Hi All,

I have a request for information - or - your opinions on the Hardy Viscount 130 fly reel? it's the 3in, dia model, I'm thinking of buying one to go on my 6ft.3in, cane rod! Would value your opinions and any advise as to suitability.

Also the £value in hard cash?

Thanks.

Mostyn

Hi Mostyn, I sold one about a year ago, to an American, via ebay and got about 45 quid for it.
It was in reasonable condition with a pouch.
I was not a big fan personally, I don't think they were as highly prized as a lot of Hardy reels.
You can pick a good one up for around the 50 pound mark, but I would prefer the Princess, a much sweeter reel and not as heavy.
Happy hunting.
S.

__________________
"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Thanks Steven!

How did the holiday go?

M

I have had a Viscount 130 from new (c. 1974) and would mostly concur with Steven. The reel however provides a nice lightweight solution at a reasonable price if it's Hardy's you're after (It's still nevertherless a light reel). The click drag still works fine on mine for example, unlike a shakespeare reel I bought that gave up after a couple of outings.

Shop around if you're not in a hurry and you'll get one cheap. (and no, mine's not for sale!)

More recently I've gone down the Orvis route for my small reels, I have a BBSIII which you can either palm (preferred) or set a fine drag setting to play small fish. you won't be able to palm the Viscount since the spool is enclosed in the cage.

Try also the small Ryobi magnesium reels - they go cheap on eBay but are exceptionally light

PS: Hardy's stated reel capacities for Viscount 130:
DT4 – 75yd
DT5 – 50yd
DT6 – 20yd
WF5 - 100yd
WF6 – 100yd
WF7 – 75yd
WF8 – 50yd
WF9 – 25yd

No Idea,

Thanks for information! Sound advise!

M

No worries, If you do get a V130, I have a photocopy of the manual I can email you. (You can also get the Orvis manuals off the Orvis website as pdf files).