William James Young was born in Redditch, Birmingham in 1870 to William and Helen Young who were both heavily involved in the tackle trade. William James was actively encouraged into the tackle business where he followed his father's path who was a reel designer. On the 1st November 1893, Young applied for his first patent and was granted No 20655 in June 1894 for the "Duplex" reel. This led to a long and fruitful collaboration with S Allcock, one of the most regarded tackle manufacturers and retailers in the world.
Above are a couple of examples of James W Young's reels with the example on the left, being a 4" 1/2 Salmon fly reel.
This example, retailed by Giles Little & Co, 63 Haymarket, 1886-1925, is, on first impression, an example of a Perth reel, as retailed by makers P.D.Malloch of Perth, Paton Walsh, etc.
However, this brass and ebonite reel, when the faceplate is removed, shows the "J.W.Young" stamp to the inside. Many collectors of Young's reels treat this stamp as the holy grail of this master reel maker's signature.
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