scarbrough reels

Abu Atlantic rod...would this not be a 464,because in that stable at the time were the two models.
484 Atlantic zoom this was of a fixed winch fitting (up the rod) and cork handle,wire formed rings and a screw type locking furel to join tip to but.A brown colour blank with a fine tip..11.1/2ft length(I think).
The other model was the 464 same length but had coasters reel fitting and srinktube for the butt.
Both rods were before there time,and at one time held the total distance record cast...just over 200yds...and the caster was...not100% but I think it was our own Terry Carrol of the Zziplex stable, someone might correct me on this.
The sea streak fondly know as the sea screech because of the noise it made when casting..but a good reel at the time,the braking system was a finned disc that controlled the spool speed.A little slow on retrieve but ok,red plastic side covers and a ratchet for them big coddys.

I still have a 484 and 464 and when the mood takes I use them instead of my more modern rods. They are still great rods just a bit heavier than modern rods. I bought them late 70's early 80's I think, along with abu 7000 and 6500 mults. I still use the reels now had them serviced at Frasers last year and they are still great reels to use. More importantly they still catch fish albeit small ones.
 
Abu Atlantic rod...would this not be a 464,because in that stable at the time were the two models.
484 Atlantic zoom this was of a fixed winch fitting (up the rod) and cork handle,wire formed rings and a screw type locking furel to join tip to but.A brown colour blank with a fine tip..11.1/2ft length(I think).
The other model was the 464 same length but had coasters reel fitting and srinktube for the butt.
Both rods were before there time,and at one time held the total distance record cast...just over 200yds...and the caster was...not100% but I think it was our own Terry Carrol of the Zziplex stable, someone might correct me on this.

The caster was Peter Bagnall see Hi
 
Last edited:
I seem to recall they were boat reels, not really suitable for casting from the shore (which I use them for). Loads around, often home-made & they do turn up from time to time, but most are the wooden variety which are suited to boat fishing. You'd need to find an old Pritchard or something similar made from Tufnol & light enough to cast with if you're fishing from the shore.

Cheers, Gary :)

my dad had a couple,think he still has one,he just gave one away a few months ago,i remember when i was a youngen,about 30ish years ago i used to go to cambois pier with him,he used to cast with it in a strange way,he would face the river and cast over his shoulder into the sea with him being lefthanded,he used to get some distance on it also,finger on the side as the magnet braking system also
 
A top of the range centrepin beach reel are a work of art and a quality piece of shore fishing history.
I cant remember the English manufacturers( could have been Alcock) but I bought one in the late 80s second hand this reel was of toufnal side plates with brass centre housing adjustable ball bearings and a oil bath.
Quite a large dia drum with a centre of possibly 9" so a good speed of retrieve
The cast was the side cast and I believe inherited from the Norfolk farmers
forking hay into a barn.
And now called the modern back cast.
I sold the reel on but I wish I still had it......Total quality English engineering at its best.

my dad had a couple,think he still has one,he just gave one away a few months ago,i remember when i was a youngen,about 30ish years ago i used to go to cambois pier with him,he used to cast with it in a strange way,he would face the river and cast over his shoulder into the sea with him being lefthanded,he used to get some distance on it also,finger on the side as the magnet braking system also
 
Scarboro. Reels

Scarboro. Reels

The 'Pritchards', Tufnel reel, tho. I thought the big one was 9"dia.?, was called the 'Oil Bath'. My brother has one, which he won for heaviest cod in the Scarboro. festival, All England comp.
It was a superb bit of kit, a racing version of the wooden variety, and I used to use it, when he wasn't looking, on the really rough ground, where you could winch a fish off the bottom like nothing else. They were very popular when I was kid, and some people could cast them a reasonable distance, it was like a forerunner of pendulem, where you learnt to give a scarboro. caster plenty of room, but they never could match a multiplier, the Abu 9000c killed a lot of their following off.
They would still be the best thing for fishing that rocky hole a short lob away !
Don't know if they were made by Pritchards, or made for them, but theirs were the best, and Edwin was a great bloke who I remember very well.

mel.....
 
First ever fishing attempt was with an old greenheart rod and a scarboro reel - borrowed me dads gear. Was a bit heavy for me so i couldnt cast very far and nearly took me fingers off trying to slow it down on the side with the handles on! Needless to say caught nowt . I got a second hand rod with an intrepid seastreak reel for xmas not long after and that was me set.
Think the scarboro's are still popular with some old hands for boat fishing nowadays wouldnt bother with em off the shore tho and anybody wantin a seastreak must just want it for sentimental value.
The ABU atlantic 484 was the dogs bollocks back then but i couldnt afford one
 
Back in the late "forties" early "fifties" I was vice chairman of the National Shore Casting Association. Every year casting competitions were held which always featured scarboro reels as well as the usual multipliers, Alveys, fixed spool etc. One year a competition was held on Beaconsfield, this is the field beside the Blue Reef on the sea front at Tynemouth. It is called Beaconsfield because many years ago there was a Dr. Barnados home on that site and the house was called Beaconsfield. One year there were a number of entries in the scarboro class, about a dozen I think. First place went to Ron Meikle (no longer with us) with a cast of 123 yards 9 inches, second was Byron Barawitzca (also gone) his cast measured 117 yards 11 inches, I came third with 109 yards 8 inches.
We didn't have nylon lines in those days, we used a string like line called cuttyhunk, it was brown in colour and when wet it retained the water so we had to use ten ounce sinkers to even get the reels to turn, and boy, if you caught your fingers on the handles when you were casting out, you said more than Oh! dear, problem was, in the winter your hands were so cold you didn't feel the pain for a few minutes, then when you did you really knew about it.
The scarboro reel was the thing for getting a fish in fast through kelp and over rocks, it could handle anything, I think I've still got one somewhere. Happy days.
 
Back
Top