Three Swedes

A place to discuss those classic and vintage fly reels, classics include modern variations of those of vintage. Please add your photos, stories or just join in conversation about your reels.

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matsoberg
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Three Swedes

#1

Post by matsoberg »

Being from Sweden, no wonder I like Swedish made stuff. Here´s a set of handcrafted serpentine handle reels made in the land of Volvos and blondes:

From left to right: Bengt Engelbrekt, Bo Mohlin, Anders Ekstorp


ImageImage

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Rolf Jacobsen
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Three Swedes

#2

Post by Rolf Jacobsen »

Being of Norwegian decent, it truly hurts to say this but they are REALLY beautiful reels. Image
Rolf

Brook Trout are God's way of saying everything is going to be all right.

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Eric Peper
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Three Swedes

#3

Post by Eric Peper »

Only a Norski would think those were rods.

EP
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich

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Rolf Jacobsen
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Three Swedes

#4

Post by Rolf Jacobsen »

Eric Peper wrote:Only a Norski would think those were rods.

EP
Corrected! Damn Westerner! Isn't it time you went back to Austin?!?!
Brook Trout are God's way of saying everything is going to be all right.

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fishnbanjo
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#5

Post by fishnbanjo »

Wow......... beauties!

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Eric Peper
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#6

Post by Eric Peper »

Rolf Jacobsen wrote:
Eric Peper wrote:Only a Norski would think those were rods.

EP
Corrected! Damn Westerner! Isn't it time you went back to Austin?!?!
All in good time. We can't seem to get anything but perfect weather so the Baetis haven't appeared yet. Saw a brown in the upper Firehole the other day that was at least 24" -- it wasn't eating. Lotsa caddis on both the firehole and Madison. Fished hoppers on the lower Ruby last week -- lotta fun. Prolly leave here 10/5 thereabouts.

EP
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich

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Rolf Jacobsen
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Three Swedes

#7

Post by Rolf Jacobsen »

Fished hoppers on the lower Ruby last week -- lotta fun.
You're killing me!
Brook Trout are God's way of saying everything is going to be all right.

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mer
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Three Swedes

#8

Post by mer »

Besides Volvos and blondes, Sweden is also the originator of some gastronomic delicacies like lutefisk. :) (Says the man who's wife is half-Swedish and after 20 years still can't get the taste of it out)

matsoberg
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Three Swedes

#9

Post by matsoberg »

mer wrote:Besides Volvos and blondes, Sweden is also the originator of some gastronomic delicacies like lutefisk. :) (Says the man who's wife is half-Swedish and after 20 years still can't get the taste of it out)
Not to mention pickled herring.... Image

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Eric Peper
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#10

Post by Eric Peper »

Lutefisk & pckled herring

The former is not palatable, and the latter, while good, cannot hold a candle to gravlax -- especially as served at The Grand Hotel in Stockholm.

EP
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich

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Rolf Jacobsen
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Three Swedes

#11

Post by Rolf Jacobsen »

Not to mention pickled herring.... Image

My father died when I was 16, MANY years ago. He loved pickled herring and despite by objections, insisted we "share". Looking back, that memory brings a smile to my face. Oh........ I also now enjoy it.

Rolf
Brook Trout are God's way of saying everything is going to be all right.

matsoberg
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Three Swedes

#12

Post by matsoberg »

Nice to see that Sweden has some impact on the international gourmet community. Image

As for the thread topic, I guess it would be appropriate to mention some facts about the reels and the makers, so I´ll start with Mr Engelbrekt:
Bengt started out rodmaking in the -70´s but turned reel making later on. His reels are mostly one-offs to custom specifications (within certain limits of course). High precision manufactured and very sweet reels. The trout series has a palming rim which means the whole sideplate is actually the spool and I haven´t seen this on a classic styled reel before. Quite cool.

Bo Mohlin probably won´t need an introduction and this reel is an early one from him which is nice. The reel foot on the early reels were a bit on the big side and the original on my reel didn´t fit a smaller cap and ring seats to well, so Bill Franke of one P-foot made one for me and you wouldn´t know it was a replacement if you weren´t told. Good workhorse.

The Anders Ekstorp reel is quite rare as only four of them were made. Anders was a well known bamboo rodmaker over here and his rods are highly regarded. What most people don´t know is that he made these four reels also and it´s so nice to have this piece of Swedish fly fishing history to hook on the little Thomas 6' 8'' taper and head for the pocket waters.

// Mats
Last edited by matsoberg on 02/17/12 17:23, edited 1 time in total.

