Abbey & Imbrie was a retailer/wholesaler who, over the years, sold reels produced by several different makers.  A&I did not make any of their own reels and many of the reels that they sold are only marked with their brand and not that of the actual maker.  Julius vom Hofe made many of the reels…

Samuel Allcock started working for his father, Polycarp, in the mid-1800s making hooks.  Over the years Allcock transformed the business into the largest fishing tackle manufacturer in the world.  During their run in business S. Allcock’s & Co. Ltd. sold 140 different models of reels, however, it is their “Ariel” line of center pin style…

Angling Products Inc. was a division of Triangle Manufacturing Company Inc. located in Saddle River New Jersey.  The A.P.I. reels were designed By Oscar Kovalovsky, son of the famous big game reel maker Arthur Kovalovsky. A.P.I. produced the “Spring Creek” and the “Sea Run” model fly reels.  Oscar Kovalovsky also designed a Dual Mode fly…

Appleton & Litchfield were fishing tackle distributors who sold reels produced by several different makers over the years.  They did not make any of their own reels but many reels are marked only with their brand and not that of the maker. CLICK HERE to CONTACT US – for more information about or to sell your APPLETON…

John Bernard and his son made a variety of fly reels in their London shop from the mid-1820s up until 1940. CLICK HERE to CONTACT US – for more information about or to sell your J. BERNARD reel. CLICK HERE – to return to our – FLY FISHING GALLERY J. Bernard – Salmon Reel – Folding Handle J. Bernard -…

William Billinghurst, a gunsmith from Rochester New York, received the first American patent for a fly reel on August 9, 1859.  This reel’s “bird-cage” design, as it has been nicknamed, allowed it to be mounted sideways on the fishing rod.  In the patent, Billinghurst states that the design allowed the line to be wound on…

Stan Bogdan of Nashua New Hampshire produced some of the finest salmon and trout reels during the latter half of the twentieth century.  Bogdan’s reels had a wonderful reputation for quality, durability and a drag that was second to none.  His reels sold well and within a few years, there was quite a substantial waiting line…

Herb Butler of Spokane Washington built an aluminum reel with stainless steel parts and a multiplying gear giving the reel a 2 to 1 ratio of retrieve.  The reel has an easy to adjust star style drag and came with two interchangeable spools. CLICK HERE to CONTACT US – for more information about or to sell your…

Hal Chittum was a Florida Keys fly fishing guide who opened a large fishing tackle store in Islamorada in the 1980s.  Sometime in the 1990s, Chittum had reel maker Herman Voss build the “H. T. Chittum” reels which Chittem sold in his stores. CLICK HERE to CONTACT US – for more information about or to sell your…

John Emery was a fishing guide in the Florida Keys who designed a heavy-duty direct drive fly fishing reel for tarpon fishing. The project was funded by famous tarpon fisherman, Tom Evans, and the reels were built by Frank Johnson at Mold Craft in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. The reel had a large drag surface and…

Charles Farlow started his fishing tackle business in 1840 and the company has been dealing in the fishing tackle business in one form or another ever since.  Farlow made a wide range of reels over the years to include big game reels, fly reels, and baitcasting reels.  Although many of Farlow’s reels are fairly common,…

Charles Dunn purchased Fin-Nor from founder Fred Grieten in 1957 and decided to expand the line of reel beyond the line-up of high quality trolling reels that made the Fin-Nor famous worldwide.  Dunn, an early South Florida salt water fly fisherman, derived little pleasure from watching his Pflueger Medalist reels explode the under the pressure…

Hardy Bros. of Alnwick England started producing reels in 1873 and would go on to become England’s most prolific and highest quality tackle manufacturer.  Hardy made a full line of fishing tackle though fly reels were, from day one, their mainstay.  Besides fly reels Hardy also made a full line of spinning reels, casting reels,…

Born in the Netherlands in 1936, Hart’s stylistic fly fishing reels are some of the finest made in recent years. CLICK HERE to CONTACT US – for more information about or to sell your ARI ‘T HART reel. CLICK HERE – to return to our – FLY FISHING GALLERY Ari”T Hart – “10 of 50” Ari ‘T Hart -…

Joe Janciuras, originally from Lithuania, was happily retired in Rochester, New York when he got his first look at a very scarce antique, all aluminum Edward vom Hofe “Perfection” model fly reel that belonged to antique reel collector Fred Balling.  Janciuras’s contacted Balling and asked if he could borrow the reel so he could make one like…

In 2000, Masatoshi Okui started making high-end bench-made fly reels in Kyoto Japan.  His reels, although contemporary, are now highly sought after by both fishermen and collectors alike.  Masatoshi not only produces reels of his own design, but he also has reproduced some classic reels from days gone by. CLICK HERE to CONTACT US – for more…

“Kosmic” was not the name of a reel manufacturer but rather a brand name that was stamped on reels that were produced by Julius vom Hofe, Montague and perhaps other reel makers over the years.  The brand was first assigned to A. G. Spaulding & Bros and later U.S. Net & Twine. Fishing lines and…

