[Brookieslayer]

Hey all,

I was wondering if any of you perfect specialists would be able to tell me if I should be using both pawls for steelhead fishing or will one suffice?


Thanks and tight lines

 

[TheWaker]

Hey Brookislayer

I use both on my Bougle and have for years. Some would say it puts extra wear on the gear and that may be true, but like I said, been doing it for years and have seen no adverse affects. I know the Hardy police may say don't do it but I feel it gives a little better traction to the spool with a fish on. Maybe I'm dreaming but that's what I do. It will be intresting to hear what others say.

My 1 3/4 cents


Mark

 

[sinktip]

Brookie,

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. Use both if you need to have the overrun protection and only one if the spring is stiff enough to give it to you alone. On many of the vintage Perfects, it seems that the springs get tired. This is possibly due to them being put away under tension for long periods. That or maybe they just lose spring. For these, it helps to engage both pawls. I had a 50's 4 1/4 though that had such a good spring that I not only didn't engage both pawls, I also didn't fully engage the tension adjustment on the one.

I suspect that tension varies from reel to reel for other reasons too. I used to have two identical Bougles. On the one, one pawl was all I needed. On the other, both fully engaged was barely enough to prevent overrun.

sinktip

 

[Brookieslayer]

Ok so it is up to the individual user... got it, thanks again for all the insights.

hope all those hardys get to scream boys.

 

[Norseman]

I used my Hardy St John for the super hot Dean river fish for a number of years there....I had both pawls engaged to prevent over runs when a fish did a grab and run. I have never seen any apparent wear to the gear. And I would bet the pawl and gear on a perfect are made of the same metal as the St John.

Just keep the gear and pawl well lubed with a good grease and you should not see any wear.

My two cents worth.

Paul

 

[Willie Gunn]

Where's this second pawl you were talking about?

Oh I see you mean the modern perfects, you will have to learn to be more precise.

 

[Brookieslayer]

Willie,

Sorry I didn't clairify that that my perfect was a duplicated check, however I also didn't realize that you were so old that you didn't know about the technology advancements that have been progressing since the 20's, which incidentally is when my perfect was made. Apparently the old saying " you can't teach a dog new tricks" applies here....

P.S. I have only seen two of the old brass faced perfects such as yours and rather like the "old" reels.

 

[Salmon Chaser]

Get used to it lads,,, he really likes to come across as having brass balls:chuckle: Actually he seems to have 15 of them:Eyecrazy:
Willie,,Is that the one you offered Juro??

 

[Willie Gunn]

Balls who mentioned balls?
None here.

Here is a later check the last one was actually the early check. But only experts could see the picture is not clear enough.

Yes Salmon Chaser, I think that was the reel I offered to Juro so many reels so little time.

 

[Jamey McLeod]

I used my Hardy St John for the super hot Dean river fish for a number of years there....I had both pawls engaged to prevent over runs when a fish did a grab and run. I have never seen any apparent wear to the gear. And I would bet the pawl and gear on a perfect are made of the same metal as the St John.

Just keep the gear and pawl well lubed with a good grease and you should not see any wear.

My two cents worth.

Paul

The St. John has to be the loudest of all Hardys :smokin: . I used mine with both pawls for a while and stopped because I was worried about wear and realized I just didn't need all that drag on the small stream I usually use it of. I bought mine new in the box and the gear still looks it.

The St. John has to the favorite of all my Hardy's, a bit more of a challenge without a palming rim, but the sound is the sweetest.

 

[TheWaker]

Speaking of Dean Fish

Brookieslayer,

One more tidbit. On a Dean River trip several years ago while fishing at the Jam hole,I hooked a fish that pulled so hard he flipped the pawl over and the reel went into free willy mode. Slightly unsetteling but I still landed the fish,barely. I only had one pawl in at the time though. I think this is fairly rare but I have heard of it happening. Anyone else out there ever flipped a pawl on a big fish?

Mark

 

[sinktip]

It happened to Trey Combs all the time :razz: Sorry, that was too good to pass up.

Nope, never on a Hardy. I have had another make suddenly stop clicking though and it is a little unnerving to the guy fighting the fish. And based on his reaction, equally humorous for the guy watching.

 

[wrx_canoe]

Mkii -

My 4" pre-war MKII has just one pawl engaged. When fully loosened it will overrun if I pull the line out fast, therefore I tighten it a bit down. All the way down is too much tension.

I guess if I had both pawls engaged I could probably get away with not having to engage the drag at all.

I guess I'm lucky enough to have strong springs still.

Unrelated, I just snapped the spool screw on my 4" Bougle. According to HardyBC, John gets 100 reels a month sent back with this problem. Anyone had this problem? I was using a penny to retighten when the screw snapped. $50 charge.

Preston

 

[voodoofly]

Where's this second pawl you were talking about?

LOL................

 

[SSPey]

second pawl? beats the nuts out of me. WG, what're all those weird ancient circular and springboard shaped thingies in there, a reel of the early Caledonians?

 

[Salmon Chaser]

seen it on a perfect

Preston, I got a lhw perfect(3 5/8 70's model) for a song at a backwoods antique shop in New Brunswick about 6 years ago. The nut and the internal threads were stripped to the point they would not bite anymore. I sent it to John at Hardy BC two years ago and i think the fee was similar to yours. This was for some labor and a replacement NS screw. Very happy with the results and am still only into this reell for about $100.00 :smokin: :smokin:
Just of note if this happens to any of you, he recommends you send the reel to him as both male and female threads are likely damaged as was the case with the one i bought. The lads at HardyBC had to replace the screw and tap new threads into the spindle.
Salmon Chaser

 

[Dana]

Brookieslayer,

One more tidbit. On a Dean River trip several years ago while fishing at the Jam hole,I hooked a fish that pulled so hard he flipped the pawl over and the reel went into free willy mode. Slightly unsetteling but I still landed the fish,barely. I only had one pawl in at the time though. I think this is fairly rare but I have heard of it happening. Anyone else out there ever flipped a pawl on a big fish?

Mark

I've flipped them on the Marquis Salmon #3 so I now used both pawls on all my Hardy reels except my Uniqua which only has one pawl anyways. I've only hooked a few fish with that one, but so far so good...

 

[Brookieslayer]

Thanks for all the info guys, I wouldn't want my equipment to let me down when hooked into some Dean steel.

 

[wrx_canoe]

Eh Salmon Chaser,

I know Terry at HardyBC will do first rate work. No worries there as I had them put a modern reelfoot on my Perfect.

Just surprised that the screw broke (threads aren't stripped).

Preston

 

[abito]

Searun tackle in coquitlam,BC does work on hardy reels as well..i had the screw broken on my bougle IV 3 3/4 and they only charged alot less.... alot less