in four versions: 3" x 3/4" with solid or ventilated spool and 2-3/4" x 3/4" with solid or ventilated spool. I have seen and photographed a few of these single action reels, but am unaware of any of the automatic reels ever being found. Tom Harwood searched all around Vashon for information about Sanford, and for his reels, but found little information and so far as I know, he has not found an example of the automatic reel.
I would note that the diameter dimensions given above refer to the spool diameter as my reel has an overall OD of 3-1/2"

The reel uses an offset caliper spring to provide more resistance on the payout and a friction center drag which can be engaged when needed. This thing is tight as a drum with absolutely no spindle play. It shows very few signs of use, if in fact it was ever used at all.




 
#69 ·
Early on I mentioned that I had a couple of Pluegers that came to me in a package deal. They are both stamped identical: Plueger Trump No.576. However, one of them is an aluminum cage and the other is made of brass.

The weight difference is substantial: 4.4oz vs 2.9oz. I wouldn't consider these significant in any historical way other than the fact that they are not Medalists! :) I have to imagine that these and their Progress cousins were sold pretty cheap, and by the number of them that turn up for sale, did a brisk business.


 
#73 ·
The Beaudex

I would like to preface this post with some acknowledgement to some sources. First off, there is a wealth of information available about J. W. Young reels at The Classic Fly Rod Forum. A great bunch of enthusiasts that have and still do post up photos of reels, but of old catalogs and such to help trace the history of Young reels. In particular, a poster with the handle of bulldog1935 has been wonderful about sharing what he knows - which seems to have no end. Secondly, there was a book recently published by a gentleman named Elwyn Attwood (Rupe) titled J. W. Young & Sons - A Century of the Art of Making Fishing Reels - available through www.medlarpress.com. Rupe manage to go through the Young catalogs during the process of writing his book. This was extremely important as Young's mainstay was not as a retailer, but a wholesale manufacturer that sold their reels to others for retail sales and thus most prewar Youngs carry the retailers stamp instead of their own.

When WWII broke out Youngs already had over fifty years experience making reels. This was put aside to machine parts for fighter and bomber aircraft for the war effort and the production of reels didn't resume until the final months of the war.

Before hostilities interrupted the flow of events, Youngs was in the process of redesigning some of their reels and these were introduced after the war.

One of these was the Beaudex.





Attwood reports these reels replaced the Pattern 14A in their lineup. This reel and its simpler cousin the Pridex, both benefited from design features of what came before them. It is quite apparent that Young considered the ability to adjust end play on the spindle due to wear or personal preference an important feature. The spool release latch and the robust inner workings were also designs that carried through to the post war models.






Another thing that carried through from the prewar days was marking their reels for retailers. However, it appears that not everyone was the recipient of this practice as Garcia sold them with the J.W. Young & Sons badge intact. Other sellers had theirs stamped in addition to the Young badge.



Which ever way they were brought to market, the reels came in sizes suitable for everything freshwater from brook trout to salmon. The Beaudex was available in ¼" diameter increments from 3" through 4" with the larger sizes also available in wider widths.



Produced from 1945-1969 the cosmetics of the reel evolved with the times - different porting patterns on the spool, different finishes ranging from the crinkle finish of left over war paint to polished and lacquered drums of the later years. During the 24 years of its run, the inner workings of the reels change very little. The most significant change being the design concession to the popularity of left hand wind reels. And although the line guard changed a few times, it was still easy to spot a Young reel.



With where I live, and the kind of fishing I primarily do, I could probably get by with a single 3-1/2" Medium Width Beaudex for everything from stillwater to steelhead.



…but then…where's the fun in that! :)
 
#76 ·
As WW indicates, Rupe Atwoods book is a fantastic and probably the best resource for those interested in J.W. Young reels. Being both fantastic and best you gotta have it. :)

TC
 
#77 ·
Fantastic posts guys!

Pretty amazing to see how the flyreel has evolved over the years, and in some way's very little!

And that we still prefer to use them instead of letting them gather dust in a box or on a shelf..
 
#79 ·
More Beaudex bits...

Hey Ken, a nice trio of Beaudex reels you have there! Oddly enough the 3-1/4" size is one that I don't have. :hmmm:

The one with the crinkle finish and the other with the smooth finish are pre-1948 reels. You can tell by the wording on the badges. In October of 1947 Youngs became a limited company and the badges were changed to reflect that with the addition of "LTD"

Here's an ad from 1959 by Garcia showing their lineup of Young reels.



And another catalog page from UK retailer Alex Martin in 1953.



And here's a few fun videos showing Lee Wulff Salmon fishing with a Beaudex. A curiosity of these films is that it appears that Lee Wulff is using an early lefthand reel - I've never seen one but perhaps Lee used his considerable influence to get one made or converted?

 
#80 ·
More Beaudex bits...

This one is truly an amazing creature, and I gathered it up because of its Northwest connection. Designed and made by John Shaw of Grants Pass, Oregon, these reels featured a floating disc drag - of near automotive quality! Built to be used as either a fly reel or a trolling reel it gave the salmon angler a single action reel with true stopping power and was eventually manufactured for tarpon as well. Named after the river that flows through Grants Pass - The Rogue Reel.

More information is available here: http://www.oldreels.com/rogue.htm


 
#81 ·
WW,
thanks for posting the catalog page.
any chance you have a line on the old rectangular line guides for a beaudex. mine has a substantial groove from use, but the reel is in great condition. it has the older black thin reel foot that allows me to put it on nearly any rod. it's the 3 3/8 x 7/8" version. i may just file it carefully to make sure it won't abrade my lines in the future, but a newish line guide would be better imo. any ideas?
-mike
 
#87 ·
Hey Mike - I've had to file one of those myself and discovered that underneath the shiny silver finish it was brass. I looked through my boneyard box and don't have a square guide in there. A couple things you might do... Ebay another reel to have for parts or as a backup. Or you might check with Mill tackle - http://www.milltackle.co.uk/
I haven't had any success getting the guy to answer my emails in the past, but bulldog seems to be able to get an annual order from him so perhaps contacting him could be an avenue.
Good luck!
 
#84 ·
Mike, that is one of my favorite rods. It's the first bamboo rod I bought back in 1995, from Mark Ruhe, of Bitterroot Rods. Mark closed his shop a few years ago and I'm grateful that I was able to get two of his rods before he closed. This one is his Selway model, an 8ft 5wt based on a Dickerson taper. Since it was my first bamboo rod it sort of holds a special place in my heart.

Cliff
 
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