Thank you for the information Nobby. It did dawn on me later that this would be the reason. I also notice that in Mr Crabtree goes Fishing that the reels are mainly righthand wind. I guess I could a have used with out the line guard. Will see if it is still available at the next antique fair at Minstead. I have read your write up on the check prawl with interest and it seems to make sense this righthand wind. Will be in touch at some point about the floats.Nobby wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:06 pm
Yes indeed, centrepin and 'swimming' reels were originally mounted low on the handle and braked with the little finger of the right hand...the same hand that was used to rewind line in again...a bit clumsy in truth, but that's how it was. Consequently many reels were only ever made in right hand wind...even the JW Youngs Trudex with its additional line guard mountings was only 'partly' ambidextrous as there was no way of changing the check pawl to operate differently when the reel was turned.
(I can do this now, but it's not for everyone, grinding away tiny amounts of metal from a hard carbon steel pawl)
This style of fishing with the reel low was usually called the Nottingham Style and the great FWK Wallis fished this way and that's the reason so many rods have a rather short handle if you want to fish in the modern style with the reel mounted higher up...his famous rods by Hardy and Allcock, the Wallis Allround and Avon and the Wizard are cases in point.
Here's His Nibs seemingly holding the reel body with his left hand too...maybe to give his little finger a rest from braking? Click on the image to enlarge.
Many thanks Nobby