Over the years and during the various production an company periods for series products, Ari T Hart has also always created special one-offs and small series. Be it for close friends or fly fishing shops or on behalf of special occasions. Even for an inveterate collector it is not possible to get even remotely an exact overview. Again and again special objects, rare color variants and individual pieces appear or a collector reports about them in one or the other forum. But this is exactly what makes it so appealing for us enthusiasts and collectors. And without a doubt, everyone who owns a potential series role is happy about the function, the design and the long-term reliability.
Ari T Hart itself a had photo of each reel that he ever made ...
Uhps … that would be fantastic to have a view at his personal documentation.
Apparently, Ari T Hart was a far better designer than a business man.
Ari T Hart's companies went belly-up several times, and e.g. the Danish company ATH Design bought the entire rights to produce ATH reels (Name, blueprints, tools, legal rights etc.). Later there have been several legal disputes about Mr. Hart started up here and there and used his ATH-name.
However, later on all his classic models (especially F- and S-Series, Remco and AR) were no longer controlled by Ari T Hart and he was not allowed to produce them anymore.
Anyway, what I want to summarize are Ari's different creative periods. So, I focus on the facts. Anyone who is not exactly an absolute insider will certainly find the following overview helpful and clears up some misunderstandings and mix-ups.
Mark Gruber summarized about Ari T Hart the following:
(Source: a brochure written by Mark Gruber which gave an overview of his collection
– title “Ari T Hart – Dutch Master, Tackle Designer)
“Ari’s passion for life and his inquisitive mind carries into his work life as well. He began his career by inventing and machining mechanical devices for carrying photographics surveillance equipment abroad aircraft. Ari’s obsession with fishing inspired him to design his first fishing reel in 1959, naming ATH Reel. Today he is a recognized sculptor, painter, jeweler, opto-mechanical engineer and master reel and fishing tackle designer. He has become the most prolific tackle designer in history and his demand for quality, functional design and style has led to the creation of the most elegant and practical fly fishing reels and tools available today. Hand-made in Holland, each ATH product is a precision instrument giving the user maximum control and absolute reliability. All items, from the smallest to the largest, are crafted to precise standards and made from highest quality materials. Manufacturing is done by hand, not cast or stamped out en masse, but created one at a time. Machining is done using state-of-the-art CNC machines. Ari has chosen to use the finest materials available including aircraft grade 6060-T6 aluminum, high nickel content stainless steel and exotic titanium. All aluminum parts are carefully anodized to prevent corrosion under the most demanding conditions. Because mechanical strength requires a certain amount of material, an ATH reel is not the lightest. However by clever design, the weight is held to within comfortable limits. The Ari T Hart drag system is universally recognized as the smoothest ever devised, often compared to a fine Swiss watch. When playing a heavy fish from an ATH reel, the drag does all the braking. Palming the spool is totally unnecessary, because the spindle incorporates a sophisticated one-way clutch bearing which engages the drag only when the line is taken off the spool. This system performs smoothly at every setting. By working against the fish, not the angler, one can use fine tippets and land the fish quickly. In spite of all this mechanical ingenuity, spools are easy to change. Even converting a reel from right to left hand retrieve usually requires the changing of only one part. Simple. Perfect.”
ATH Design Holland [1982 until 1995]
This was Ari T Hart's first company, with which he marketed his products from 1982-1996.
These include the F series, S series, REMCO, ARAS, RAINBOW, STU APTE, AR + AL/L.
The fly reels and associated accessories are very rare and often hard to find - especially in first-class condition.
The reels as well as some tools came in this period in their velour or leather cases/pouches.
Some reels of ATH Design Holland
(Incomplete) Overview of commercial items of this period:
F-Series: That was Ari’s first commercial model and the most popular one. Four models were available. After 1996 the Danish company manufactured also the F1, F2 and F3. But the F4 model has not been made since ATH Design Holland went out of business in 1995.
S-Series: Early on, Ari introduced his saltwater reel series also in four sizes (S0, S1, S2, S3).
