Allcock’s Reflex tournament reel

[Cane]

Does anyone have a copy of the instruction leaflet for this “Reflex” reel please? I understand they were originally made by Allcocks, but this one seems to have been made under licence in France.

[Olly]

You need a copy of Turner's Fishing Tackle! Pages 136-7.
Abbreviated extracts:-
""1923 Allcocks opened an office in Paris - - - - - - Reflex in French catalogues 1923-1932.
Reflex appeared in UK catalogue only for one year - 1925 - - so virtually unknown in Britain.""

""There is French book - Moulinets Reflex by J-P Mougin, published 2003/4, that has accounts/illustrations of many/most models""

1945 fixed spool made!

[Cane]

Thanks Olly, that is very helpful. I didn’t realise it was that old. I’d been looking at catalogues of the fifties and sixties!

[Olly]

Looks although Allcock had these made in France prior to WWII. Shut down/ceased during the war perhaps?

Someone may be able to copy the pages for you - regrettably I am unable to do so.

[Cane]

Olly, I suspect you are correct. I’m having difficulty finding information about them at present, but it is early days.
A later version appears in “Fishing Reels” by Phil Waller. It is on page 102 and is marked S. Allcock and Co. This is dated to circa 1935. An additional piece of mechanism is a “ ivorine handled bell crank.” It also now has a perforated faceplate.

[Cane]

As there doesn’t seem to be any other Reflex reels on the forum, I thought someone might find it helpful to have a few photographs of this one for future research assistance.
The reel measures 2 5/8” ( across whole reel) by depth of 1 6/8” and 1” (spool width).
Face and back plates are both decorated with intertwining circles of various sizes. Rim is knurled. Handles are a greenish yellow hue. The serial numbers of these are at the base of the back plate and this one is five digits long, which may date it somewhere in the 1930’s. There seem to have been a number of variations made for the French and British markets. The perforated faceplate version with lever at side has been dated to circa 1935 ( firstly in “One man one rod” page 23, by Jonathan Minns at the British Engineerium) and has the stamps for SGDG France and Etranger Marque Deposée. Also for S. Allcocks and Co. The serial number is lower though, being in the 10000 range. So either this one is earlier than mine, the numbering system varied between the two countries, or perhaps the “ No. 1” version had a longer run ( discuss!)

[Olly]

I have copied the data from Turners - a pm with address & I can send it to you! It is 99% of one page with serial numbers and 100% of the second page!

[Cane]

Thanks Olly. Will do

[Coral Maestro]

As there doesn’t seem to be any other Reflex reels on the forum, I thought someone might find it helpful to have a few photographs of this one for future research assistance.
The reel measures 2 5/8” ( across whole reel) by depth of 1 6/8” and 1” (spool width).
Face and back plates are both decorated with intertwining circles of various sizes. Rim is knurled. Handles are a greenish yellow hue. The serial numbers of these are at the base of the back plate and this one is five digits long, which may date it somewhere in the 1930’s. There seem to have been a number of variations made for the French and British markets. The perforated faceplate version with lever at side has been dated to circa 1935 ( firstly in “One man one rod” page 23, by Jonathan Minns at the British Engineerium) and has the stamps for SGDG France and Etranger Marque Deposée. Also for S. Allcocks and Co. The serial number is lower though, being in the 10000 range. So either this one is earlier than mine, the numbering system varied between the two countries, or perhaps the “ No. 1” version had a longer run ( discuss!)

Here is a post about a couple of Reflex reels I bought in August:
https://traditionalfisherman.com/viewtopic.php?t=37028

[Cane]

Thanks Coral Maestro. For some reason I couldn’t find this information when I tried searching the TFF site. Lots of helpful material in your links. I’d noticed the left hand versions, which I’ll be looking out for.
There are also some useful clues about dating these reels. Something else I noticed was that a reel with Allcock stamp has a different form of serial number stamp. I wonder what the significance of that might be.
I gave mine an initial cast trial on a local pond, but ended up with a mare’s nest, so I’ve altered the setting and will give it another go soon.