Hardy's Andy Sowerby is always on the road, getting around the tackle shops and riverbanks and he knows exactly what makes the Bougle MkV the favourite that it is. Many Bougle addicts love the reel for its good looks - that racing-green frame combines strikingly with the champagne-gold spool and plate. But there are many users who fish with the Bougle for its practical abilities. That deep spool gives big line and backing capacity and that's vital for big, fast-running fish, especially now so many anglers are travelling abroad. The ventilated spool and aluminium spindle both help with the reel's lightness whilst not doing anything to harm its legendary strength. The overall message is that the MkV is a reel you can trust implicitly and one thats a joy to use in just about any fly fishing situation. The Bougle MkV reel is based on an original design first conceived over one hundred years ago, when Louis Bougle asked Hardy to make a lighter variation of their Perfect reel for competition casting. Little did he know that his name would become immortalised by anglers the world over. Today, Hardy has combined its long-standing tradition of quality and craftsmanship with the latest manufacturing techniques to produce this celebrated classic.