Youngs Pattern 1?

[Dave Westburg]

I've come into possession of what I think is a 3" youngs pattern 1 reel. Very simple design. It is marked Army and Navy Surplus, Victoria St. London. Plan to line it up for my 6'9" 4 weight constable.






The reel came loaded with a level silk line. Have any of you fished the old silk lines you've found on reels. I test casted it on the lawn. The finish is rough and sticky so the line doesn't shoot. I don't think that matters when I'm making short casts on the stream.

 

[Cliff]

I've come into possession of what I think is a 3" youngs pattern 1 reel. Very simple design. It is marked Army and Navy Surplus, Victoria St. London. Plan to line it up for my 6'9" 4 weight constable.
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The reel came loaded with a level silk line. Have any of you fished the old silk lines you've found on reels. I test casted it on the lawn. The finish is rough and sticky so the line doesn't shoot. I don't think that matters when I'm making short casts on the stream.

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Dave, one of my favorite silk lines is an old level line I found on an ancient automatic fly reel. It's of a thinner diameter than my 5Dt silk lines so I'm thinking it's possibly a 4wt line. I works great on small streams where I use it on a 7ft 4wt bamboo rod.

 

[Denwor54]

It might be worth giving the line multiple coats of dressing. I used to fish silk lines and it was important to dress it during the day and when I got home I stretched and dried it and then reapplied the muciline. You line look like it needs some love and if it was me I apply a few coats and polish and see if it helps. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Tim Cottage]

I don't think putting good on top of bad is the best choice for your line. It needs some serious help.
Striping the old finish and replacing it with a new finish is not difficult. Pretty much everything you need to know is in the link below.

Over My Waders

Over My Waders - thoughts on the contemplative sport... some deep, some shallow

www.overmywaders.com

 

[Cliff]

I don't think putting good on top of bad is the best choice for your line. It needs some serious help.
Striping the old finish and replacing it with a new finish is not difficult. Pretty much everything you need to know is in the link below.

Over My Waders

Over My Waders - thoughts on the contemplative sport... some deep, some shallow

www.overmywaders.com

Agree wholeheartedly with Reed's instructions.

 

[@Dryflyphotography]

Agree! I did a line but when the weather was nice. After stripping it and applying the new finish I had it drapped over half the backyard drying in the sun for days. Darn tung oil took forever to dry!

 

[Cliff]

I think Tim, Mike and others used Reed's method to strip and refinish some Zhu lines several years ago.

 

[Tim Cottage]

We each bought a couple of raw Zhu lines. I never did put a finish on mine. I still have them.
I know Mike stuggled with his. Don't know if he ever finished them.

Are you guys aware that Reed past away a few weeks ago? I hope his website remains functional. You might want to print a few pages of interest to yourself in case it disappears.

 

[Greg Armstrong]

Nice little user reel Dave, I enjoy the couple of them that I have. Yep, it's a "Pattern No 1", made between 1920-1939 according to Elwyn Attwoods book on JW Young reels. The 3" size sold for thirteen shillings and sixpence!

 

[Dave Westburg]

A friend and I stopped by Mark Frey's place to pick up an Edwards fly rod on our way back from the Cowlitz. Mark showed us 30 reels which he was given recently...Hardy, Meisselach and a whole bunch of Young reels. I ended up with the Young. My friend bought some Hardys.

Mark has a Granger 9053 that he'd like to sell...I have all the 9 footers that I need.

 

[Cliff]

We each bought a couple of raw Zhu lines. I never did put a finish on mine. I still have them.
I know Mike stuggled with his. Don't know if he ever finished them.

Are you guys aware that Reed past away a few weeks ago? I hope his website remains functional. You might want to print a few pages of interest to yourself in case it disappears.

Boy and how, that's a loss to the silk line world. I might follow your suggestions.

 

[_WW_]

With the leaded finish, milled flat spot on the back, and the screw in the handle I would put this reel in the mid 1920s.
It's coming up on a centennial birthday pretty darn quick.

 

[Mike Monsos]

We each bought a couple of raw Zhu lines. I never did put a finish on mine. I still have them.
I know Mike stuggled with his. Don't know if he ever finished them.

Are you guys aware that Reed past away a few weeks ago? I hope his website remains functional. You might want to print a few pages of interest to yourself in case it disappears.

Funny that just yesterday I was rummaging through my line collection looking for a sink tip and came across those silk lines. I might have to pull them out of the zip lock and see what kind of condition they are in after all these years. I have a WF 4 and a DT 4 and a 5WT I think.