With John Drewett’s book “Hardy Brothers” published, the chance to say anything new about Hardy reels has virtually disappeared. Fortunately, I found a reference to Ed Zern’s Tobique River reel for the last issue. I would never have expected to find another “new” reel cropping up so soon. The Hardy Eureka No 2 Reel.

Of all the companies who have ever been involved in the manufacture and supply of fishing tackle, there is no doubt that Hardy Brothers of Alnwick stand out as the foremost maker. Now, this is a sweeping statement that certainly will be challenged by many people.

I was very interested to read the section on the Cascapedia reels in John Drewett’s book on Hardy Brothers. I am particularly interested in comparing these reels with similar reels made by the Edward Vom Hofe company around the same time. John mentions the Tobique River reel sold at auction in America in November 1993,

Gothenburg is the second largest town in Sweden, and a few miles on its outskirts lives Bengt Mörner. This engineer has two great loves: Jaguar cars and fly-fishing. His favourite salmon water is a small river near where he lives called Rolfsån. The best salmon pool on the river is located just upstream of a bridge supported in the middle by a concrete column. Catch a salmon, and one thing is sure, once hooked, it turns and heads downstream on the opposite side of the river and the wrong side of the concrete column. The inevitable result is that the salmon breaks off as the leader snags on the rough concrete.

Many people have an eclectic tackle collection, others will specialise in one make, or only reels, or a specific area. I know one collector who only collects Hardy split cane rods under 8 foot. Some collect within time lines and other, like Colin Innes collect tackle from Aberdeen

An Ustonson antique fishing reel retailed by Ustonson with a reversible handle, 3 1/2 inch diameter, all brass engraved 'Ustonson Maker to His Majesty Temple Bar London'. It has a knurled retaining disc that, when removed, allows the handle to be reversed, perforated foot, and raised check housing. This dates the reel pre-1837.

The first patent for a spring-loaded hook was issued in 1846 to Theodore Engelbrecht and George Skiff of New York. It consisted of a hook fitted with a spring-loaded lever curved and sharpened at one end. One year later, another patent was granted to Stanton Pendleton from New Haven, Connecticut, for his improvement to the Engelbrecht-Skiff patent by offering the chance to change the hook.

In 1909 Percy Wadham & Percy Scott patented the Meteor reel suitable for various types of angling. Manufactured and marketed by the Dreadnought Casting Reel Co. Isle of Wight, and so far, 14 variations of the reel have been identified.

Shortly after I started collecting fishing tackle, I came across my first Victorian Diamond Registration Mark. I remember asking a few people what they meant, but I remember clearly that no one could give me a precise answer. I might not have asked the right people. Later, I came across another set of letters and numbers that started REG, followed by numbers and REGD Again, I asked more questions, and after a time, I had formed an idea of what it was all about.