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3 3/4 Pre-War Perfect -- LHW w/ line guard

4K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  sinktip 
#1 ·
Putting one of my pride and joy reels up for sale as I need to finance one in the pipeline. I just don't use it much anymore and I believe reels should be used and not collected.

For your consideration is a prewar Hardy Perfect, 3 3/4 size with revolving line guard and wait for it, left hand wind. It is a duplicated Mark II and has a true and unaltered ribbed brass foot.

This configuration is beyond rare and is according to what one of the old timers on here told me about 15 years ago, a model Hardy called the "boat reel", designed to sit on top of the rod. The line guard is mounted slightly closer to the foot on the configuration but it has worked fine for me for many years.

The old lady is not without her blemishes. The line guard has some grooving on one side, the leading is largely gone, there are two slightly discolored spots on the winding plate (purely cosmetic) and of particular note, she has a hairline crack on the rim. This has been there for the entire time I've owned and fished the reel and has never been an issue. When I first got the reel I pondered having Archuletta epoxy fix it but like I said, it has not been a problem. I have tried to show all her warts in the pictures.

While obviously not a 27 year old trophy wife, this fine old lady still has many years of performance in her. She growls like a wildcat when hooked to a fish and is as rare as they come.

Firm asking price is $1,450 US plus Paypal fees. . I will cover shipping in the US and we can work something out internationally.
 

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#10 ·
When I seen your post about it being a lefty I had to do a double take , in all my years of collecting I have only seen a couple true leftys in wide drum salmon size reels

That is indeed a neet old hardy , I looked at that check work for 10 mins before I could figure it out ,

It was and is a RHW check , to be used with the reel on the top side of the rod , or one could flip it on the bottom and use it as a LHW reel as you did ,

How was the drag on it when adjusting the knob all the way down ,

I seen one old hardy that had two line guards on it , a lefty or a RHW , whatever mood you was in for the day

I'm thinking you'll regret selling that reel ,
 
#11 ·
Nice reel. As said above, it is a right hand wind reel. These were referred to as "Rings Up" and enjoyed a very brief period of use. When reeling the reel was positioned on the top side of the rod and retrieved by winding with the right hand. I have only seen 3 St. George rings up reels in the last 10 years (I own one), but never a perfect. They were never cataloged and only available by special order.

Best of luck.
 
#15 ·
No, as designed it was right hand wind because the reel was on top (handle on right side). It works fine as LHW because on a double handed rod, it hangs beneath the rod, hence handle is on the left.

Hard to explain but mount a reel on a rod and then rotate the rod until the reel is on top and you will see what I'm talking about.

And for those that have asked, incoming has a nice Hardy click, outgoing is a loud growl and of course, more tension.
 
#16 ·
Here is some information I received from a knowledgeable member.

I thought I would pass on a little information about your reel as it is a rare example of a little known hardy reel. In the 1920's and 30's many salmon angler when fishing the large salmon rivers preferred to play fish with the fly reel on top of the rod as opposed to below. This most likely was influence by the popularity of casting reels during those years. These reels are commonly referred to as "rings up" reels (or "rings over"), with the rod's guides being the rings. "Rings Up" reels show up rarely as they were never cataloged and available only when special ordered.

If you look at your reel you will notice a couple of things.

- The tension spring is set in the right hand position. (On left handed reels it is reversed.
- The line guide is angled toward the reel seat. If you google some pictures of reels with line guides and check work exposed, you will see that the line guide is forward from the 12 o'clock position while yours is set back from it.
- The pawl is actually reversed on the spring. It has been turned over so that the reel will wind in the opposite direction from how it was designed. The pawl slot or cut out is designed to face away from the tension screw while yours is facing towards it.

I have no idea of the value of the reel as I have never seen a Wide Drum Rings Up Perfect in 20 years of collecting. It is a very unique reel from an interesting period.


Hopefully this helps with some of the questions I have been receiving on it. I have fished it as a LHW for near 15 years and it has landed a number of fish into the high teens.
 
#17 ·
I have exactly the same reel in my modest collection. The only manufacturing difference is that there is no impressed mark of the reel size on the winding plate.

However, the significant differences in 'wear' is that mine doesn't have any cracks in the frame, and there are no line burns on the line guide on the one I have.

I can confirm that, with the reel fitted to the reel seat of the rod in the conventional position slung under the rod, and with the line guide obviously towards the tip of the rod, it is indeed a LHW reel (more tension on line out than line in).

Flipping the rod over so that the reel sits on top of the rod, again with the line guide towards the rod tip, this naturally brings the winding plate and handle to the right side of the assembly (looking from butt to tip of the rod), but now, in this position, in order to keep the line in tension less than the line out tension, one has to wind the reel with the right hand, but in reverse, ie anticlockwise!

And I just thought that this reel was made with the line guide in the 'wrong' position!!


Mike
 
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