I was told that this reel was an improvement by JW Youngs on the Homer reel of the same name. I don't know it it was a licensed thing or just a gentleman's agreement, but I do know that one of the improvements was the 'wheel in the hole' adjustable drag which was initially patented by Allcock AND JW Young in 1911!
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publica ... 4776A&KC=A#
I had thought this was a sole Youngs patent from about 1926, but the above one seems to pre-date it substantially and I can no longer find the 1926 one.....
For static water fishing these reels can get you in a tangle as the clearance behind the spool is larger than that on later reels...allowing the line in....on running water this seems less inclined to happen. Post war, as we have been discussing elsewhere recently, the Rapidex having replaced this reel, it was initially given a 'flat-topped' centrepin spindle, but they soon reverted back to this design.
They were made and badged for so many other tackle dealers and manufactures, I'm sure one of our members has a list of all that have turned up so far...now who was it.....?
The rarest off the lot, perversely, seems to be one badged for J W Young themselves! Closely followed by the Gamaflo, for Gamages, the London department store.
