Vintage Reel

[Smead]

Langley Spinlite De Luxe 850B...about the size of a Shimano 500 sized reel. Simple, fairly well made, the pawl for the A/R is in the rotor and also can be used to center the bail for casting. Not bad for $15 shipped.

[Bryin]

Cool... will you use it? What rod will you pair it with?

[Smead]

Could go on anything I have really, though it's size indicates my 5' Avid.

IIRC, I have an advert stashed somewhere they claim the Spinlite 850's were the first ultralights...though Alcedo Microns and Cargem Mignons were contemporaries. The Mitchell 308 was first produced in 1959.

Will most likely have to use backing...most vintage reels have narrow and deep spools, as opposed to the better shallow and wide...though Mitchell at least offered true shallow spools.

The real issue though is what vintage rods could have been used to provide decent casting ability with any reel of that era...1960's maybe a selection, 1950's not so much. Probably this is what caused some to consider converting fly rods.

[waterone]

Smear;

For vintage rods, I have vintage spinning rods from the 50's through the present, IMO the rods of the 50's were pretty good, in some ways better than a he 60's when the marketers and sales people started to take notice of bass tournaments, and it seemed like every rod, even UL were "fer wrasslin bass" you had actions were other than design for casting weights, the action profiles were virtually identical.

If you can find a good quality hollow fiberglass rod made by a good maker, you've got a gem. Remember, in the 50's even some mid-range rods were solid fiberglass. If you're dedicated, you might find a surviving split bamboo vintage ultralight that is pretty good. The designs of the non-Japanese rods were all pretty good, but not many of them were well taken care of. In bamboo - stay far, far away of the bamboo rods produced n Japan in the 40's through today.

I've found the better vintage UL spinning rods were made by Silaflex, and some Fenwicks and Conolons.

I don't have that many depth Airex, but I know people that love then, and your scored a great model in apparently great condition.

[waterone]

Smear;

For vintage rods, I have vintage spinning rods from the 50's through the present, IMO the rods of the 50's were pretty good, in some ways better than a he 60's when the marketers and sales people started to take notice of bass tournaments, and it seemed like every rod, even UL were "fer wrasslin bass" you had actions were other than design for casting weights, the action profiles were virtually identical.

If you can find a good quality hollow fiberglass rod made by a good maker, you've got a gem. Remember, in the 50's even some mid-range rods were solid fiberglass. If you're dedicated, you might find a surviving split bamboo vintage ultralight that is pretty good. The designs of the non-Japanese rods were all pretty good, but not many of them were well taken care of. In bamboo - stay far, far away of the bamboo rods produced n Japan in the 40's through today.

I've found the better vintage UL spinning rods were made by Silaflex, and some Fenwicks and Conolons.

I don't have that many depth Airex, but I know people that love then, and your scored a great model in apparently great condition.

[Smead]

Thanks for the good info!!

I'm really behind the knowledge power curve on vintage rods; though I've heard of Silaflex, as well as Conolon. Will keep an eye out.

I was aware that many bamboo rods came from Japan, but not that the post war one's were a problem. I recently got to handle a Montague, a "Red River" I believe. Regarding bamboo much seems either beat up, or very expensive if in good shape. I've read that rot and brittleness are also possible problems.

[Smead]

I just scored a nice set, reel with box and manual...some extra spools too:

[Smead]

Here's a rare one, Cargem Mignon with a factory PUM.

[waterone]

Wow, that's a NICE score on the manual pick-up of the Mignon.

Most of the "owner converted" manual pick-ups are really cludgy and never have worked well for me.

Back to the rod for the Airex, I'm pretty sure that Airex sold both high-end and more pedestrian spinning rods for their reels, as UL wasn't even known in many (most) areas of the US. Back in the 40's-50's if you were throwing small lures, your were using pretty heavy fly tackle. For stream fishing and river fishing, casting spinner flies can be ok, as the current may help loading the rod on the backcast, but it was not uncommon to talk to long-time spinner fly anglers referencing getting hit it in the back of the head or neck or back by an errant fore-cast.

AS to the Japanese bamboo- I was told by veterans who served in post WWII Japan, they were trying to set up any industry, and it seemed that as bamboo is native to Asia, but unfortunately all bamboo is not equal. Japanese bamboo has proven to not be the best for rods. Matter of fact, several top-range Japanese rod companies, make/market really, really good spinning and baitcasting rods that are at the top of their ranges. I'm thinking the Megabass Pagani rods, that when they came out were priced in the same price point for the best US, and European split bamboo rods. But even those new rods, are made with what is termed specially select Tonkin bamboo, which is what top of the line split bamboo fly rods are made of.

Smead, if you can't pick up a period rod for your Airex, you could compromise a but and do as I do with vintage reels, I cheat a little bit and use one of the 60-70's Fenwick 140 series rods, even though they tend to be on the short side as far as length.

Now that awesome Cargem Mignon - there are some rods that were matching for that rod, like there were catching Alcedo Micron rods, but from what I've seen the Cargem rods, like the Alcedo rods are more rare than the reels, and often haven't survived the years too well. If you can find a good rod, they often are REAL expensive.

[Smead]

That's the first factory Cargem PUM I've ever seen. Modified PUM's can often leave the rotor unbalanced if not done right...using a manufacturer kit is best, chopped bail reel rotors definitely need to be re-weighted properly.

I think I've seen a grand total of 2 of the Micron rods...also marked with The Continental Arms, the U.S. distributor.

Thanks for the info about looking for Tonkin cane regarding bamboo.

I have noted that many of the vintage UL rods at short...also that both light and ultra/extra light were relative terms

I'm perfectly OK with using modern rods with vintage reels...but it would be nice to have one period rod.

I did recently see a Pezon & Michel with odern replacement guides and wraps...estimated to be 1960's manufacture...quite nicely done.

[Smead]

Luxor No.1 Factory PUM

[waterone]

Smead:

Due to public's unfamiliarity wit the the UL concept, back in the 40's -50's some other rodds from odd sources made their way to to fishing public.

I've seen well made vintage rods labeled Rockland (the makers/sellers of the Rocky series of UL plugs) for example, the who I believe imported one of the higher end reels from Europe, along with the the ones mentioned before.

Going back for a moment to bamboo, specifically Tonkin bamboo, some of the most prestigious American rod builders such as Powell, Winston and Edwards and Orvis, along with Hardy an Pezon et Michel in Europe made UL (and other spinning) rods during the 50-60's and probably up to the 70's.

I used to collect split bamboo baitcasting rod (how's that for an obscure item to collect) and some of the old highly regarded fly rod builders personally stated that they fished more with baitcasters and what we we call UL that fly rods in many instances.

[jtgibso1]

really like all those older reels, nice collection you've got!

[FrankW]

I have a Langley that I bought in 1953 that is very similar to the one shown. It doesn't have the extension on the back of the reel like the picture. In mine the main gear is all nylon. I was concerned when I bought it that the nylon gear would not hold up. I fished mine for years and the gear looks like new.

Frank

[Smead]

That reel was the 850 model, the extention on the 850B is for supporting a longer spool axle. Having a an 850 with a nylon gear would make a nice collector item.

Many manufacturers were experimenting with nylon gearing in the early/mid 1960's. Mitchell did a 304 main gear, and the transfer gear on their 300 reels. Pflueger Pelicans can be found with nylon main gears; even some Cargem reels had them. Seems that it was tried for awhile and then abandoned.