Everyday post a photo of a reel you own.

Speaking of Hardy Silexes, I learned years ago that it's a great reel for getting double-duty out of, both as a center pin for casting and as a fly reel. Same with the Hardy Longstone

This past fall up in Skeena country I used my Hardy Silex throughout the trip for both steelhead and coho. That free-spool option is very handy for getting a drag-free drift, either when fishing dry flies on the top or a wet fly to get it down deep.

This is my favorite Silex---stamped "JD" for James Dodds, one of the better Hardy reelsmiths of the time, and an "H" for hiduminium, the aluminum alloy Hardy experimented with.

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Then there's my 4" Longstone. Such a joy hooking a fish on it because the scream of the ratchet always puts a big smile on my face....

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Here's shelf #2..
All older Hardy's , From left to right
Marquis #7, #10, a Featherweight, #7, Salmon #1, #8/9, and a St.John MK 2.
All my reels have their original cases and boxes, all marked to which reel they belong to..ocd!

The Salmon #1 was the 1st reel I ever bought with my paper rt $ back in 1977 at a fishing store that was in the Drifwood mall in Courtenay. I scratched my name and (parents) home ph# and address into the inside of it 😆

The other's were given to me a couple yrs later by my Aunt when my uncle passed ,(they never had kids)
I got all his fishing gear, fly tieing supplies, Hardy rods, books, he never fished !! He was an eccentric fellow and I knew nothing about his gear till after he died.
I've fished every reel/rod in rivers ,lakes and salt from the boat or beach.


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I was given this peetz model 1500 5” by a customer of mine that’s not able to fish anymore pretty neat to have the original box and paper I would like to have it gone over and serviced one day and find a classic rod for it.
 

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Biggest regret in parting ways on my Milner's
John is winding down on his production and when he shuts it, these reel will be sought after. one of the greatest BC reel manufacturer
Ya... I have regrets letting my 5in narrow drum go about 4years ago after I resigned myself that I would most likely never make a cast on the Thompson river agian sadly😕 it was a beauty paired up with my old 1326 fenwick that Tony had custom built for me many years back 😀
 
Those are some sweet center pins!! I never got the CP bug as a couple of guys lent me one years ago when i fished rivers. Now on the other hand when it comes to conventional lever drags and senators ........... I have a problem.
 
Couple of old 2 speed nternationals that are in great shape. A custom 114H with accurate frame and custom handle. A sweet 9/0 senator that needs to catch a fish in mexico.
 

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Fishing on the ocean is what I enjoy the most. But, I also enjoy walking rivers and drift fishing gear. Here’s a couple centerpins, made by Don Campbell, a machinist from the Fraser Valley. One is a bushing reel and the green one is a bearing reel.
I fished side by side with Don Campbell many years ago. He had a good look at my IMW Centerpin reel. The next day he brought 4 or 5 examples of his own reels in various sizes and interesting colors. Pretty cool hobby he had building these reels.
 
When I moved to BC and met my wife’s family who were avid fisherman I learned to fish on a Grice & Young Avon Royal Supreme. My first introduction to a centerpin was casting 16oz of weight bar fishing for springs on the Fraser with an Avon. Well being a greenhorn I didn’t stop the spool when the gear hit the water. I soon learned how to deal with a massive birds nest from the backlash. I believe those boys brought me along for comedic entertainment, possibly some sort of family initiation.
I still love fishing with the old Royal Supreme and Coq D’Or reels. Both those reels have a great nostalgic feel to them.
 

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I had quite a few more Longstone reels than this a number of year back. I thought it through, sold some and reinvested. Lol
 

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Today I chose to share this beautiful well worked piece of fishing art. It isn't common but from what I know, it is Canadian. It is the only one that I have ever seen. It has no release or check pawl mechanism, in otherwords no clicker or spool control of any kind. It is as simple as they get. Spins for left or right hand depending on how line was applied. It is a nice heavy construction similar to weight and frame, and spool thickness as Islander, McDonald and others. It's a great reel to battle fish with, spins forever so startup and casting is amazing. It is a bearing based centerpin reel. If you know more about this reel, please share.
 

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A very fine example of a beautiful Knottingham reel. Essentially the reel style that helped to progress the more modern Shakespeare level wind in the USA and also helped form some of BC's prolific salmon fishing opportunities, primarily in the Sportfishing sector. They started making Knottingham reels of various sizes in the 1800's.
HARDY made a very similar reel ;-)
 
Here is a part of the Longstone family...the later model 4" Longstones I use in the salt chuck--- they're out on my boat. The reels below

(2 x 3 1/2" and a 4 1/2") I reserve strictly for the river, all as fly reels.

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I used the 3 1/2" Longstones for many years when I fished the Kispiox---big fish, yes, but not known for taking lots of line so the slow retrieve of the 3 1/2" Longstones worked out fine. I never would have used these on the THompson--- you'd never get your line back!

Here's a pair of the Longstone's big brother: The Eddystone. I love Hardy's idea of naming their salt-chuck reels after iconic lighthouses in UK!IMG_5570.jpegIMG_5571.jpeg
 
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