Intrepid Prince Regent

[Del_R]

My father's been searching through his attic and has produced my old Prince Regent reel from way back when I started fishing(*). It's in good nick, too, nice and clean, and with a spare spool! Bit of oil and I think I might press gang it into action again.

 

Chuffed Del

 

(*) He also produced an old wallet of floats and hooks and things including amongst many other things a packet of "9 Baiting Hooks" and another of large barrel swivels - both unopened with the price still on - 5p from Woolworths!

[Pangolin]

Why do anglers seem to have a particular fondness for the 'Intrepid' marque? When I used to fish, in the seventies, Gladding-Intrepid made the cheapest fixed-spool reel on the market. If I remember correctly, it was called the 'Black Prince', and it was a horrible little thing, with a bale-arm that looked like it was a bit of bent coathanger. I seem to remember a blue one that may have been even cheaper. I invested in a very early Daiwa, which I still use regularly, along with the excellent ABU 503, 505 and 506 reels from that period.

[me]

5p!!!!!!! !

[chesters1]

i have a fondness for them ,not because they were the best quality (although the morritt early ones were the best available reasonably priced reels before mitchell caught on) the fondness arises because it (an intrepid) was my first real reel (and no-doupt many others on here to ,although many wouldnt admit it) they were cheap and because of that had to be cheaply made but just within a few weeks pocket money of kids of the time .

i quickly moved to mitchel and abu when finances improved ,i wouldnt use an intrepid nowadays as far finer reels are available ,but just looking at my collection reminds me that once i was young

i managed to get an intrepid beachcaster over the weekend and can see for myself in its manufactur e the main reason for its demise

when gladding took over the reels were alreading fading from memory ,intrepids heyday was in the mid 50`s to mid sixties

 

[ 30. January 2004, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[Del_R]

Exactly, Chesters!

 

Pangolin, my being chuffed is directly in proportion to all the good memories that seeing that reel again brought forth. I've long been of the belief that we never lose any memories we just lose track of where they are and how to access them and that, given the right trigger, there they are again. Suddenly I'm remembering all those long bicycle trips to Sandhurst and Wainlodes and the fish that I did (and didn't catch) and the hooks that I got stuck in my fingers and the tangles endured and the races to see who could ride furthest up Wainlodes hill before having to get off and push and the day the only fish we caught was when a friend waded in and picked up a flounder (are these things still about? I've not heard mention of them in ages) by the tail and ... sorry, I was away for a moment there.

 

Cheers,

Del

[chesters1]

even woolworths gear is laughed at but i still use an international50 boat reel (multiplyer) its extremly well made and was cheap in its day ,the terminal tackle was cheap but lead is lead and quill is quill ,no nashes or foxes then ,if its all you can afford then its the best you can get ,i`d rather fish than save ,you can then fish WHILE you save

[kendo]

I must have been a tackle tart as I had two black princes,I had forgotten all about them until pangolin posted

[chesters1]

NA ,i worked in a plating works and had a pair of chrome plated mitchel 410`s theres tarting 70`s style

 

[ 30. January 2004, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[kendo]

have still got a Mitchel 300a,how old is one of them? it was my lucky reel so haven't got rid but haven't used it in years.

[chesters1]

for you mitchell lovers ,look and weep

http://www.werpmolens.nl/

lots of links to other lovley sites ,dont buy expensive parts lists from uk suppliers :mad: there all here

and for abu

http://www.geocities.co.jp/Outdoors/1979/index.html

the japs love them ,lots of sites but little english

and for a few intrepids ,eltons collectors corner http://anglersnet.co.uk/collectors/

if you want more wait for the book