When most people think of Nottingham reels, they immediately associate them with the cheap wooden ones found on various online auction sites: overvalued, overhyped and underwhelming in their appearance. These are the run-of-the-mill Nottingham reels from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. However, there are others: beautiful works of art that preceded these potboilers, seldom seen and not really understood.
This book will explain the reasons why they were made in Nottingham and not elsewhere. Starting with reels from the early 1800s, the reader will see the biggest collection of iron-pillared clamp winches ever, along with possibly the earliest centre winch to surface so far.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 100 full-colour photographs detailing how the reels were made and their variations, it will pinpoint not only the date of the invention of the spring latch but for the first time, identify the individual behind it.
This book makes everything that has so far been written on the Nottingham winch either obsolete or incorrect.
Many people have heard of Percy Wadham and his lures, some even think that he made a few reels, but most people are unaware of the contribution of Percy Scott and his role in the company. How did a brilliant engineer and an outstanding marketer team up, inventing and manufacturing fishing reels and hundreds of other items of fishing tackle?
This book will tell the story of the Dreadnought Casting Reel Co. which only existed for just over 10 years, it will set the scene starting in the dying days of the Victorian era moving through to the Edwardian period when casting tournaments were all the rage.
With the start of WW1, there were changes and we still do not know the full extent of the contribution that the two men made towards the war effort; a grenade launcher, a collapsible armchair that would fit in a submarine and also act as a flotation device and eel traps designed to help overcome the food shortages.
This volume will explain the various reel models along with accurate dating and naming of the reels. Lavishly illustrated with more than a hundred full colour photographs of the reels showing the variations and progression of each model. It will look into the legal battle the two men had with Hardy Brothers and could it uncover the real reason Dingley left Hady’s?