In 1991/92 Ari T Hart introduced a product range known as “Design Collection” which included a new version of the F-Series reels with a solid spool and the famous color combination Philipsbrown/Silver. In addition, the totally new reels impressed the fly fishing world: the S/O (“O” not zero “0”), the REMCO, the RAINBOW (last production year: 1995), C/I Silent (never featured in any catalog, total production volume of 135 pieces, C/I stands for “Collector Item”) and the ARAS. Beside the Philipsbrown Ari T Hart added also the totally ne Opalized finish (Opal was developed by the Dutch company Philips. This color material penetrates deeper into aluminum than others.).
1993 Ari T Hart expand his range by the AR and AR/L reels.
During that time the production of the STU APTE Bonefish and Tarpon started. Only 125 sets were ever made, although 250 were planned (this number you will find on that reels beside the individual serial number).
Examples for very limited editions are:
The Sage ARAS (100 reels, color: Sage brown) – The Sage company asked Ari T Hart for that specific reel in 1986 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the company.
Art C. from Lake Michigan, US sent me a line July 1st, 2022:
"Regarding the SAGE ARAS, I believe it was commissioned by Sage in 1985-1986 to commemorate Sage's 5 year anniversary. The reel was ahead of its time. In 1990, Sage commissioned Ari to produce a Billy Pate type of reel to commemorate their 10 year anniversary."
Very limited editions which had never been seriously promoted like the ARAS sets, The John Betts Reel.
Extremly rare! The Big Horn River Protection Society, as a fund raising promotion, commissioned Ari T Hart to build a reel. It is basically a silver and gold S/O engraved with "Let it be forever", "The Bighorn", two fish and Ari's signature.
This edition was limited to 20 reels in total. Later on Ari 'T Hart produced 30 more.
Beside reels Ari’s genius extend his offer by ATH vises, tippet dispensers, grease watches and reel seats. Vises of high quality were the ATH Deluxe Vise, ATH Travel Vise Kit, the John Betts Vise, the Streamside Tying vise.
John Betts wrote once in a letter about Ari T Hart (about the ATH John Betts vise?!):
“This instrument is the sum of over three years of work in both Holland and the United States. During that period nearly 3,000 dozen flies were tied. Those in combination with many phone calls between the two continents developed this tool in its present form.”
During that time period you could find one patent of Ari T Hart:
Silent fly-fishing reel - has friction discs to wind in without friction, while braking pressure is steplessly adjustable when unwinding [Application NL8201302A]
Application filed by Ari T Hart – March 29th, 1982 and published October 17th, 1983
Inventor: Ari T HART
Abstract:
The fly-fishing reel comprises a tube with a close-fitting roller bearing with locking device. Two tubes with fixed discs and friction material are between them. A pull-rod with a knob regulates unwinding. The braking pressure is steplessly adjustable when unwinding, while the winding-in of the reel is frictionless. The reels are interchangeable and the system is noiseless, without the clicking of any ratchet mechanism. The invention relates to a construction for a reel (reel) for fly fishing, in which a combination of an infinitely adjustable braking force is achieved during the unwinding of the reel, while the winding up of the reel can take place without significant friction. The construction works silently without switching clicks. The reels are interchangeable. Fly fishing has known combinations with an adjustable brake and interchangeable coils, but these do not work silently. Also, these constructions do not provide the uniformity of braking force that the present construction can provide. The braking pressure of the present construction is infinitely variable from very small to very large braking pressure. None of the structures of the existing reels have a greater braking range than the present.
ARI T HART International B.V. [1996 until 2003]
With his second company, Ari T Hart created fly reels and accessories from 1996 to 2003 that made the hearts of all fans beat faster. During this time, the reel series ARI I - III, ROUND, TRIANGLE, HART I and HART Antireserve, MACH and LA (Large Arbor) were created. Undeniably, these fly reels and accessories remain a "REEL" investment.
All reels came in a beautiful Giorgio Benecchi leather case.
Some reels of Ari T Hart International
That period started with the following product range:
That period started with the following product range:
ARI I + II, ROUND I + II, TRIANGLE I + II, HART I + HART I AR anti-reverse (original called THE STEELHEAD and later named HART), Line dispenser I + II, Reel Seat I + II.
