Who Made Me? Well Made Lever Drag Fly Reel

[reeltackle]

Does anyone know who made this well made lever drag fly reel?
Thanks for any help you can give me.

[RAM]

Has the distinct look of a prototype to me. Whose? Not the slightest idea. But a super neat reel.

[Eric J]

My first observation is that it’s made with gold anodized aluminum, and those colors and the shape of the spindle boss reminds me of the fine reels that Jerry Jones of California made for Fenwick in the 1980’s. Those were the “World Class” reels and are most desirable. Maybe this was a prototype?
I’ll bet that reel could break a few fingers on a big fish!

[Steve]

Neato reel! May we see the guts? If the drag was patented, there's a shot at IDing the maker.

BTW, I wonder if we're throwing the word "prototype" around too much. It refers to the first example of something that goes into production. Methinks we often use the word instead of "one-of-a-kind." This beautifully finished, expensively made reel doesn't look to me like a first, "practice" model of anything.

[Eric J]

Maybe a patent model then?

[john elder]

It’s presumably a multiplier? 2:1? Planetary gearing? It looks reminiscent of a Valentine reel to me. As Steve says, a gut shot or two would reveal much!
J

[Mike N]

My first impression, especially from the curved handle, is that it was made somewhere in the British Commonwealth, with my money on Australia or New Zealand, but possibly England or Canada.

If anyone has a copy of Bob Dunn’s 1994 book “Australian fishing reels : a collector's guide,” it might be worth a look.

[RAM]

Prototype: n. An original type, form, or instance that is a model on which later stages are based or judged.
Webster

In the case of Pflueger prototypes(I had a couple) the job number, R&D info, and other info was inscribed on the reel. Otherwise, the reel looked like it could go into production as it was. When to use the word “prototype”? Maybe never. Just say “Super neat looking reel with no markings. Wonder why none of us ever saw one before?”

Bad Bob

[reeltackle]

John - Yes, it is a 2 to 1 multiplier. No planetary gearing.

Bad Bob - I did find one marking on the reel when I took it apart and that was the letter "M" stamped on the line guard.

Steve - Took it apart as far as I could but could not get a look inside the arbor of the spool where I recon the drag's guts are located (see first five photos). It appears to be a sealed unit, perhaps only accessible by the maker. Prototype, probably not. I have seen at least one other example of this reel and the drag lever was a bit different (see last three photos) ... so not even a one of a kind.

Eric - Not familiar with the Jerry Jones reels, are they similar? Black and gold? Lever drag? Multipliers?

Here is what I can tell about the drag - When you swing the drag lever on the front of the reel there is a little round platform (see picture 2) that raises up or pushes in on a ball bearing which has a spring in front of it (ball bearing and spring in foreground of picture 1) that goes deep into the arbor of the spool (see image 3 and 4). I imagine that the spring makes contact with something that pushes a pad up against the inside of the spool arbor to create drag. Anybody else have a guess?

This reel is one of those tricky, springy little contraptions that you have to hold together with some pressure to get back together. The back side plate (black) fits neatly into the back rim (gold) and the same on the front. There is also a set of bearings in the rear center hub. A well made reel with some super close tolerances, it was obviously made by someone who knew what they were doing.








Here are three photos of a reel made by the same guy. A different drag swing arm but otherwise......

[john elder]

Ed, what you are describing is the same drag mechanism used by Endicott-Wilson in their big game reels. The lever, when turned, pushed a ball bearing against a mechanism inside the spool arbor, which in turn, pushes brake shoes against the inside of the arbor. If I can get the WiFi up to speed, will add some pics.

[Steve]

Dr. E.'s pics will help. There have been a lot of intra-arbor drags invented, but not all depended on spring pressure. Even the well-known Gates reel used a spring-adjusted drag, though the friction was provided by a disc between the tailplate and the spool. I suspect, as Dr. E. suggested, brakes shoes or an expanding sleeve that press against the inside of the arbor.

Meanwhile, I haven't found any U.S. patents that quite match the photographed reel, so it may be a tough ID.
Gates:

[john elder]

Here are some pics of the Endicott-Wilson and drag...i did clean and lube before putting together but forgot to take clean picks. In any event, you get the idea:

[reelsmith.]

I did find one marking on the reel when I took it apart and that was the letter "M" stamped on the line guard.

Then clearly it is a Montague ...or a Malleson.

Dean.

[wrong99]

Was anodizing used that early, though?

[Steve]

Was anodizing used that early, though?

"Anodizing was first used on an industrial scale in 1923 to protect Duralumin seaplane parts from corrosion. ... the first sulfuric acid anodizing process was patented by Gower and O'Brien in 1927. Sulfuric acid soon became and remains the most common anodizing electrolyte." - Wikipedia

...the letter "M" stamped on the line guard...Then clearly it is a Montague ...or a Malleson.

Very funny. "M" obviously stands for "mystery."

[reelsmith.]

In a remarkable coincidence, I was asked by a friend today if I knew the maker of the reel pictured below. It is not his, he was sent these pictures and asked the same question.

So, there are at least three of them.





Dean.

[Eric J]

It appears to be an anti-reverse, and hopefully so because if it didn’t bust your knuckles it would vibrate right out of you hand.

[reeltackle]

Yes John, very similar to the Endicott-Wilson drag and the Ohio Tool Company drag.

Yes Mr. Pie, "M" stands for mystery. Now hop in your Mystery Machine with Shaggy, Scooby and the gang and get me some answers.

Dean, when it rains it pours. I just had a fellow send me some pictures of the same reel. Funny how you never see one then all of a sudden.......

The reel is for sale if anyone has interest.

[Steve]

Endicott-Wilson and drag...In any event, you get the idea:

Not really. Can't tell from the photos what moves outward from the axle to squeeze against the inside of the arbor. Any chance this patent drawing could represent the E-W drag? An adaptation of this could be used for a narrow-spool mystery reel, too.

[Kevin McJunkin]

The ball bearing spring mechanism of this cool reel reminds me of a McVickar Bushkill trout reel. Here is a previous thread with catalog photos:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15334&p=70515&hilit ... eel#p70515