French big game fishing reel ... or perhaps ... moulinet de pêche au gros

[reeltackle]

OK big game reel collectors, does anyone have one of these sitting on their shelves?? I didn't even know the French did any big game fishing .... but what the heck, why not.

The French fishing tackle catalog that advertises this reel was listed on e-bay by a fellow in Argentina. The reel appears to have a somewhat narrow spool like a 9 inch extra wide Hardy Fortuna reel and an auxiliary brake like the ones that were optional on both of the 9 inch Fortuna reels. The front side-plate looks to be jeweled like some of the fancier C. R. Klein reels.

Tuna fishing in the English Channel and the North Sea was a very popular sport back in England in 1920s and 1930s, so why wouldn't the French take a shot at it too. You gotta love the proprietor of the store that issued the catalog, a regular Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec looking character.

Gotta love the photo of the store too, just another tackle store from the past to dream about going into. The search for this reel would be a great excuse to go to France and drive from town to town along the coast, make a few inquiries, sample the cuisine, and drink a little wine.

[Jay White]

Wow! What a great reel. I only have one Ed, so I can't let you have it. Just Kidding! I would love to find one!!

[Paul M]

Great catalog cuts/pics!

[joe klaus]

Good stuff Ed Thanks for posting.

[flylutz]

i, the value for the reel "louis perrot espadon " is approximately 500/600 dollars.


;fred

[Steve]

a regular Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec looking character.

I beg to differ.

[Halieutikos]

And here is the reel in action in full Paris, France ...
Marc
[img]

[flylutz]

jolie photo...
fred(flylutz)specialiste yawman & erbe reels

[Midway Tommy D]

OH MY!

[Halieutikos]

And here at the other end of the line:

To promote this reel, Perrot had imagined organizing a fishing party to the man!
Marc

[reeltackle]

And here at the other end of the line:

Oh my ...... and I thought it was a big game reel for catching fish not a training device for Olympic swimming hopefuls. I was a bit suspicious when I saw how close to shore they were in the first photo you added Halieutikos. Where did those photos come from? Have you ever seen an actual reel?

a regular Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec looking character.
I beg to differ.

Touche' Monsieur Pie but still ... I was just trying to keep it French, not start a jihad.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

[Teal]

Marc is the author of a superb book on French fishing lures. He's been researching and writing about French tackle history for a long time!

-- Dr. Todd

[Halieutikos]

Thank you very much Todd, it's very kind of you

By the way, I suppose you know that Toulouse Lautrec was an excellent friend of Bouglé (the designer of a Hardy reel) and that he even made a painting of him and some sketches?


Here is a Espadon reel:



Perrot made these demonstrations on the Seine to prove the effectiveness of his equipment and therefore sell it for big game fishing, in the Mediterranean, Atlantic coast and also in the French colonies, especially on the African continent.


Marc

[john elder]

Marc, are those multiplying reels?

[Halieutikos]

No John, not for these reel models.
Marc

[reeltackle]

Marc, I've had the pleasure of looking through your book and it is wonderful. Thank you for posting the photo of the Espadon Big Game Reel, it is good to know that there is at least one still around. What is the diameter of the reel? Have you seen any others? Have you seen any Espadon reels that look like the ones in the catalog and the wonderful vintage photos you were kind enough to post?

By the way, I suppose you know that Toulouse Lautrec was an excellent friend of Bouglé (the designer of a Hardy reel) and that he even made a painting of him and some sketches?

No, I did not know that the two were friends, what an interesting connection. I wonder if Lautrec sketched any photos of him fishing?

THANK YOU for following up on my post and furthering our knowledge about this great French big game reel, this was a new one for me and I have been collecting for over 30 years. Do you know of any other big game reels that were made in France?

[Halieutikos]

Toulouse Lautrec did not draw Bouglé fishing because he died before Bouglé dedicated his life to the pleasures of fishing.

Here is the extract from Perrot's first catalog (1935) where the first French big game reel appears. The diameter of the reel is 22 cm


And another extract from the catalog of 1936 (diameter of the reel = 20cm).


The version of the reel posted previously dates from 1948
Another version with multiplier system existed from 1951

Apart from a Lagrange reel and the Mitchell series, I do not know any other French big game reels

[reeltackle]

Marc,

Always fun to learn about new reels. Do you have a photo or an ad showing the Lagrange reel?

Thank you again,

Ed

[Halieutikos]

Ed, I missed this one on ebay:

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/GROS-MOULINET-D ... Swv-ZaGS2w

Marc

[reeltackle]

Thank you again Marc ... I guess we all missed that one!

[Halieutikos]

Ed, here is the first French advertisement about a big game reel with multiplier system (1951).
Marc

[Halieutikos]

Hi Ed,
Here is a 1953 "Espadon Junior Spécial" (diameter 13,5cm) I found last week...















Cheers,
Marc

[reeltackle]

Here is a 1953 "Espadon Junior Spécial" (diameter 13,5cm) I found last week

Very nice reel Marc and in fantastic condition. Thank you for sharing your find with us.

Here are some pictures of the "L'Espadon 3" only it is marked "Asbjorn Horgard". The reel has a 7 inch diameter and is equivalent to a 14/0 size reel. Pretty cool, you and I have posted photos of both reels pictured in the advertisement above!

[Dr. Rob]

Ed, that reel looks a lot like part of a mystery reel I've been wondering about from time to time. It appeared in the shop window of a reel guy in Stockholm. Big, like 14/0, painted mossy green sideplates. Marked Moulinet-a-Thon and Resnos. And if one happened to ask about the French reel in the window, the shop guy (known colloquially as Eko-Lasse) would bark (he barked a lot) "Norway! It's Norwegian!" (Like, yes of course, because Norwegians are famous for speaking french and making huge reels) Never did find out anything more about it. But years later, I found an identical one in old man Borgström's office at the ABU museum. Weird.
Now I see your picture, and think that yeah... that looks like it, and with a Norwegian connection. Maybe they also manufactured reels for someone named Resnos? Any idea?

[Mike N]

Very interesting thread, Ed. I especially liked the photo of the old French storefront. I believe “pêcheur praticien” translates to “practicing fisherman” or someone who has mastered the art of fishing. Very cool.