For sale here is a Hardy St. George Royal Wedding Commemorative Reel. Serial number 86. Unused condition. Right hand retrieve. Comes with all of its original accompaniments. Priced to sell! These reels originally sold for $1,200 and sold out very quickly.

On the eve of the Royal Wedding, Hardy announced that it was producing an engraved, commemorative gold edition of the St. George reel to celebrate the wedding of Prince William of Wales to Miss Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011. This St. George commemorative reel — of which only 100 were produced — is the latest in a long association between the House of Hardy and the British Royal Family.

Hardy’s first royal connection dates back to 1898 when The Duke of York granted his Patronage to the company. This was followed in 1901 by the Prince of Wales, who went further by granting a Royal Warrant, an authorization to a tradesman to supply goods to a royal household. Further patronages or Royal Warrants were granted by The Princess Royal (1906), King George V (1911), Queen Mary (1911), Princess Mary (1923), and The Prince of Wales (1931). Since 1980, Hardy has held a Royal Warrant as manufacturers of fishing tackle for the current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles.

This commemorative reel – a 3″ Hardy St. George in gold finish – is itself named after the Patron Saint of England. The first St. George in this long-running series was a 3 3/4″ trout reel, weighing only six ounces and was produced starting in 1911. It was not just an incredibly lightweight reel for its day – it was also fitted as standard with such innovative features as a circular agate line guard and a compensating check. The original St. George reels were in continual production in Alnwick until 1983.

Features

• Made in Alnwick, England
• Only 100 Commemorative Reels Produced
• Right Hand Wind
• Gold anodised finish
• Supplied in soft, sheepskin lined leather pouch
• 3″ Diameter
• Agate line guard set in nickel silver casing
• Wide ranging click-check drag mechanism
• 3 screws latch system
• Dovetailed reel back secured with 2 stainless steel screws