For Chad S - fishing combos

Use this forum to share your stuff so round up your favorite reels! Questions can still go to the Reel Talk - General Forum
Post Reply
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Ron Mc »

Chad S wrote:That is a great picture of your set up with a fish to boot the water is not that clear up here in Illinois ever!

I have never fished with old reels or lures it looks like fun. Thank You for sharing your pictures!
Here's a Bluegrass 33 with a Chubb Henshall rod (8'3"). This is the easiest-casting rig you could ever imagine, and will gently lob 3/8 oz beyond 150'. Anti-backlash in the Bluegrass comes from intentional imbalance in the spool. People often used to glue a dime or nickle inside their spool to create imbalance for anti-backlash.
Image
(cheap re-wrap on the rod, original was claret with intermediates)
Image

On the subject of anti-backlash, South Bend ABL works - 1131a on a SB/Cross Doublebilt. When the bail drops, a wool pad rubs the inside of the spool.
When you have the spool tension and bail-brake set properly, you only use your thumb to load the rod for casting - from there forward it's backlash-free, and you honestly don't have to thumb the spool again.
Image

My pride and joy, Talbot Niangua on Thomas Mahogany-grade bait rod.
I also fish a Meek No. 3 and Heddon 3-15 on this rod.
Image
original taffeta sock and hang-tag
Image

If you've ever tried casting a Meek No. 3, it's frightening because the reel is so perfectly balanced. What most people haven't figured out is that Meek and Talbot both used oil reservoir in the bearings to create oil-whirl on the spindle and give anti-backlash. Here's the oil reservoir on my Niangua (little hole under the bearing cap)
Image Image
On the Jack Welch Heddon, the oil reservoir is under the sliding clips on each side

But if you fill those oil reservoirs each morning with your sewing-machine-weight oil, you have anti-backlash. It works so hard you can hear the oil whirl, and the oil slowly evaporates from the heat.

1st model Pflueger Supreme on Thomas Bangor bait rod
I also cast my s/n 127 Shakespeare B on this rod
Image

my 2nd favorite cane rod to cast, a lowly Montague Flash, here with a nice prewar Marhoff.
This is the rod I prefer with my small Shakespeare NLWs.
Image

Supreme direct-drive on square-section steel True Temper (American Fork and Hoe).
I know others on the forum love this rod, and they cast and fish really well.
Image
copper-wire-wrapped agate guides
Image

Last example is a Pflueger Skilkast on a Heddon Pal Standard glass rod - this is a really sweet combo.
In support of Bad Bob, and maybe risking a fisticuffs with another, postwar Shakespeare LW can't hold a candle to Pflueger. The nickel on this reel is too shiny to be photogenic.
Image

I would love it if others want to play on this thread...
Last edited by Ron Mc on Sun Aug 06, 2017 2:00 pm, edited 5 times in total.
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Ron Mc »

ps - while throwing wooden plugs is fun, and there are good sources for new handmade wooden plugs, my favorite lure to throw and fish on NLW is buzz baits, because the process works so natural.
they also easily slide into a big loop on the end of your braided line.

Have a good friend who made a fortune as a real estate developer, and while he never quite retired (he turns his hobbies into sellable businesses), he is now a professional BASS angler.
His annual July 4th BBQ is mostly fellow bass anglers, and I've brought tackle for people to lawn-cast - they love it.
Chad S
Advanced Board Poster
Posts: 146
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:05 pm

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Chad S »

Very nice read and pictures Ron maybe one day when I slow down I will put a combo together and try it.

Thank You for sharing.
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Ron Mc »

thanks, and glad you enjoyed it.
One other anti-backlash patent, Redifor, which Pflueger bought out (1915? - maybe Bad Bob can fix this date).
There are two tear-dropped-shaped pawls inside the spool that centrifugally rub against the spool frame.
It's the same idea as the centrifugal casting brakes on modern baitcasters, only this one works too well, and costs you distance.
Image
yes, that's a Perfect at the upper left


ok, and one more - that hair-fine spring inside Douglas' 1st model Supreme patent is the cam mechanism that tensions the larger drag spring against the spindle for anti-reverse - the dialed knob outside is the adjustment.
Image Image
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Ron Mc »

just a little more on my Thomas bait rods
the Special Mahogany bait rod - it's 6', two blades, staggered ferrule, medium action,
Image
has a nifty patented twist-lock reel seat, blued nickel-silver
Image
and is date stamped 1914, denoting Fred Thomas made the rod and signed the tag
Image


the lower-grade 7', heavy-action Bangor rod,
Image
has plated hardware,
Image
the date stamp is 1938, first year son Leon began running the shop and its artisans, and was s/n 353 for the year.
Image
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Ron Mc »

no one else has any cool rods to go with their cool reels?
Image
prewar Luxor on an admittedly postwar 4' solid-glass Airex rod
wrong99
Star Board Poster
Posts: 2578
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:42 am
Location: S.F. Bay Area ORCA MEMBER

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by wrong99 »

Here's four Heddon reel & bamboo rod combos representing four different decades. From top to bottom:
1. Heddon No.3-25 reel with a 1927 No.40 "One-Piece" Heddon prototype with detachable handle, the only example known.
2. Heddon No.206 "Lone-Eagle" reel with a 1930's No.600 "Jim Heddon's Favorite" rod.
3. Heddon No.P-41 "Pal" (silver) reel with a late 1940's No.15 "Heddon Premier" rod.
4. Heddon No.P-41 "Pal" (black) reel with a early 1950's No.900 Heddon "Musky Special" rod.
Mark
User avatar
Ron Mc
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3384
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2004 7:49 am
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Contact:

Re: For Chad S - fishing combos

Post by Ron Mc »

great combos Mark - thanks for playing.
Post Reply