Hardy Bros Lightweight Fly Reel
The Hardy Brothers 150th Anniversary Lightweight is a commemorative reissue of the Lightweight reel family in its 1970 form. Produced for Hardy's 150th anniversary in 2022, the series retains the traditional character associated with river fly fishing across trout and salmon applications: straightforward handling, direct line retrieval and an unmistakably audible mechanical check.
The reels were made in England from machined bar-stock aluminium. Distinguishing features of this edition include a raised spindle housing and a nickel-silver line guard secured by two screws. The guard carries the commemorative date marking ‘1872–2022’. Each complete reel was supplied with a soft leather case for storage and transport.
Construction and series character
The full-cage frame surrounds the spool and helps keep finer line on its intended path, reducing the chance of it working between the spool and frame. A central latch releases the spool for loading line or carrying out routine care. The two-screw line guard directs the line through the frame and also forms one of the defining visual details of the anniversary edition.
Resistance is provided by Hardy's traditional Click Check mechanism. Its pawls engage with the check wheel to produce an audible click as line is paid out and retrieved. The reel can be converted for either left- or right-hand winding. Conversion involves removing the spool, resetting the check mechanism and moving the line guard to the opposite position before the spool is refitted.
The removable spool makes regular maintenance uncomplicated. The spool and frame may be rinsed with warm water and dried carefully, with reel oil applied sparingly to the indicated mechanism points and a light coating of grease maintained on the spindle. Reel and line should be fully dry before they are placed in the leather case.
- Series: anniversary Hardy Lightweight edition based on the 1970 configuration
- Construction: machined bar-stock aluminium with a full-cage frame
- Mechanism: traditional audible Click Check system
- Details: two-screw nickel-silver line guard, ‘1872–2022’ engraving and leather case