LIMITED EDITION: HARDY ROYAL COMMEMORATIVE SET - The Hardy Perfect has remained in production across the reigns of seven kings and queens. Hardy Bros offer this limited edition as a memorial to mark the passing of Britain’s longest-serving monarch and the succession of her son, Charles III.
The King’s Reel to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III was chosen due to his love for salmon fishing and is based on the reel gifted to Prince Charles at the time of his wedding.
FEATURES:
• 4” Inch Perfect Reel based on the Kings Royal Wedding Gift
• Salmon Check System with Naval Brass Components
• Hand Polished then Anodised Silver Finish
• Gold Anodized Reel Foot
• Turk’s Head Lock Screw
• Ivorine Handle
• Commemorative Engraving
The Queen’s Reel commemorates the Reign of Queen Elizabeth II and pays homage to her Diamond Jubilee Perfect reel.
FEATURES:
• 3” Inch Perfect Reel based on her Diamond Jubilee Reel
• 1912 Check with Naval Brass components
• Line Guard with Red Agate
• Hand Polished then Anodised Silver Finish
• Gold Anodized Reel Foot
• Ivorine Handle
• Commemorative Engraving
Supplied in a Leather Display Case with Commemorative Coins
These exciting reels are machined from bar stock and have been hand polished before being anodised, with naval brass being used for selected components. Please be aware that they are built in both left or right-hand wind versions and that this cannot be changed, because the design precludes it. These are not replicas; they are built using state-of-the-art technology and they are meant to be fished. We are proud to announce that the launch of these reels will be accompanied by a donation to The Prince’s Trust.
Limited Edition:
• Sold only as a set of two reels, built in LHW or RHW
• Hardy have manufactured 250 Numbered Sets
• Donation to be made to the Prince’s Trust from proceeds
• Supplied in a leather display case with commemorative coins
The reels that put the House of Hardy on the map
If a single product put the company on the map, it was the Perfect, the brainchild of Forster Hardy, who had joined the family firm in 1885. The Perfect took Forster three years to develop and test, launching in the year that Hardy moved to their purpose-built Bondgate factory in Alnwick, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Financing the production of a new reel at the same time was a massive financial risk, but history has judged both decisions to be wise, with the Perfect becoming so successful that it has been made ever since.
At Alnwick, tradition is more about looking forward than looking back, but the Perfect is such an icon in the world of fly fishing that both limited edition models retain the famous 1912 check system. This was introduced during the reign of King George V – but why? When the reel was first launched, it wasn’t quite perfect, because as originally designed, the check could lock up. After much thought and experiment, the mechanism was changed to allow the pawl to disengage should excessive pressure be applied. The check arrangement proved reliable through the most challenging tests and although the mechanism was modified yet again in 1916/17, it is the 1912 version that is the most valued today.
The 4 inch King reel relies on the salmon check system with which collectors will be familiar from the 2002 limited edition salmon sets. The 3 inch Queen reel shares the same arrangement as the recent St George limited edition and the Bouglé of 2013. The Queen reel is further distinguished by an attractive and desirable circular line guard lined with red agate, such a feature of early Perfects, while the King reel doesn't have a line guard as it is based on the reel gifted to Prince Charles at the time of his wedding.
