HENRY DE FRANCE
PÈRE FRANÇAIS DU MOULINET
A TAMBOUR FIXE (2/3)

   

          Except the description made by Henry de France in his remarkable book "La Pêche Sportive" which preface is written by Prince Pierre d’Arenberg, many articles were published in French and British fishing newspapers (The Fishing Gazette). Here is an extract of one of them. It develops the qualities and description of Moulinet Rustique (thus called because of its easy making by anyone and of its simple adaptability to all needs of sport fishing.)

          This reel is recommended to fishers for the following qualities :

-1 it can be manufactured by the fisher himself and then is the less expensive of all

-2 it never moves and it needs no attention

-3 it has an easy handling which can be very quickly learnt

-4 it casts every weight from the lightest to the heaviest ones and it can be used with every line

-5 it allows spinning under the rod which can’t be made with most of other reels and which is the most precise among all

-6 it can be adapted to every fishing method : spinning, bobber, sinkered, ...

-7 it drowns the fish (even if it is big) surely and quickly.

 

          This reel mainly consists in :

            -1 a smooth tin closed with a ring and which sides are round and welded to a bended iron piece which the upper part can either fit in the reel seat or be binded directly on the rod.

            -2 a mobile tip ended by a large ring fitted with a guide line on the left side


 

The " Boîte à petits pois "

   

          This reel needs a special fitting of the rod. One must bind on the rod : - 1 one hook near the reel seat, to hold the line

-         2 one tip seat consisted in an iron wire spiral or a ferrule

-         3 four or five large raised rings.

          These many pieces are strong galvanized iron wire or brass.

 

          To spin you must hold the rod above the reel seat and the line with the index of the same hand. In case you spin with both hands, the second hand holds the rod beneath the tip seat. To hold the line, put the fingers of the free hand on the reel spool and place the line in the hook, or release the tip while you spin and lower it between the rod and the reel.

          To recover the line and if you need strength you can grasp the tip as a dagger and put it around the reel. In case you need speed, incline the rod completely on the right arm, take the tip on its end with your right hand and make it turn as before.

 Henry de France 
( extract de The Fishing Gazette 1910 )

    This reel has not so many advantages as more perfected engines such as a step up gears. Nevertheless it will be very useful to everybody wanting to learn spinning. When you will be trained it would be easier for you to use more complicated and elegant reels

Viscount Henry de France
 International casting tournament 1910
at "Tir aux pigeons ",  Bois de Boulogne ( Paris ).

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