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The Mad Duck

Fin Nor Reels

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I have ,in my possession 3 spare spools from what I believe to be Fin Nor #3 Fly reel. The reel is MIA from the stash of Rods/Reels My Dad had before he passed. I'm looking for a Fin Nor expert to verify what I have to see exactly what reel these spools are for and an idea of their value. I know Fin Nors like this aren't made anymore,but someone might be able to put these to use. Any info or an idea of someone to contact would be really helpful.

Thanks

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https://www.orcaonline.org/

 

Where the reel experts gather, you can search the site without joining or join and ask all the questions you need answers to. This is results of site search for "fin nor reel" https://reeltalk.orcaonline.org/search.php?keywords=fin+nor+reel&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

 

You also could contact Customer Service here and they might refer you to someone. http://www.finnorfishing.com/

 

https://antiquefishingreels.com/fly-fishing-reels/fin-nor/

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Thanks,

I already have an email into the Fin Nor site. A week and no response.

I also have an email into the Antique Reel site as well. I emailed them Friday.

The ORCA online is somewhere I hadn't found in my search. I will chase that down as well.

Reel Talk I have contacte as well.

 

Thanks for the info!!

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FinNor left Miami years ago and the current outfit only has the name in common with the original hand lathed Miami reels.... All of the current reels are made offshore (and have been since the original company sold off).

 

At one time, early eighties, I was a dealer for FinNor in a very small way ( I needed reels to go with rods I was making to order).

 

These days the only place Ive seen the original reels, spools, and accessories still offered for sale is on E-Bay (go there, enter FinNor fly and you can begin to see what folks are asking as opposed to what they actually sell for...). Entries on the Bay are constantly changing and you need to know that some of the sellers simply dont know what they have... Great fun for an educated buyer, but not much fun for a buyer that ends up on the short end.

 

There were actually three main styles (or generations ) of the original reels produced. The first , oldest series, were produced from the early fifties through the sixties. They were nicknamed the wedding cake reels since those reels, when looked at from the side had the profile of a wedding cake. The next series were the Classic reels from the seventies all the way through the eighties. The last series were the Ahab reels. Im not certain just how long the first Ahabs were produced by the original company or how many of them were already being made offshore.

 

In general terms all of the original reels came in four sizes - the # 1, trout sized, # 2, for 7,8, and 9wt rods, #3, a tarpon sized reel, 10, 11, and 12 wt gear, and the #4 size for offshore work. Their competition over the years was the Seamaster, FinNors first real competitor, later joined by the Billy Pate reels -all very high quality gear.

 

I still have a #2 Classic reel these days but my other FinNors are long gone. The quickest way to learn what size spool or reel you have is to simply measure the spool diameter...

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These spools aren't the wedding cake variety. They are the spools for the second generation anti reverse (I think). I'm not sure if the direct drive and anti reverse spools are the same or not. I'm really trying to determine which size Fin Nor these are for.

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The direct and anti-reverse reels have quite different spools. The anti-reverse spools come without a handle, the direct drive spools come with a handle (or if the handle has been removed there will be a mounting hole near the rim for it).

 

If you can post a few clear photos along with a close measure of the diameter I should be able to provide an answer.

 

Ill also dig out my old Fin Nor - one of the very few ever produced with a rim control spool... and post a photo or two of it.

 

Hope this helps

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Here's a few of the pics I promised... This is a Fin Nor Classic #2 (the same size spool that you're showing Mud Duck...) and the first photo will show the ID that every one of the Classic series will show.....

VRz2bAJ.jpg

These markings will only be seen on the back side of the reel...

 

wkon0kN.jpg

This shows the reel from the top - note the edge of the spool showing... Almost all but a very few of these early reels (both Wedding Cake and Classic models) did not come with a rim control spool... Only towards the of the Miami years did they ever produce any at all...

 

mgI4XMq.jpg

The handle side - this one is a right hand wind direct drive reel - with that rim control I mentioned

 

H3Miraf.jpg

couldn't resist - the reel just needs some context after all... The fly is a Silhouette, an original pattern, and yes... electric blue is my purple -all day long...

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Salty, that's a great site but I doubt they're still running since the last news item for them was 2013 (when I just checked on their site...)

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It's an all saddle hackle pattern - something I came up with many, many years ago when I wanted something more than a Seaducer... Although I do them in many colors - the primary color is all white with fl. green thread (I've filled orders for these with every shop I ever tied for - and occasionally they were at 100 each...). Here's the tying recipe then a pic or two... In white it's my go to fly anytime fish are eating white bait (a generic term for pilchards, scaled sardines, spanish sardines, small threadfin herring, and little menhaden -

all bait in the three to five inch size range...).

 

The Silhouette

 

Hook: mostly in size 1/0 although we've done them as small as a #2 and as large as 4/0, usually a ex-strong hook (Tiemco 800S originally, then Owner Aki or Tiemco 600sp...)

 

Eyes: small sized Wapsi presentation lead eyes, with hook in vise in normal position, figure eight the eyes in place one eye width behind the hook's eye... Once you've done at least four figure eights with your tying thread - then an additional four turn - between the lead eyes and the shank of the hook to tighten up the tie in point... Then move the thread to the rear of the hook for the tail and flash, then tie in the body saddles and palmer forward...

 

Thread: Danville's flat waxed nylon - color of choice

 

Tail: six wide, webby strung saddles mated curved sides inwards (like a Deceiver tail) tied in just forward of the hook bend, then add flash on each side of the tail - keep the flash just short of the tail....

 

Flash: Flashabou Accent in pearl (or ordinary Flashabou), 8 - 12 strands on a side with staggered ends - not even...

 

Body and head: Three of the same wide, webby saddles as the tail, tied in as a unit at the butt end of the saddles - with as much of the "fluff" left on the saddles as possible so that the body is dense and at the rear appears to be some kind of maribou... then palmer forward as a unit, going over the lead eyes then another two or three turns of feather to the hook eye where it's all tied off with a whip finish...

 

Note: Because this pattern was originally designed for the backcountry of the Everglades I've always done each one with a wire weedguard made out of #5 coffee colored tinned stainless trolling wire (Malin's is my standard wire...), for flies on #1 or smaller hooks I go down to #4 wire...

 

Now for a few pics...

 

H3zPgtx.jpg

A sampling of some of the colors I've used...

 

yglPAmB.jpg

this photo clearly shows the heavy, very sharp Owner Aki 1/0 hook - we stick some very big fish (tarpon in the 100lbs plus range) with these hooks - but mostly one size larger in 2/0...

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Salty, that's a great site but I doubt they're still running since the last news item for them was 2013 (when I just checked on their site...)

They're still having shows & had Ron, a member come down & buy a late 1800's Fred Malleson fly rod a few months ago as he was writing an article. That Zebco Man usually hosts the shows in town every few summers, which has more Florida based company lures, rod & reel displays than probably any where else as they are experts in what they've collected. Been invited to join, just never seemed to have the time.

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