Later on Ari T Hart added the ARI III, the MACH 0, 1, 2, 3, 3LA and LA-Series I to V.
During that time period you could
find one patent of Ari T Hart:
Fishing-line reel [Application NL1002263C2]
Application filed by Enev B V – Febuary 6th, 1996 and granted/published August 7th, 1997
Inventor: Ari T HART
Abstract:
The fishing-line reel has a tube (2) joined to a frame (1) at one end, where it has a radial flange (3) bearing against the latter, while at the other end it has an axial guide groove (8). An intermediate tube (9) turning on the inner one has a flange (10) near the frame, a friction washer (11) being situated between the two flanges. An outer tube (15) mounted on the intermediate one via a freewheeling and locking bearing (13) accommodates the spool (19) onto which the line is wound. A pull rod (26) with transverse pin (30) engaging in the guide slit passes through, the inner tube and is thrust by a component (31) so as to press the flange (10) against the washer. It also has a screw-thread (28) on which a brake-knob (29) turns. Clear of the inner tube axis (6) in the radial direction is a locking pin (5) passing through the inner-tube flange and the frame and protruding outside the latter. An axial stop screw (36) in the knob is clear of the latter's axis, and protrudes towards the frame, encountering the locking pin when the knob is turned. Between the outer and intermediate tubes there can be a freely-rotating bearing (12) with a locking bearing (13) alongside it. The invention relates to a wire winding reel for fishing sport, comprising: a frame; an inner sleeve which is connected to the frame at one end and is provided with a radially projecting flange lying against the frame and at its other end is provided with an axially running guide slot; an intermediate sleeve rotatably mounted on the inner sleeve and provided near the frame with a counter-flange; an annular friction disc located between the flange of the inner sleeve and the counter-flange of the intermediate sleeve; an outer sleeve mounted on the intermediate sleeve via a freewheel blocking bearing which can carry the coil on which wire can be wound; a tie rod running through the inner sleeve, which is provided on the one hand with a cross pin which is incorporated in the guide slot and with a pressure member for pressing the counter-flange of the intermediate sleeve against the friction disc and on the other hand with a thread on which a brake knob is rotatable. The object of the invention is now to eliminate these drawbacks and to this end provides that a locking pin is arranged at radial distance from the centerline of the inner sleeve, which runs through the flange and the frame connected to the inner sleeve and extends outside the frame while in the brake knob, at a distance from its center line, an axially extending stop screw is arranged which extends beyond the brake knob towards the frame and can come into contact with the locking pin when the brake knob is turned.
Luctor ARI T HART Ltd. [2003 until 2010]
Ari T Hart's third company (registered in Cyprus in February 2003) ran from 2003 to 2010, during this time he teamed up with Exclusive Reels and introduced the TRIOLGY set and the ASTRID reel.
But even after 2010, Ari T Hart produced some wonderful fly reels in very limited series like the REMCO "The 50th Anniversary" or some ARAS derivatives that were only offered to a small circle of enthusiastic collectors.
Some reels of Luctor ARI T HART and Exclusive Reels
During that time period you could find one patent of Ari T Hart:
Fly-fishing reel, has spool mounted on central shaft with one free end and one end connected to frame [Application NL1023312C2]
Application filed by by Luctor Ari T Hart Ltd – January 5th, 2003 and granted/published November 11th, 2004
Inventor: Ari T HART
Abstract
The reel comprises a spool (2) rotatably mounted on a central shaft (3) inside a frame (1). The shaft has a first end (3a) connected to the frame and a second end (3b) which is free. The reel can be mounted on or removed from the free end of the shaft.
The invention relates to a fly fishing reel provided with a frame and a reel rotatably received therein around a central axis.
The known fly fishing reels are particularly complicated in construction and therefore maintenance-sensitive. Moreover, the mounting of the coil in the frame is often complicated and time-consuming. This is particularly difficult to clean the reel.
It is an object of the invention to provide a fly fishing reel that can be easily cleaned because the reel can easily be taken out of the frame. Moreover, the invention contemplates a fly fishing reel that is very simple and therefore robust in construction.