Hiram L. Leonard grew up hunting in the woods of Bangor Maine and learned his machining skills as a gunsmith and later as a maker of fine fishing rods.  Leonard’s six strip bamboo fishing rods revolutionized the fishing rod industry. Around 1877 Leonard purchased the rights to Frank Philbrook’s raised pillar fly reel design and…

Frederic Malleson got his start as a reel maker working with John Conroy who started making reels around 1830.  Malleson began working with Conroy sometime in the mid 1870s.  By then Conroy had not only taken on Malleson as a partner but also a fellow named Thomas Bissett.  The reels made during the mid-1870s until…

Peter Malloch began making side mount casting reels in the mid-1880s in Perth Scotland.  Although Malloch was best known for his side mount casting reels, he also made some great fly fishing reels.  One such reel was the “Sun & Planets” fly reel which was an anti-reverse reel with planetary gearing.  Although Malloch died in…

Brothers Jonathan and Benjamin Meek were watchmakers in Frankfort Kentucky in the 1830s.  Around 1840, the Meek Brothers started building high quality casting reels in several small sizes for fishing freshwater lakes and streams.  During the course of their run in business, the Meeks made reels in larger sizes as well to include reels for…

William Mills & Son was a retail and catalog operation that sold reels produced by several different makers over the years.  William Mills & Son did not make any of their own reels, however, many reels are marked only with the “William Mills & Son” brand and not that of the maker.  Some reels are found with…

Montague began manufacturing and affordable line of split bamboo and wood fishing rods in 1881.  In the mid-1920s Montague purchased an existing reel making company and started producing reels. Montague reels are seldom found marked Montague, instead, they made many different reels for several retailers which were marked solely with the retailer’s name or just…

Charles F. Orvis started his tackle manufacturing business in 1857 in Manchester Vermont building ash and lancewood fishing rods.  In 1874 Orvis designed and built what is considered by many to be the first modern fly reel.  The first Orvis reels had a ventilated spool and were made of nickel plated brass, later Orvis offered…

Francis Philbrook was a gunsmith from Bangor Maine who invented a raised pillar fly reel whose rights he sold to the famous rod maker Hiram Leonard around 1877.  Although Philbrook sold the rights to his raised pillar beauty, he managed to secure an agreement with Leonard to manufacture all future reels of this design made…

Made in Miami Florida by Bob McChristian (Capt. Mack) Seamaster fly reels are considered to be some of the finest salt water fly reels ever produced.  McChristian ran “Capt. Mack’s Tackle Shack”, a well-stocked tackle shop in Miami Florida in the 1950’s.  A talented machinist, McChristian started making high quality spinning reels in the 1960’s. …

A. B. Shipley was a retailer who, over their years in business, sold reels produced by several different makers.  A. B. Shipley, and later A. B. Shipley & Son did not make any of their own reels but many reels are marked only with their brand including reels made by Edward vom Hofe. CLICK HERE…

William H. Talbot built reels from about 1895 to 1920.  Talbot set up shop in Nevada, Missouri, however, in 1913 moved the business to Kansas City changing the name to “Talbot Reel & Manufacturing Co”.  Talbot specialized in high-quality casting reels but also made a fly reel which he named the “Ben Hur”.  The “Ben…

Edward vom Hofe grew up in Brooklyn New York and was the son of reel maker Friedrich vom Hofe and brother of reel maker Julius vom Hofe.  Edward started building reels as an apprentice to his father in the mid-1860s and established his own reel making company in 1867. Edward went on to produce some…

Friedrich vom Hofe was the patriarch of the vom Hofe reel making family.  Friedrich’s sons, Julius and Edward, both apprenticed with their father and went on to be two of the nation’s top reel makers in their day.  Friedrich began making reel around 1857 with his eldest son Julius and the reels they produced were…

Julius vom Hofe was the son of German immigrants, his father being the famous reel maker Friedrich vom Hofe of Brooklyn New York.  Julius vom Hofe’s younger brother, Edward, also established a large and successful reel making company in New York in 1967. Friedrich started his reel making business in 1857 and it is believed…

Arthur Walker began making handmade, hard rubber and German silver Edward vom Hofe style fly reel around 1943 in New York.  Walker made a few different style trout size reels in several different sizes.  Walker also made a handful of salmon size reels that are quite hard to find and are considered very collectible today.…

Otto Zwarg was born in Germany and immigrated to New York where he found a job as a machinist working for the Edward vom Hofe Co. making fishing tackle.  Zwarg was a quick study and vom Hofe soon had him heading up the reel making division. When the Edward vom Hofe Co. closed its doors,…

Here are a few examples of fly fishing reels whose makers are unknown.  Have you seen any of these reels before?  Can you help identify the maker of any of these reels? Do you have a reel whose maker you can’t identify?  Let us know and we will do our best to help you identify…