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Hardy Reels, Spey Rods, Fly Rods, etc.
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Flyfishing Gear and
Books
Classic Fly
Fishing Tackle For orders or inquiries: 8208 317th Place
Northwest, Robert C. Arnold, Sole Proprietor
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Pictures from the Old Stilly
Partridge low water hook
Partridge Single Wilson hook
An interesting website for flyfishers, providing a kindly linkage to ours
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Preface A fishing friend of mine once told me, "If you find something you really like, buy a lifetime supply of it, because they will soon stop making it." This was the Canadian Bob Taylor, a keen fly fisher, and I don't know if he was referring to Hardy Bros. flyfishing reels or not, but his words then had a keen prophetic tone to them. Hardy has been in business for over a hundred years, and during that long period of time, they have introduced many fine lines of fly reels, but, after a few years, or a decade or so, they stopped making them and brought out a new line. That line was not necessarily better from a fly fisher's point of view. But the discontinuing of a line, or series, or reels, has been endemic in their business and that of other companies. What this translates into is this: better buy it now, if it is good, or soon it won't be available, only on the secondary or used market. The Hardy Perfects are a good example of this rule. Hardy brought out a second series of them back in the 1970s, but they weren't as well made (made by machines, not individually by hand, by men), and anglers have learned the hard way not to trust them to repeated hard use and screaming fish, for they are apt to let you down. And repairs must go back to England, involve time and shipping expenses, and they may let you down again. The Hardy Perfects, St Johns, St. Georges in large sizes, and the Light Weight Series are no longer available new. There are a few in prime condition around still, but they fetch a exceedingly high price from those who know their value. There are few enough of good Hardy reels in in used condition and they bring a price that can be considered reasonable only by people who know and trust the product through long experience. Extra spools usually can't be found for these reels. Spools too are made by expert machinists working with aluminum alloys to close tolerances and hand-casting them and their parts. And then there is the matter of first rate iron pawls and steel springs. Hardy knew what it was doing. The Asian imitators don't know or care. Production was suspended during World War II, when England got hit the hardest and all machine shop production went to the war effort. But a few years after the war was over, the demand for Hardy reels and rods was high, and production shortcuts were, I am afraid, taken to meet the customers' requirements. In other words, the new reels were not as good as the old ones. Fishers learned this the hard way. Over time, the reels grew in demand. I'm glad I listened to Bob Taylor, nearly fifty years ago. Fishing for steelhead and salmon usually isn't as good as it was then; much of the tackle of today is superior to that of yesteryear, though. There are great light-weight rods made today of third-generation graphite. I no longer fish for steelhead, partly because of age, partly because I live on a lake that produces year-round good trout fishing. So my heavy-duty fly tackle is for sale. And I should like to see it go into loving hands. The prices are I think competitive. Deal with me once, and I think the second time you do (after I've got to know you a little) you may get an ever better deal.
Robert C. Arnold
Hook Special--half price! These are the world's best fly hooks, made individually by hand and closely inspected for purposes of perfection. They are costly, but have short, sharp points made of the best steel, and will take more resharpening than most other hooks. The Partridge hooks are still made in England, but the Daiichi hooks are made in Japan and marketed through the world.
Odd Lots, Top Quality English and American fly hooks at half price Lot 1 Daiichi Alec Jackson Spey hooks No. 2051. SORRY, ALL SOLD Lot 2 Partridge Single Low Water hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb, size 5. 74 hooks. Price: $17.28 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. size 4. 19 hooks. Price: $4.56 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 6. 25 hooks. Price:: $6 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 6. 25 hooks. Price: $6 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 6. 14 hooks. Price: $3.56 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 6. 24 hooks. Price: $5.75 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 2. 6 hooks. Price: $1.50 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 2. 15 hooks. Price: $3.60 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 2. 6 hooks. Price: $1.50 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 2. 9 hooks. Price: $2.16 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 4. 15 hooks. Price: $3.60 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 4. 24 hooks. Price: $5.76 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 2. 25 hooks. Price: $6.25 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 8. 17 hooks. Price: $4.08 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size52. 7 hooks. Price: $1.68 Partridge Single Salmon Wilson hooks, normal shank, upturned eye, heavier. Size 6, 12 hooks. Price: $2.88 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, assorted sizes, 4 hooks. Price: $0.96 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, assorted sizes, 28 hooks. Price: $6.72 Partridge Single Wilson hooks, black, long shank, upturned eye, short barb. Size 4. 13 hooks. Price: $3.12.