The ARI reel -
Patent of Ari T Hart, 2004
Exclusive Reels Ltd [2007 until 2016?]
Exclusive Reels Ltd. worked in partnership with Ari 't Hart (I don’t know any more details about it in fact!). The company was founded in Calgary, Canada.
On their website they stated things like this:
“Exclusive Reels Ltd. was established for the express purpose of presenting discriminating anglers the opportunity to own and use limited edition, collector quality fly fishing reels.
Exclusive Reels will release four Ari ‘t Hart reels each year along with select fly-fishing accessories. Produced in limited runs, after which that particular model will be retired, each reel is numbered and has a lifetime warranty.
Exclusive Reels (Air T Hart) is a recognized manufacturer of high end fly reels in the USA.
Ari T Hart, the founder and the mastermind behind the fly reels takes an artful approach to fishing (and of course fly reels). He personally supervises all production stages and designs each new fly reel.”
Starting point were two custom reels:
Trilogy Set by Exclusive Reels
Astrid reel by Exclusive Reels
1. THE TRILOGY SET (US $ 2,999) Only 200 were made [Klaus Geschwinder mentioned in his book that in the end only 150 in total were made - this information isn't acurat cause I'm owning No. 168]. “Master designer Ari ‘t Hart introduces the innovative 'Three in One' Trilogy. Hand crafted from titanium and aluminum, Trilogy fly fishing reels are a unique, patented design. The reel's features include the accommodation of three spools 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8, which are easily interchangeable to the main drive component. The drag system is adjustable and changeable from left to right-hand use and the back plate can be used for manual drag. Guaranteed for life, the Trilogy can be used for fresh water as well as salt-water fly fishing. Presented in a handcrafted mahogany case lined in black leather, the Trilogy is an ideal corporate gift and object of desire for any devoted fly fisherman or collector.” 2. ASTRID REEL (US $ 1,799) Only 50 were made. “The innovative design of the Astrid proves to be the ultimate in balanced fly reel by creating a reel seat that allows for movement back and forth to accommodate any fly rod. The 6 weight reel is made out of aluminum and steel with a palm drag system created with low maintenance and longevity in mind. Guaranteed for life the Astrid is serialized and will make any fly fisherman a devout Ari 't Hart follower. Installation instructions are included but Exclusive Reels recommends installation by a certified dealer. Also available: an Astrid plus rod combo”
To get back to selling numers they tried it with introduction of a new Triangle-/F-Series:
F-1 Eden #3/4 (US $ 445), F-2 Bighorn #5/6 (US $ 495), F-3 Kenai #7/8 (US $ 580).
Two colours were available: Silver or green.
The F-Series Collection reels were also as a set in a mahogany box available (US $ 1,700).
Exclusive Reels Ltd. later expanded the range with the reel series EV and marketed it under the Halo brand. This reel series was also created together with Ari T Hart.
They mentioned the following on their Halo website: “Halo Reels was established in 2008 to offer fly fishing reels to fisherman wanting to rely on a fly reel for performance and dependability. We at Exclusive Reels kept getting requests about creating a more affordable fly reel that provides the same performance and innovation as our high end ones. It wasn’t easy, after choosing a brand new design by Ari ‘t Hart, we put on all the features a fly fisherman could possibly want and added one we needed - Strength. Understanding our fishing experience is finding our reel on the rocks or in the water, our focus was to create a tough and reliable reel. To guarantee a better price point, we had to assure we create the reels in our backyard for quality and consistency. Thus, a reel was born and needed a name.”
EV-Series (Halo reel) by Exclusive Reels
Ari T Hart's 50th Anniversary reel (new Remco)
The 50th Anniversary reel
(50 years of reel design by Ari T Hart):
Selling price US $ 1,400, limited to 40 pieces, designed and assembled by Ari T Hart in Holland. Sold out after 3-4 weeks.
