Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
I've used a pair of giant hardy Eddystones for years now but they're seriously beating me up.
Last August after a two week trip to the North Country doing about 15 hours fishing a day, I was gobbling codeine on the way home I was so beat up. I finally realized I had to downsize my reels or they would downsize me (though I sure had fun with those Eddystones while I used them):
So out of respect for my wrinkled beat up body I just picked this peach of a reel up from a collector in the UK: It's a J.W. Young/ Ogden Smith "Seaos"---- like a bigger burlier version of the Longstone---big knob for the drag, huge winding knobs, lots of line capacity, approx. 500 grams lighter then my Eddystones
It's currently in Poland getting a haircut and a shave---hope to get it by next month for sea trials
However..........If money was no object, this is the reel I'd buy in a heartbeat:
Also a Dingley, this one was known as a Sea Silex, probably used for sharks and small tuna back in the 1930's. Very similar to the Hardy Eddystone but much more refined design. I tried to get a guy to build a reel with a similar design last fall but he told me it would take a huge bag of gold to pull it off (and a 2 year wait).
I thought about an Islander but I just couldn't bust the move---I wanted to use something with lots of history, some blood guts and gore on the winding handles....Islanders look a bit too wet behind the ears though I'm sure they're great reels
Meanwhile, I am quietly stunned that a reel designer hasn't moved on this Dingley or Eddystone design and incorporated it into a modern reel. That lever is killer for downrigger fishing. No screwing around loosening a drag knob after a take down. All my rods are fitted with a surgical tubing loop. The loop goes over the lever and immobilizes the spool---once you get the take-down, you flip the loop off the lever with your index finger and it's off to the races.
We all drool about our dream boats. I guess a guy can drool about his dream reel then, right?
Last August after a two week trip to the North Country doing about 15 hours fishing a day, I was gobbling codeine on the way home I was so beat up. I finally realized I had to downsize my reels or they would downsize me (though I sure had fun with those Eddystones while I used them):
So out of respect for my wrinkled beat up body I just picked this peach of a reel up from a collector in the UK: It's a J.W. Young/ Ogden Smith "Seaos"---- like a bigger burlier version of the Longstone---big knob for the drag, huge winding knobs, lots of line capacity, approx. 500 grams lighter then my Eddystones
It's currently in Poland getting a haircut and a shave---hope to get it by next month for sea trials
However..........If money was no object, this is the reel I'd buy in a heartbeat:
Also a Dingley, this one was known as a Sea Silex, probably used for sharks and small tuna back in the 1930's. Very similar to the Hardy Eddystone but much more refined design. I tried to get a guy to build a reel with a similar design last fall but he told me it would take a huge bag of gold to pull it off (and a 2 year wait).
I thought about an Islander but I just couldn't bust the move---I wanted to use something with lots of history, some blood guts and gore on the winding handles....Islanders look a bit too wet behind the ears though I'm sure they're great reels
Meanwhile, I am quietly stunned that a reel designer hasn't moved on this Dingley or Eddystone design and incorporated it into a modern reel. That lever is killer for downrigger fishing. No screwing around loosening a drag knob after a take down. All my rods are fitted with a surgical tubing loop. The loop goes over the lever and immobilizes the spool---once you get the take-down, you flip the loop off the lever with your index finger and it's off to the races.
We all drool about our dream boats. I guess a guy can drool about his dream reel then, right?
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