Blue Grass Reel #33

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 5:04 pm

Please help..... Does anyone know why there is this lever on the back of this reel. Kinda feels like a tension control

wrong99 · Post by **wrong99** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 7:01 pm

Photo?

Mike N · Post by **Mike N** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 7:02 pm

See the photo on this old ORCA thread that John E posted from Steve Vernon’s book:

viewtopic.php?t=15152

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 1:44 am

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 1:51 am

Anyone know what that lever is? This is my other Blue grass

Bill Muth · Post by **Bill Muth** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:47 pm

Very unlikely that this is a factory mechanism. Too crude. Most likely customized by a fisherman.

Post by **john elder** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:15 pm

If you push the clicker forward to click, will that lever fit behind the button to keep it forward and clicking? No idea why that hole in the back plate!

Offtimes, when the pawl gets worn, the clicker will slip off...this would be a pretty heavy handed way of solving that problem, but I’ve seen Sillier mods. It might provide a degree of drag, I suppose.

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:25 pm

It wont lock behind the clicker and wont stop you from changing the position. It is really unique. I paid 40 dollars for the reel just so I could see what it was all about. I have tried everything to find anything remotley like it. It is quit unique and the craftmans ship is amazing on this added part. It seems to change the tension a little from 1 position to the other but I could be imaging it.

wrong99 · Post by **wrong99** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:24 pm

Open it up and see what you can see.

Post by **john elder** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 10:09 am

Must be a tension brake... makes contact with spool in one direction and moves away in other. Hole may represent a first attempt that was not working out! As mark says, all will be clear when you take apart.

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:50 pm

So I opened it. The lever when adjusted or moved back and forth only in the clicker on position adjust the tension strength it makes the ring tighter or looser based on lever position. Kinda strange but actually pretty smart. See pictures

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:18 pm

see picture

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Sun Mar 10, 2019 12:32 am

[rimg]https:/

/images.orcaonline.org/u/23875/olympic%201%20%281%29.jpg[/rimg]

So I looked through my reel storage room today because I knew I had seen this lever before somewhere. This Olympic has the exact same thing on it and it does the same adjusting tension. STRANGE

Post by **john elder** » Sun Mar 10, 2019 7:20 am

The trouble with using the clicker for a drag/brake is that the pawl would be toast in short order, I would think. I suppose if the mission was to keep it depressed with left thumb or index finger during retrieve, one could minimize the abuse. One might also release at end of a cast to prevent backlash...perhaps that makes the most sense?

Midway Tommy D · Post by **Midway Tommy D** » Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:13 pm

I would think of it more as a two tension clicker resistance mechanism. Then you would actually have three setting. Full tension, reduced (maybe half) tension and no tension when the clicker button is disengaged. It could be quite useful for bank fishing, or even still & bobber fishing from a boat. Interesting mod.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:32 pm

"In [multiplying reels] the adjustable click answers also all the purposes of a drag, rendering the latter superfluous."
―James A. Henshall, 1889

Dr. Jim was not alone in believing this.

kevenhs · Post by **kevenhs** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:43 pm

So this has been making me nuts wondering why someone would do this to such a great reel so I have researched the last few days and found something interesting. I am not a rocket scientist or a reel expert but was wondering if this has anything to do with E. L. Gilmore pat. no.871167 dated Nov.19, 1907 and or a combination of a external use of S.L. Bean pat.no. 467849 dated Jan. 26,92 Sheet 2 seems to reflect what i saw happening enternally from this external lever added. What I really I guess wonder is why would anyone do this to such a great reel. The only thing I can think of is someone was trying to solve backlash issues or liked fishing from the bank on a windy day.

Midway Tommy D · Post by **Midway Tommy D** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:01 am

You have to think of it more in the context of at the time he, or she, modified the reel, he wasn't thinking of it as "such a great reel". No one had thoughts of those reels eventually being collectors items. He was most likely thinking of it as just a tool to do a job, and like so many other tools over the years, was trying to improve it to fit his specific needs.

Post by **john elder** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:21 pm

This is late to the thread because i asked permission to steal this pic from the bamboo fly rod board (thank you, Pentalux!). It depicts an adjustable drag in an pre-1900 Hardy Houghten reel where pressure was applied against the pawl spring to supply drag to the reel. I think the Meek modification is just set up to reduce contact between spring and click pawl when activated , but the Hardy example shows similar logic was around pre-1900. It is probably significant that Hardy never widely adapted this style drag.

Blue Grass Reel #33

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