Ari T Hart worked on the new
Design of the F-Series
Posts of Exclusive Reels in 2009 and 2010 (Source: Classic flyrod forum)
Post of October 16th, 2009 "I can perhaps clarify information about us and Ari 't Hart for you all. As many of you may know Ari left ATH reels under difficult circumstances (they became Dutch Reels), after which he sold his collection of reels and all rights to past and future designs to investors in Calgary. We, Exclusive Reels, are the company that acts on those rights. We market and manufacture all Ari's new reels including the Trilogy, Astrid and 50th Anniversary Remco. All these reels are handmade by Ari in Holland and in very limited number, hence the price! All past names like ATH, Ari 't Hart international belong to us and thus, if anyone tries to sell you a new reel that is not produced by us, it is either older (such as he Denmark ATHs) or fake. Currently we, Ari and Exclusive reels are in the final stages of designing a production line which we hope to launch in the next two months if all goes well. If you have any questions about old ATH, Ari 't Hart international or any of Ari's older reels, feel free to ask me. If you are interested in seeing the new ones fell free to visit exclusivereels.com or contact us. I will be happy to help you as often reel issues are just very easy fixes! I hope this helps." Some more posts of Exclusive Reels (Source: Classic flyrod forum) Post of Oct 17, 2009: "I wanted to make sure my information was correct and I assure you it is. The rights for ATH international BV were sold to us including all future and past designs with the exception of 4 models that Dutch Reels gets to produce. ATH or Danika, I believe is the company in question has not objected and hence all right are ours. We do no use ATH as our corporate logo. This was a simple marketing decision, due to the past it was more interesting to start fresh. We use his signature on all reels, except a sticker on the inside of the Astrid as there is not enough flat space for engraving. I will take pictures and show you but I am at home and no at the office. This forum should not be used to defame each other but to focus on the facts. As I mentioned, I welcome anyone to contact us or even Ari for our ability to produce all the reels. Second, any questions about all of Ari's reels can be addressed to us as I know ATH USA, Jeff Bowden is tough to reach and Dutch Reels prefers not to have anything to do with the issue at all. as far as danish made ATH, should Mr. Damm have an interest on working on his old reel, feel free to speak to them." Post of Oct 20, 2009: "I have spoken to our lawyers and been informed about the actual contract details. I was ill informed and stand corrected. The reels in question, the old designs for the Rio, Traun, Remco, Taupo are indeed not our trademarks. All the other reels past and present do belong to us including the name Ari 't Hart International. The use of the name Remco is not protected and can be used by us, just not the old reel design. Ari 't Hart himself works for us and we do not plan on infringing on our rights by producing the old reels discussed earlier. I apologise for the confusion and hope we can continue chatting about Ari's reels in a positive light, regardless of models." Post of Sep 17, 2010: "Before anyone will get the wrong impression: all our reels that we have produced in the past and are currently producing (F-Series included) are produced in The Netherlands, with Ari overseeing production personally. We have never produced any reels outside of Holland and as it looks like, will not do so, anytime soon."
The last reel editions (> US $ 1,500) in very limited numbers were some ARAS derivates and the so called Mouse trap reel:
New ARAS fly reel designed by Ari T Hart
Ari T Hart's Mousetrap reel
The Ari T Hart Museum Society
This information was only published in the beginning for a very short time on the website of Exclusive Reels Ltd: “To celebrate the fact that Ari ‘t Hart fiftieth anniversary of designing exclusive fly fishing reels was approaching, a number of enthusiastic, collectors established the Ari ‘t Hart Museum Society. To ensure that his lifetime production would be kept together as a valuable collection for generations to come, Ari donated his lifetime production of first models to the museum. A private endorsement secures the future of this museum. The Ari ‘t Hart museum was finished in 2003 and successfully transferred to the patronage of the Emergo Group of Companies, because the collection not only holds the very first fly fishing reel he made, but also includes his revolutionary vision on the future of fly fishing, the Company decided to avoid illegal copying of his designs. Since 2004, no other company in the world is allowed to offer Ari ‘t Hart models. All designs to be offered are patented and trademarked to ensure originality to collectors.”
Exclusive Reels marketed also a wristwatch which were never presented on their website as far as I know.