Hardy Bougle - 3.5 inches of glorious memories

[Binbag]

As mentioned in my initial post a few years back, I had nearly all of me gear stolen around the turn of the century. Amongst some of my prized possessions was a few Hardy fly reels. These were my late fathers, one being a St. George, a Marquis and a post war perfect. Recently I have taken it upon myself to replace these with the UK constructed versions I.e. not the Far East versions.. I have the Marquis salmon number 1 which I hope to use in anger this year. The St George is one that I can’t find (except for silly money) but replacing the perfect I varied from the script. Using it for trout and sea trout I always found them a little heavy, particularly as my preference is for slightly oversized reels to prevent coiling of the fly line.

But for once going “off piste” has provided me with a solution. The UK built re release of the Bougle gives me the size I like without the weight penalty. It has that wonderful sound of the perfect range of reels and I can’t wait to go chucking some fluff with this reel. Although not vintage it still has the vintage feel, but why does it feel slightly wrong.

Does anyone else feel like that with a modern replica of a classic reel. Am I being unfaithful.
Hmmmmmm
An unquiet mind.

[Watermole+]

But for once going “off piste” has provided me with a solution. The UK built re release of the Bougle gives me the size I like without the weight penalty. It has that wonderful sound of the perfect range of reels and I can’t wait to go chucking some fluff with this reel. Although not vintage it still has the vintage feel, but why does it feel slightly wrong.

Does anyone else feel like that with a modern replica of a classic reel. Am I being unfaithful.
Hmmmmmm
An unquiet mind.

With regards to the 'Perfect' reel, with modern plastic lines, it is anything but!!
I do have some of the narrow drum, trout sizes-and indeed, use and enjoy them, but only because I use very thin, silk lines (for which they were designed) and bamboo rods. I think that you might be more at home with the later, 1960s designed reels which were made with 'bubble' lines in mind..
The original 'raised pillar' Bougle reel probably enjoyed greater popularity In the USA since that design was very fashionable there, more so than here and possibly Hardy created the modern reproduction with the overseas market in mind..? However, rods and lines have changed considerably since then and the original would feel far too heavy if fitted to a modern rod. It has therefore been made much lighter and slicker in appearance to appeal more to the angler of today who wants to feel some kind of old-style reassurance, without it feeling mis-matched weight-wise to a featherweight rod. The wider drum also allows more space for modern, bulky lines and necessary backing line and is a very suitable reel for today's way of fishing.

I'm not quite sure as regarding something having a 'vintage' feel, yet feeling slightly wrong..? The vintage 'feel' might be just a psychological thing where you want to be fishing with an old reel and yet this isn't. It's a very new lookalike, a pastiche of something you would like to be old, but isn't and cannot be. There have been many new reels made in recent times, based on very old designs-and even falsely "aged" chemically to look so, probably for the very same reason..

I feel that only you can decide as whether you are being unfaithful -to your past?.. It does seem as that you yearn for a nostalgic continuation with the fishing as done by your late father, but even with similar tackling, you cannot, because although similar, it never belonged to him-only that same era-and that is as close as you will get.
Perhaps it might be time to now draw a gentle, but definite line under the past and start your writing own chapter, yet by using the Bougle, still retaining a linkage with your own personal family history..?
I have seen this reel and cast it with a modern, 15 foot rod and can tell you that it is quite delightful to use and should be enjoyed in it's own right.

With kind regards,

wm+

[Binbag]

Thank you, that’s a wonderful reply. I am definitely carving my own path but I wanted to thumb my nose at the rotten lot who stole all my tackle. You are right about the perfect, and notice the current range are more wide drum. The Bougle has that feel, that just says to me, “this is the one”. I think my quandary was regarding modern copies of vintage designs. Mind you I have a modern trudex centrepin that is one of my favourite pieces of tackle which just suits long trotting on rivers and it feels just right.