Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Voices from the Past: Dixie Carroll on the Pflueger Redifor Baitcaster (1919)




Starting this week and continuing for the next several months, I’m going to feature the fishing tackle writing of one of my all-time favorite writers, Dixie Carroll (Carroll Blaine Cook). These famed pieces of tackle were featured in his great book Fishing Tackle and Kits. They are fascinating write-ups of the tackle from a contemporary perspective. Below is Dixie’s write up on the Pflueger Redifor baitcaster, a reel so nice it was made by two companies.

PFLUEGER-REDIFOR ANTI-BACKLASH REEL



Pflueger-redifor Anti-backlash Reel.— Made by the Enterprise Mfg. Co. Akron, Ohio. Well, fellows, you lads who have a hankering to get into that great little old sport of tossing the plug, spinner and pork-rind, minnow or frog to the big chief of the weed beds, via the short casting rod and haven't the time to learn the art of thumbing the line, Cheer up 1 You can do it with the PfluegerRedifor A-B-L. reel and in a half an hour or so. Of course, it takes a little more time than that to get accuracy and distance, but you can make a mighty big start without any trouble in a half an hour anyway. Just f'rinstance. Two seasons ago I took a youngster up north to learn the game, gave him my Pflueger-Redifor A-B-L., told him about it and in an hour he had three bass, by evening he was quite good at casting and two days later after fishing all day with him, my old guide thought he had been casting for two or three years. It does the work. It makes backlashes a darned hard thing to produce with it and it is a boon to the fellow who wishes to learn, but figures that he hasn't got the time to dope out the thumbing control and the mystery of backlashes. It is a wonder worker, automatic in action without anything to get out of order, all you have to do is cast. The anti-back-lash end is controlled by centrifugal thumbers on the left flange of the spool. The generated spiral toothed gears with which this reel is fitted run longer and smoother than the ordinary spur toothed gear. The hardened steel pinions run in phosphor bronze bushed bearings and ride on agate jeweled cups. End play in the spool is controlled by adjustable tension oil cups and the reel is fitted with a click and drag. The dull satin finish of the German silver is a winner and the low spool, long barrel design is ideal. It is a thoroughbred. The cast is not retarded by the thumbers, they do not act on the end plate until the lure slows up the pull on the line and that is when you want them to work. For night-fishing it is a dandy tool. It certainly is death on backlashes. Material and workmanship are of the best right through the entire reel and it is a fine high class tool at a moderate price.





Early Pflueger Redifors had the 1914 patent date.


— Dr. Todd

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