My late teens and early twenties were spent match fishing the local canals and along with my interest in Hardy reels made this a simple “must have” decision.
The reel is a cross between a fixed spool and centrepin with a reversible spool turning through 90 degrees to aid casting and turning back to retrieve with the aid of a line guide hook. Since the reel was designed without a check mechanism the problem of line twist presumably generated by casting off the side was resolved by turning the spool around so the reel could be used with the line coming off the top or bottom of the spool and a fish played by finger pressure on the spool or drum.
Designed by Leslie Gordon Turnill himself a keen match angler Just 280 were produced from 1937 - 1939 production then ending with the outbreak of war.
The reel was listed in the the Hardy’s 1937 Super Bottom Fishing catalogue and was detailed across four pages. Priced at 30/- it fell in line with the Eureka and Wallis No.2 models.
Although it’s sounds quite complicated I’m hoping to give it a days outing before too long which should be interesting as it’s right hand wind only!
