The Colonel's Christmas Treat

[Snape]

Anyone else got ideas on these little details?

I'd imagine the grooves on the reel seat provide a more secure grip on a cork rod handle fitted with sliding bands?

Had a chance to consider this and that would appear to make sense initially but unless the sliding bands have raised lines in them to grip the grooves (which is never the case) then the grip is provided entirely by friction and so it may seem there would be less grip as there is less surface contact BUT friction is independent of surface area and so I am forced to conclude they are aesthetic only.

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

Trust you to analyse it Proff!!!

Good conclusion though, works for me.

[Haydn Clarke]

Lovely stuff, Colonel. That reel and the one currently listed on ebay are both beauties. Looks like he's had some nice block leather cases made up too.

One thing I'd say about Garry is that his website seriously needs updating as there are no good pictures of these reels on there. Us wishful dreamers should be able to window shop at least.

Yes, he has some rather nice block leather cases. 59 guineas with a reel and a tad over 77 guineas without...........that's 65 and 85 quid, to those of you who've accepted the infernal decimalisation.
I've not spotted the ebay reel yet, do you have a link please, Haydn?
Yes, if you think his website needs a brush up, you should see his workshop. But he certainly knows where everything is and it's about as far removed from a Chinese mass production line as you can get ( Hardys, please note); your chosen reel is personally fabricated and assembled by Garry plus members of his family. Talking of Hardys, have you noticed the triple handles and polished rim bear a resemblance to their space station lookalike 'New Conquest' reel?.....................but that is definitely where the similarity ends.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-M-T-Centr ... 3f1181e278

[Colonelgsc]

Why Colonel, you self-indugent fellow....


You've already had your Christmas present when you bought that willow and cane landing net last week!

I thought the idea of selling off some tackle , like the Aspindasle Suredale, was to make more room.....not to fill it up with new toys again.



And "yes", I do have a crystal ball. :-)

Well spotted, that man. And, yes, I have an affliction, a serious affliction. After that reel, I can no longer afford the shrink's fees, so I fear I am a totally lost cause.
And the landing net is another tale of major coincidence. At Garry's yesterday, nestling in the corner of his office was the built cane landing net I disposed of to make room for the ash net to which you make reference. The fellow who took it from me, in exchange for a Ray Walton Barbel rod, which used to belong to Garry and which i didn't want anyway, had done some kind of a deal which meant Garry took possession of it, the net that is. To cut a long story etc, Garry now has the rod back, as it is a particular favorite of his, in exchange for the block leather case housing my new acquisition. Oooooooh, isn't life complicated sometimes? But don't you just prefer the 'bartering system'?

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

So what goes around, comes around, sort of!!! :think:

[Colonelgsc]

So what goes around, comes around, sort of!!! :think:

Glad you were able to follow it, SK. My own head was spinning after I'd finished, so I've just been laying down in a darkened room with a damp towel on my fevered brow. But, i agree.....small world, innit?

[Mark]

What a splendid day I had yesterday. I spent the day visiting Garry Mills workshop at The Mill tackle Co., Studley, near Birmingham. I say 'the day', but as it involved a 406 mile round trip (around 6 hours), I only managed nearly 3 hours in his delightful company. But, what a time I had. He is a fine chap; as the late FJT once said, 'An angler, and an honest man'. He kindly 'tuned up' my old 5" Trudex, fettled the reel seat on a Purist 2031 CL for me, while his 'PA', the lovely Karen, kept me plied with steaming mugs of tea and dark chocolate digestives. The main reason for the visit was to pick up a couple of bespoke ally rod tubes for my Peter Stone Legerstrikes and 'The Colonel's Christmas Treat', hot off the assembly bench. A 4 & 1/4 inch, 12 spoke aerial with three rosewood handles, from a limited production of only 25, the 'Avon Perfection'. Just to whet your appetites, here's an image of the new love in my life.

If anyone wants to enjoy a visit to this 'centrepin heaven', Garry is more than happy to see fellow fanatics, he tells me. What the man doesn't know about 'pins, just isn't worth noting.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

I’ve been to visit Gary on a couple of occasions and what a time I had, you can't stop him talking about vintage tackle, it’s great. Fortunately for me Studley is only a 30 minute drive away.

That’s a lovely reel by the way Colonel.

[Nobby]

I understand totally Colonel. I sold off some rods at Romsey in October.

What did I do with the money?


Well, I bought more rods, of course!

[Snape]

Lovely stuff, Colonel. That reel and the one currently listed on ebay are both beauties. Looks like he's had some nice block leather cases made up too.

One thing I'd say about Garry is that his website seriously needs updating as there are no good pictures of these reels on there. Us wishful dreamers should be able to window shop at least.

Yes, he has some rather nice block leather cases. 59 guineas with a reel and a tad over 77 guineas without...........that's 65 and 85 quid, to those of you who've accepted the infernal decimalisation.
I've not spotted the ebay reel yet, do you have a link please, Haydn?
Yes, if you think his website needs a brush up, you should see his workshop. But he certainly knows where everything is and it's about as far removed from a Chinese mass production line as you can get ( Hardys, please note); your chosen reel is personally fabricated and assembled by Garry plus members of his family. Talking of Hardys, have you noticed the triple handles and polished rim bear a resemblance to their space station lookalike 'New Conquest' reel?.....................but that is definitely where the similarity ends.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-M-T-Centr ... 0876664440?
pt=UK_SportingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item3f1181e278

I hope the winning bidder will be happy. It looks a little odd that the screws holes just below 2012 are not on the same line which seems odd. I also notice that the seller has limited feedback and has received negative comments for not being truthful and no paypal.
Personally I wouldn't have touched it (no money anyway!)

[Macko]

Hi Colonelgsc,
was that the reel you put on Ebay, only i have a 2031 CL and the reel seat was exactly as yours was.
I missed the auction ending on that reel as i wanted to make a bid, but missed out. Was it worth getting the handle
fixed as i was thinking of giving GM a call myself, the reel still fits on my rods but that little downturn really p*sses
me off. I purchased mine off Ebay as MINT but when it arrived and i saw that, i felt like sending it back, as i thought
it had been dropped but seeing yours made me think it may have been a small batch of the reel seat.