9 replies to this topic

[DFoster]

Hi all, this past Friday the local fly shop showed me a used Hardy Cascapedia MkII reel that came in.  A beautiful looking and sounding piece of tackle that I would love to own.  Being a Hardy reel the $400 price didn't surprise me but that's still more than I would pay for a reel to take on a river.   However that price also included a new condition Hardy Angel 2 TE 5 weight 4 piece.  I checked the rod out and it didn't have a mark on it, it looked like it had never been fished.  My wife had just asked me to keep an eye out for a 4 piece #5 to replace the 2 piece because the 4 1/2' rod case was always in the way on road trip vacations.  Not knowing a lot about Hardy rods/reels other than they are English and pricey, I left and did some internet research over the weekend.  

 

From what I can find on line the Angel 2 series came out around 2008 and at the time they were considered Hardy's top of the line rod. The 5 weight TE listed for $1099. The Cascapedia Mk II reel listed for $399. (If someone can provide more accurate information please do).

 

When it comes to my passion for fly fishing I don't mind spending money but I could never justify $1500 for a set up to catch trout.  However at $400 it was within reach and I could still pay the mortgage plus we don't have to burn the furniture to stay warm.  I went back first thing Monday and made the purchase.  I think it was a pretty good score-

 

 

Now do I need a tweed jacket and pressed shirt to go fishing?

 

 

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[mikechell]

You don't actually need the tweed jacket.  (After all, English people fish in warm weather, too.  But it's only one day a year.)

But you DO need a "Deerstalker" hat and a Meerschaum Pipe !!!

 

Nice looking rod and reel!

[DFoster]

You don't actually need the tweed jacket.  (After all, English people fish in warm weather, too.  But it's only one day a year.)

 

One day per year? Just like us here in New England.  I'm itching to take the Hardy out for the first time this Saturday morning our land locked Atlantics have moved up into the river.  The forecast temp here for Saturday at first light is 21-25.  If it was January 25 would feel like a warm day but in mid autumn that's a light the wood stove and sleep in day.

Enjoy warm Florida Mike!

[mikechell]

LOL  I spent 14 months in London during embassy duty.  The seasons there are definitely different.  4 months of Fall, 4 months of Winter, 3 months 29 days of Spring and one day of Summer.

 

It was a fun visit ... no desire to live there.  Sounds like New England is a "visit only" place for me, too.  Still in the 80s on a daily basis at this time.

 

And thank you, I DO enjoy it!

[DFoster]

80's?  We'll hit a high of 40 something today before it turns cold for the weekend.  Being a native I guess the weather here gets in our blood.   We have love hate relationship with it up here.  Generally speaking our summers are beautiful, the autumns are magic and I don't mind the winters.  For me March and April are the toughest months.  We have a lot of March snow storms and the air temps are usually warm enough to make the snow wet and heavy so hard to shovel.  April teases us with a few nice days but mostly it tends to be gray, damp and raw BUT that's great weather to trout fish in!

[mikechell]

Yeah, I was born and raised in Indiana.  I know what the seasonal changes are.  Of course, THAT'S why I left.  I went south so I didn't have to put up with:

Raking leaves

shoveling snow

driving in slush and icy conditions

defrosting the entire vehicle  (we still get a few hellish days when we have to scrape the frost off the windshield)

road salts eating the metal of our cars

mud, mud and more mud of Spring

 

And then there's Summer.  I agree, your Summers are beautiful.

 

BUT ... I am happy there are people who like all that stuff.  We have too many people in Florida already!

[vicrider]

If that is the Cascapedia marked 4/5 I am green with envy. I have the Cascapedia in 3/4 with the perforated side plate on the spool. I have looked for two years to find the 4/5 with perforated side plate and no success. I just missed one on a different board by minutes and that is the only one I've seen advertised. They make new ones of course but only with the solid spool and sideplates. If you want to sell that let me know,  I'd be very interested. You made a great buy and just be glad it was still there when you went back.

[DFoster]

If that is the Cascapedia marked 4/5 I am green with envy. I have the Cascapedia in 3/4 with the perforated side plate on the spool. I have looked for two years to find the 4/5 with perforated side plate and no success. I just missed one on a different board by minutes and that is the only one I've seen advertised. They make new ones of course but only with the solid spool and sideplates. If you want to sell that let me know,  I'd be very interested. You made a great buy and just be glad it was still there when you went back.

Thanks VIC.  I was surprised it was still there also.  At this time of year a lot of sportsmen are focused on deer season so maybe that's why.  No need for envy -the one I have is the 2/3/4 Mk II spooled with #5 line though the dealer confirmed it.  In researching the Mk II reel with the perforated side plate I found at the time they were offered as 2/3/4 and 5/6/7.  Larger than that utilized a disk drag.  Was the 3/4 and 4/5 part of an earlier production run?

 

http://oldtimeangler...capediamkII.htm

[vicrider]

I believe you have it right. 2/3/4  and 4/5/6.  I have the 2/3/4 and have a 3wt. longbelly Wullf triangle taper on it for one of my bamboo rods. My reel has a very tiny catch to it on outgoing line when you pull it slowly but does now cause any problem with the drag or normal operation. In my opinion it is the most beautiful Hardy has made with the perforated spool and I have owned just about every one they make except the new "modern look" line. All the classics at one time or another and the Cascapedia is the only one I've kept and plan to keep. You reel alone in good, clean used condition should still bring around $300 on any market of knowledge of older classics and Hardy quality.

 

Nick

[DFoster]

I believe you have it right. 2/3/4  and 4/5/6.  I have the 2/3/4 and have a 3wt. longbelly Wullf triangle taper on it for one of my bamboo rods. My reel has a very tiny catch to it on outgoing line when you pull it slowly but does now cause any problem with the drag or normal operation. In my opinion it is the most beautiful Hardy has made with the perforated spool and I have owned just about every one they make except the new "modern look" line. All the classics at one time or another and the Cascapedia is the only one I've kept and plan to keep. You reel alone in good, clean used condition should still bring around $300 on any market of knowledge of older classics and Hardy quality.

 

Nick

 

Thanks Nick -  I believe the rod and reel were new sometime around 2008 and would have listed for $1500 at that time.  So I couldn't pass up $400 for both.  Other than some very minor darkening of the cork the rod is in perfect condition.  The real has some wear on the bottom of casing.  The kind that usually results from being set down on rocks while the angler tries to work out a snag or on an asphalt parking lot while you rig up for the day.  That's too bad really because that type of wear doesn't have to happen.  Anytime I need to set my rod down I'm looking for the softest location available.  Considering the price of these things I would have been more careful. Still very minor wear.

 

I will certainly PM you if I run into a 5/6/7 in my travels