T=$86.66, the lot, plus $5.00 postage
THE FLY REELS This is the 3-3/4 inch St. George model Hardy fly reel. It too is left-hand crank, but does not require a locking screw because of its design. The finish has been stripped off, long ago, and so has the paint on two of its extra spools, but the third extra spool still has the factory black paint, which makes a handsome contrast when fished. (It too could be removed, if the owner wants to do it. It is fairly easy to accomplish.) This is a good, tight, serviceable reel suitable for trout and steelhead. It will hold about 100 yards of backing in a smaller size than 20 pound Dacron. Three extra spools. One has a custom ebony handle repair that works nicely. It can be seen on the background left.
Price: $500 Hardy 3-7/8" St. John fly reel, and comes with two extra spools. It is factory designed for left-hand crank. Holds more than 100 yards of 20 lb. Dacron backing and has a stiff check intended for Atlantic salmon and steelhead. Big, heavy, and strong. Comes with factory zipper case. Reel and spools all have suitable Dacron backing and serviceable fly lines. Again, one dark spool with the factory finish.
Price: $500, with leather case and two extra spools. Hardy St. Aidan. 3-7/8" member of the Light
Weight Series. I have Two reels. Price: $200 per reel, with line and backing. One extra spool with line and backing $85.
SPEY REELS
Hardy Marquis Salmon No. 3, with rim control for breaking a big fish. Probably the strongest reel Hardy makes, with a huge backing capacity. The reel has a lot of mass and is a bit slow to release line on a fresh running steelhead or salmon, but then the drag can be set light and the reel rim-braked. It will hold a thick Spey line or size 10 or 12 double-taper fly line, and backing, which very few fish will out run. Nearly new SA DT quality fine included.
Price: $420 Not a Hardy, but a handsome Lamson 4, with Rio Spey line and backing. Beautiful black enamel finish. One of the best reels made in the US. A little light wear. Caught lots of steelhead.
Price: $275 Made by Hardy for L.L. Bean is the GQS Disc 10/12, a huge reel of 4.15" in diameter and 1.25 in depth. It is very heavy and holds, I'd guess, 200 yards of 30lb. test Dacron backing. Plus a ten or twelve weight fly line. It must weigh several pounds and is suitable only for a commensurately large Spey rod. The spool is counter balanced and has a knob check on the back side. (See photo left.) The drag can be set surprisingly light and, of course, heavy enough to stop a Labrador Retriever. One of the best reels I've ever seen for Spey rod fishing and a dependable constant-companion for winter fishing on a large stream, such as the Skagit. It is 4.15" in diameter and correspondingly wide, with a strong check system and additional rim control (if you should need it. Surprisingly for a heavy reel, the line runs smoothly off of it on a running fish, and drag can be set quite light. Very nice, with just a little wear on the black enamel finish.
Price: $350 NEW LISTING Two STH cassette reels, with 3 extra spools filled with 20 pound test quality Dacron backing and Rio flylines. Made in Argentina by R. L. Saconni and carefully machined of solid bar stock aluminum on Swiss machinery. Reel on left is the IM Series 4, 4.1 inches in diameter, reel on right the DDR series 4, 4.1 inches in diameter. A nicely compatible pair, with interchangeable spools. Finish is heavy black anodized aluminum and does not easily damage or mar. Interchangeable to right or left hand crank, with offset reel seat for better balance. Finely adjustable drag system. No kidding, my favorite of all the Spey rod type reels, and the one I choose for a given day's fishing on a favorite stream. They have landed lots of Wenatchee River steelhead and show no wear. Utterly dependable. Price, the pair and three extra spools: $350. The lines alone are worth the cost.
New: go to page 4 for our used books,
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