The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

It has been a privilege to see it Christopher, thank you. Finding a mint one of these is like my 'river thirty' a wonderful journey...use it and enjoy it. Money has no meaning on the riverbank.
Have fun and Weidmannsheil.

I'll have to check my Allcocks Guides again, but I recently did so when I had a Match Special for sale and I found the reel listed for only 9 years. The Guides aren't definitive, true, but after the MS was no longer listed the Trudex was in its place, so I think it's fair to assume it was discontinued.


Only being produced for 9 years might account for its comparative rarity.

I bought a Match Special very reasonably on EBay some time ago and use it regularly.Its a lovely reel to trot with.

Nobby: If you have found the reel in the Guides appearing for 9 years - Which period of years is it?

My guess would be late fifties.Wern't these Youngs reels for Allcocks badges hexagonal brass first then hexagonal silver then round silver after that?

Seems to be a serious mystery!

We rely on the Allcock's Guides to date these items of tackle but, generally, they were only produced every two years. The booklet was for sale to the public and did have small articles on fishing but was mostly a catalogue of tackle for sale. But it was 'abridged', a rather forgotten English word for curtailed or shortened and didn't include every item offered for sale.

For that you have to go to the trade-only Catalogues and they are very, very rare indeed.....I have just one and that only due to the generous nature of one of our members.

The Match Special does not appear in the Guide for 1953. This was a larger than usual celebration edition marking the new Queeen being crowned and it would surely have included a new reel with the Allcocks name on it if it had been invented.

There is no Guide for 1964, but it is possible that the reel was first created then and it's equally possible that some made it into the shops that year.


The Match Special first appears in the Guide for 1955 and there is nor suggestion that it's a new reel in the text that accompanies the image, so it just might be that it was produced the year before.


The reel is either illustrated or referred to in subsequent Guides, the last being the Guide for 1963. It dies not appear in the Guide for 1955 when the Trudex is offered for sale...an identical reel bar the badge.

Now there is apparently a Guide for 1964, or rather I am told there was....but I don't know anyone who has ever seen one!

So it is just possible that the reel was produced from 1954 to 1964 inclusive, or it might be just from 1955 to 1963.

It might have been available as old stock in either the factory or in dealers shops after either date, of course.

Now just when the Guides and Catalogues were printed is unclear, but the Catalogue I have is for 1964 ( which at least gives me some insight into that year for I may never find that '64 Guide!) and the Trudex is listed...not the Match Special, so I'm inclined to believe that the reel was only available badged as a Match Special from 1954 to 1963, hence my earlier suggestion it was only a 9 year production run at the most.

Thank you very much for all these details. First I just thought it was a very nice reel when I bought it. I will certainly try to keep it in this beautiful condition. I own a Trudex in good used condition, so I will now keep the MS mostly at home in the box having a nice piece of art to gain even more value.
Regards,
Chris