Bad Bob's "Reel Question of the Day"

[RAM]

Is it just my ignorance of English- and Scottish- made reels that it seems like very few saltwater models were ever made there? I never see a Brit SW reel for sale, but on the other hand I am not actively looking for them either. Still... Has the SW fishing there never really been all that enticing? No warm water? No reefs? No fecund salt marshes? No red fish or sea trout? No bone fish or tarpon? No stripers? No blues?

I get the impression that the great great majority of SW reels were made in the "Colonies". OK you experts across the pond. Were the English and Scots too elitist for SW fishing and figured that salmon and trout were the only game fish worth the effort? Or were there not enough SW game fish around the Isles to make the SW reel trade profitable? Or (as I said) is this just my obvious lack of knowledge?

Inquiring Pflueger SW reel- loving collectors want to know! Bad Bob

[Ron Mc]

Or (as I said) is this just my obvious lack of knowledge?

Inquiring Pflueger SW reel- loving collectors want to know! Bad Bob

yep - just because they don't look like your defintion of a reel...



they prolly think you're silly for wanting such a heavy reel on top of your rod

[SWIM JIG]

cool-thumb jump canadian usa Ok guys, these reels are put on a rod and then hang down , the line used on some of them looks lke thin rope! I have some of those reels that are 14 in in diam. And the rods look like small telephone poles, and they are heavy and ackward to use! My grandfather gave me one of his outfits when I was 7 years old, rod is 6ft 9in long, and about 3in around at the butt and 1in at the tip, has about as much (Give as a small telephone pole) No we dont use them on Lake ERIE, these were used in the Cheapeake bay near Ocean City Maryland! They only let line stright down , you dont cast them! Bad, bob, they may make you a good catfish rod? or havent you engaged in that sport yet? nothing like the run of a 70lb plus Tenn. Catfish! You all do some serious fishn hear? Your ohio Conection On Lake ERIE Col. Milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG

[Ron Mc]

even in '68

[Ron Mc]

here you go, Milt, the same kind of casting brake as found on South Bend ABL.

[RAM]

Interesting Ron, but I'm asking about real reels like Templars and Atlapacs and Ocean Citys and Penns. Those things they say are "sea reels" are nothing more than Sal Trout and Pakron-style trolling reels! Would we backward Colonists head to the Gulf of Mexico in search of billfish with one of those things? Really! Surely The House of Hardy made some sort of standard style SW winch for serious deep water anglers. Bad Bob

[Brian F.]

Here's one saltwater reel in a form more familiar to us:



Made by these guys originally for Zane Grey from the 1920s to today:

[TVY]

Youve got to be joking... have you seen the sea over here?

Apart from a few nice shores I wouldnt venture much further than the depth of my armpit in these waters... you never know what you might find errruuuggghhhhh!

If you are lucky you may catch a babies nappy that has been carefully discarded by a careful beech user , so there is probably a simple reason for a lack of sea fishing reels

[Jerry J in OK]

Brian...What size is that reel? I know a guy that has a pair of 7" with the bags and all the extras...Jerry

[Brian F.]

Have no idea, Jerry. It's not my reel - just did a quick google search and pulled it from the internet. I'd like to get to know your friend

[RAM]

Well, thanks to Brian, now we know at least one serious SW reel was made in England. One way to look at this: U.S. dominance in SW reels has helped the balance of trade!
And sharongooner has suggested that British Isles surf fishing (at least) entices only the strong of body and soul.
Maybe I was right-There just aren't many SW Brit reels in the world! Long live the Queen! Bad Bob

[m3040c]

I thought I would add one of my favorite English salt water surf reels to the mix. The reel is a K.P. Morritt. Most of us associate K.P. Morritt with spinning reels of the post World War II era but Morritt also made a beautiful conventional that was way ahead of its time, IMO. It is a heavy duty reel made of stainless steel and nylon reinforced fiberglass. It has a revolving control lever on the handle side that will put the reel into three different modes (anti-reverse with a low sounding ticking sound, smooth quiet reeling without anti-reverse and a loud clicker without anti-reverse), the frame is one piece stainless steel which makes the reel heavy but indestructable and the free spool control is on the top of the handle side plate with a cast control knob on the left side plate. This reel is the same size as a Penn Squidder. In the free spool mode the reel flys. The K.P.Morritt Intrepid Sea Streak, as it was called, was one great reel and was distributed in the United States by South Bend.

It is the only English reel in my American salt water reel collection and I would never give it up. It is a keeper. Please see the pictures

[RAM]

Nice reel Mike! Now we know the Brits made at least two serious SW models. Bet there were several more. But why would they make it bright orange? To get the fish's attention?
Bad Bob

[m3040c]

Maybe they made it bright orange because they felt they needed some color on those dull coastlines.

[Russ]

Here's a few more , 5'' Sea silex , 7'' Fortuna , and a 10'' english made wooden reel. Russ