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Eric Peper
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Three Swedes

#13

Post by Eric Peper »

I apologize for "side-tracking" the thread, and in retrospect I truly regret that I did not dig further into the Swedish fly fishing community when I was traveling to Stockholm regularly in the early 1980s.

The reels are truly lovely, and yes, the Engelbrekt reel is a marvelous blend of the traditional and the modern. I had seen a few of the Bo Mohlin reels, but how fortunate you are to own that "1 of 4" gem from Mr. Ekstorp.

EP
A mountain is a fact -- a trout is a moment of beauty known only to men who seek them
Al McClane in his Introduction to The Practical Fly Fisherman . . . often erroneously attributed to Arnold Gingrich

matsoberg
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Three Swedes

#14

Post by matsoberg »

No worries Eric. Didn´t meant it that way, although I admit we sidetracked a bit, but that´s just fun. Nuances in conversations is rather tricky when you don´t speak the language on a regular basis.

Yes, the Engelbrekt is something extra. I love to watch peoples faces when they fondle it. I have yet to feel a sweeter purr in a reel. I have a beefed up multiplier in light salmon/seatrout/steelhead size on order from him as we speak,

As for the Ekstorp reel, it isn´t special at all in terms of precision or tolerances but the guy weren´t a machinist either. The fact that it´s one of four reeels made was brought to my attention when speaking with Mrs. Anita Ekstorp, Anders wife when he was with us, about eventual stuff for Jeff Hatton´s coming book. She then told me he made only four of them reels so I guess that´s about as "authentic" information you can get.
I have no idea of where the other three reels are and I have kept my eyes open but without luck. Mrs Ekstorp told me he didn´t make all of them in the same size either and that made me even more curious about them.

// Mats

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Ken M 44
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Three Swedes

#15

Post by Ken M 44 »

Another couple from Sweden !

Image

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fishnbanjo
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Three Swedes

#16

Post by fishnbanjo »

Had one of the Morner Reels in LHW, ingenious design but can see how it would be problematic for a ham handed angler should the mechanism need to be put back together.

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Reeldane
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Re: Three Swedes

#17

Post by Reeldane »

mer wrote:Besides Volvos and blondes, Sweden is also the originator of some gastronomic delicacies like lutefisk. :) (Says the man who's wife is half-Swedish and after 20 years still can't get the taste of it out)
I'm only merried to a half swede - and blondes and Volvo's are accepted and appreciated - but before accepting any swedish 'delicatesse' - be very very sure it's not "surströmming" !!!!

How anything living can eat that stuff - :(

Heinz

ps: I forgot - I'm a big fan of both Bo Mohlin and Bengt Engelbrekts fine reels !

matsoberg
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Re: Three Swedes

#18

Post by matsoberg »

Hey Heinz... Don´t you enjoy surströmming??!! Come on, be a man! Hahaha... :rollin
Kidding aside, I can´t say I´m a fan of it either, but sometimes it calls for having a bite but that is all due to respect for the host and the possibility to get kicked out the door...
It´s not exactly what we would refer to as a "delicatesse" either, rather than a nothern region heritage from the old days when they salted everything for storage. Can´t figure why the still stick to that stuff...

As for the Mörner reel, it is a sweet reel to play big fish on and i like mine for seatrout fishing as well as the few times I can get into a steelhead. But these things calls for regular maintainance, make no mistake about it. I take mine apart to clean it every year before fishing season to be sure I´ll get a trouble free year. It´s all in the design of the drag. The disc package in the drag unit needs to be CLEAN... I´ve had Bengt Mörner on the phone half a dozen times to get it right. And whatever you do if you own one, don´t oil it!

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salmonfly
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Re: Three Swedes

#19

Post by salmonfly »

Nice looking Sweds, I live about 20mins from, ahhh I will leave that one up to you guys to guest.
**** I ‘LL BE BACK IN 5, GONE FISHING, YOU JUST KEEP READING THIS EVERY 5 MINUTE !! ****
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Petrarch
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Re: Three Swedes

#20

Post by Petrarch »

Two great countries that I admire a great deal, Danmark and Sverige. Danmark has played a very significant role in my life. On to reels---here is one by Ingvar Nilsson.
Image
Image

In general I have enjoyed the gastronomic delights of Scandinavia---to my mind the worst taste that springs to mind is the Danish after dinner shot---GammelDansk (Old Dane) ---REALLY BAD ! I wish Mr Nilsson had written "Sverige" instead of "Sweden" on his reel--- a better look imo.
aka Alaric11
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Avatar of Mont Ventoux, Petrarch's account of his ascent on April 26th, 1336 : http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/R ... entoux.htm

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