The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Thanks to Fredline, I am now the proud custodian of the catchily titled "Tackle and Rods for the Angling Connoisseur (Wholesale) by Bernard Sealey & Co Incorporating Precision Rods."

This 41paged A4 catalogue is crammed with so much more than I had ever imagined, and shows just how little of the surface of this company I have scratched up to now.

I can confirm that it dated from the late 1960s/early 1970s., as the introduction refers to 'the late Mr. Robert Sealey' who ancestry.com research shows passed away in early 1966.

Pages 2 to 9 list the rods available at time of publication ... 48 in total !!! ... plus hollow and solid "Rod Top Blanks for Coarse Rods," and a Junior Angling Outfit" !!! The rods are in a bewildering range of 'classifications' ... Match ... Swing Tip ... Specimen and Coarse ... Hand Made Built Cane Fly ...Hollow Fibre Glass Fly ... Spigot Ferrule Hollow Glass Fly ... Hand Made Built Cane Spinning ... Hollow Fibre Glass Spinning ... Solid Fibre Glass Sea and Pike ... Built Cane Boat ... Hollow Fibre Glass Sea & Beachcasting ... Boys Solid Glass ... Boys Built Cane. A sign of the times is that 8 of the 48 rods listed are designated "Foreign," and are, I suspect, of Japanese origin. AND ... before you ask ... YES ... there are lots of rods I don't own !!!

These are followed by just over 3 pages of hooks and hooks to nylon ... for every imaginable quarry.

2 pages of lines follow ... with names such as 'Racine' (French) ... 'Sportex Perlyl' (German) ... 'Platil' ... 'Luron' ... 'Pescalon' ... and fly lines 'Tudor Wet' and 'Tudor Dry' (West German).

Next there are almost 8 pages of Floats !!!!! Everything ... from 8 types of "Sealey's Super Sensitive Balsa" ... 14 different "Belglow" ... and balsa/stick/cork body/super antennae/sliding barrel/pike/grayling/quill/wood and cane/plastic.self cocking ... and a page of "Float Finishing Materials & Float Accessories." Imagine being able to buy "Match Canal Cane Floats 3 1/4in - 4in - 4 1/4 in ...4/- (20p) per DOZEN" !!!!!!!

There are then 3 and a half pages of "REELS" ... split into categories ... Boys Centre Pin ... Sea ... Fly ... Centre Pin ... Multiplying ...Close Face ... Fixed Spool Threadline ... 49 different reels ... names like "Strikeright" ... Grice and Young ... and again a sign of the times, 15 designated 'Foreign' - probably meaning Japanese ... like this closed face model I found a photo of :-

"Planet Crown (Foreign) A beautiful compact little reel. 21/- each Spare Spools 3/6"



Finally ... there are 15 full pages of everything you could imagine ... from landing nets ... to bank sticks ... to rests ... to umbrellas ... to minnows ... to bait oils ... to steel framed cabinets !!!

All in all ... a most fascinating and comprehensive document ... about which I will be only to happy to answer any questions which members may have.

I really do see myself as only the custodian of this fascinating resource !!!!!

Wonderful my friend very pleased for you. Just sent you mails
Bumble

Wow. A Bernard Sealey catalogue. That must be the Holy Grail for you, Mal. Congratulations.

It really does seem that all the tackle makers in Redditch made everything there was. Such competition.

That little close face reel might be an American baitcasting reel, intended to fit on top of the rod. Millward imported something similar and called it...the Magnacast, I think.


The floats might be very interesting. I did once read that the Sealey family were all floatmakers for Allcock.

Nobby wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 8:44 amThe floats might be very interesting. I did once read that the Sealey family were all floatmakers for Allcock.

Here's a listing of the Sealey branded floats ... I can only wish the catalogue was illustrated ... but we can't have everything !!!