The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I managed to pick one up at a snip, due to a modification on the backplate / spindle end, which is a real shame because it's in otherwise, very good condition and intend to have it restored by Gary Mills one day.

Of all the centrepins I own/ have owned, it is probably the most precisely engineered and 'tight' running and was probably the design the later match aerial was based on.

They are expensive because of their rarity, I would guess there were maybe only a thousand or two made (maybe even less)?

As for them being better, lot of people would say a speedia is a better reel and they wouldn't be wrong, because there is no right or wrong, things like reels and rods cannot be universally 'better' for everyone, it's all about preferences, isn't it?

I also remember reading somewhere, that the reason Allcocks stopped production was to help with the war effort and manufacturing spitfire parts or something??? This may be complete rubbish off course!

Surrey Martin wrote:Hi All. I have one of the above which I was given when I was a 12 year old by a old gentlemen who no longer used it !!! Can anyone tell me the approximate pricing of this these days ...I am not selling as I prize this reel ...although use a wide drum ariel for Barbel fishng .....any idea anyone . Pics attached

Cheers Surrey Martin

There is one for sale in this link Martin and is priced at £950.00

http://www.vintagefishingtackle-uk.com/englishreels.htm the 16th reel down.

I've also got an idea that it wasn't called the Aerial Match, but that this is a later name given to it by collectors to avoid confusion with the later Match Aerial.


I presume it was made by Youngs?

If so the Spitfire connection is just sound....Youngs made a number of aircraft parts ( there's an invoice for some on eBay right now! ) as part of their War Effort, including the gun firing button attached to the Spitfire 'joystick', apparently.

Fourth paragraph:
http://www.jwyoungs.co.uk/history.htm

In Elwyn Attwood's book he says "With the outbreak of World War II, came a misguided idea that the 'tools and dies' necessary to make this reel would be safer in Birmingham rather than Redditch. As a result they either got lost or blown up during the war years".

Macko wrote:Could somebody PLEASE enlighten me, what is so good about this reel, when there are thousands
of better reels out there.

ATB Macko

As far as design goes there is very little that is better in my opinion:4'' aerial with a narrow drum= what I really want from a reel!! the rareity of it is irrelevant to me.
As far as thousands of better reels out there than these I dunno about that, no modern reels exept the very top end ones even get close to aerials due to them using bearings rather than pins in a lot of situations.

Nobby wrote:This is the one that was only made for the one year, isn't it?

Yup. Just before ww2.

Nobby wrote:I've also got an idea that it wasn't called the Aerial Match, but that this is a later name given to it by collectors to avoid confusion with the later Match Aerial.


I presume it was made by Youngs?

If so the Spitfire connection is just sound....Youngs made a number of aircraft parts ( there's an invoice for some on eBay right now! ) as part of their War Effort, including the gun firing button attached to the Spitfire 'joystick', apparently.

Fourth paragraph:
http://www.jwyoungs.co.uk/history.htm

Thanks nobby, I knew there was a link somewhere!!!

ST, why are Ariel type reels better than bearing reels. In the Pin Trilogy by John Oliff Cooper,
He had a pin made for him by Dave Plowman who was supposedly a genius at making c/pins,
and insisted on a bearing pin and as far as I know, is very much a traditional angler.
I hope I'm not coming across as trying to be controversial.

ATB Macko

According to my Phil Waller book the original 1939 reel is called 'The Aerial Match' as engraved on the reel whereas the 1965 one is 'The New Match Aerial'.

makko! Not at all mate! I find bearing pins worse to use than centrepins. I find that aerials and other pins that work on a rounded bottom grub screw pivoting on the top of a rounded pin far, far nicer to cast with and trot with. When you set the drum going at the beginning of a cast (with a 'true pin') it seems to go instantly. Every time I have used bearing pins It feels as if there is a (small) period of speeding up from the drum. Maybe the reels I have used are not set up well, but I have noticed it on youngs, adcocks and some other newer ones.
The design of the spokes on an aerial are not just aesthetic-they work like a bike wheel and if set up well aid in the balancing of the drum........ But they also look lovely!! I am a sucker for the 39 aerial match, simple, but it is not the rareity that i'm attracted to. I find the later match aerial have a too heavy a drum for trotting
, and prefer 4 inchers for float work.