Strike Right Tideflow

[Rotrax]

I have had this reel over 55 years. Never seen another.
It is a four inch / one inch wide drum centrepin, steel pressings, brass check button and drag control. The centre drag control button is marked with 'drag on' and 'drag off' with direction arrows and pat. 740996.Alloy plate with the above logo on the back, alloy rivet through the centre.

It is not in top condition as I have used it heavily and not taken too much care of it. It was my Pike reel of choice for years. It was dragged 15 feet down a concrete bank and into the water by what I suspect was a heavy Barbel at the back of the Cinema below Staines bridge where the Colne? enters the Thames. This did the finish of the case and drum no good at all.

When I dug it out about 20 years ago I turned up a new ratchet button. The OE one was missing. I took it to the USA where I used it on a borrowed Hardy carbon 14 foot double handed Salmon rod in the sea off Whidby Island for Spey casting for what the locals call Cuthroat Trout - Really Char that have followed the young salmon into the sea to feed on them. I had a couple of pulls, but blanked. The rods owner wanted to buy the reel as it balanced the rod better than his posh one.

The name and make suggests it was intended to be a sea fishing reel, but it has served me well over the years in freshwater.

Can anyone help with any information regarding the maker?

[Stingray]

This should be of interest :

[Aitch]

I have 2 StrikeRights... a Tideflo and a 3" HydroFlo... the Tideflo was the first reel I bought with my own money as a young teenager...
(Never managed to get the spool off the drum)
And the tiny Hydroflo is a small reel that I use on small rivers like the Wid or Roding (ratchet keeps breaking, easy fix, but a pain when it does)

[Rotrax]

Thanks guys!

Really impressive and quick replies.

Great pictures too.

[Rod]

Hi, there is a thread just about Strikeright, I think it's in the reel data section.
Rod

[Rod]

Just found this link, worth a look.
http://www.traditionalfisherman.com/vie ... 49#p209649
Rod

[Rotrax]

Yes - I've just found it too.

Still learning to navigate the forum.

[Willsmodger]

1962. And here we are 58 years later.

No such thing as built in obsolescence.

As regards ratchet springs. Careful observation of the cheaper, newer Marco Cortesi reels showed that the spring was located around two pillars.

However, that part of the spring didn't actually need to move to push the pawl down and up off the cog.

So I put a blob of araldite on each part of the spring that was in contact with the pillars.

Problem of spring falling out solved.