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Hardy Bougle 110th Anniversary Limited Edition Fly Reel
$ 1,250
VFT4992
LIMITED EDITION BOUGLÉ REEL
Limited Edition fly reels, handbuilt in Alnwick, England in a run of 110 numbered reels - to commemorate 110 years since production of the first Bouglé reel.
Louis Bouglé
In the early 1900s, Hardy's were approached by an extraordinarily flamboyant Frenchman, at that time almost unknown in England, whose name would become familiar to two generations of the firm's customers and would echo down even to our own time. His name was Louis Bouglé, and although he was well-known on the French tournament casting circuit, he only would only become famous in Britain after 1903, when William, John James, and Forster Hardy took him at his word and modified the Perfect reel to the Frenchman's exacting specifications.
Bouglé may have been eccentric, but he was an exceptionally skilled angler and his reputation was enough for the Hardy's to take a standard Perfect frame and patiently file it down to produce a lightweight variant. The new reel had an eye-catching design, with raised pillars and while it was unmistakably a Perfect, it was a very special one.
The very first Bouglé was a 3" reel listed in the 1903 catalogue, in which a note by William Hardy indicates that a 3¼" version was in the pipeline - the two sizes were listed right up to the outbreak of war in 1939.
The 1912 Pattern Check
The model presented here is the first ever 3 ¼ inch Bouglé to feature the prized 1912 check.
The 1912 pattern check is thought by many to be the most attractive of all the many different styles of check fitted to the Perfect reel, although the reason for its introduction was probably because owners had experienced trouble with the early mechanisms jamming in use. The new check introduced a 'floating' pawl, connected via a spring to a brass lever. As you can see from the artwork, a twist of the regulator was all that was needed to set the drag using this remarkably elegant mechanism.
- Designed, developed and manufactured by Hardy Bros. in Alnwick, England
- Limited Edition of 110 - to celebrate 110 years of Bouglé manufacture
- Hand-assembled and inspected by Hardy Bros. master reel makers
- Features the prized Hardy Bros. '1912' check system
- Ivorine type handle
- 6061 aluminium bar stock construction
- Polished 'Pearl Silver' anodised finish
- 'Rolling' line guard pillar
- Hardy Bros. block leather horseshoe reel case
- Supplied with commemorative limited edition collectors 'Bouglé anniversary' medallion
- Available as either left or right hand wind.
Capacity with 20# backing - DT4+55M / WF5+60M / WF6+40M
RIGHT hand retrieve only.
Like new condition! Never used.
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Shipping Information
- We ship at cost to the buyer and in the majority of cases do so via UPS with full insurance and signature. There are cheaper options but our experience has been that you get what you pay for and that it's not worth taking risks when shipping what are often one-of-a-kind items. Your shipping estimate will be calculated at checkout and if you have any questions please contact us. Please note the buyers are responsible for any applicable import duties or fees that may levied. Due to the importance of packing items carefully please allow up to two weeks for arrival (depending on how busy we are) though we certainly do our best to get items to you as expeditiously as possible.
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Other Terms
- Unless otherwise noted, all items come with a 3-day inspection period during which they can be returned to us for a full refund (provided that they are in the same condition in which they left our shop). Return shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. If an item is returned, we will issue a refund within 10 days upon receipt. Refunds will be either administered by providing a check or, when possible, by canceling a credit card purchase.