What's New

What's New on Reely Old Reels & Antique Fishing tackle

Much 13, 2021 - added a page showing my restoration of a 150 year old Nottingham style fishing reel.

Sept 22 2020 - added a page for Early British Multiplier Winches adding back to circa 1800. This is a portion of my virtual display at the 2020 ORCA Annual Convention.

March 20, 2020 - minor edits. Today, we are in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Reels are a great distraction at this time.

July 25, 2019 - minor edits

Oct 16 2018 - Added pics of rare Ontario metal lures.

Oct 4, 2018 - Added pictures of my latest bamboo rod creations to the bottom of the gallery on this page.

Sept 11, 2018 - Updated the list of Canadian Reel Makers (and resellers of trade reels with Canadian marks).

Aug 20, 2018 - Added a link on the catalog links page to a fascinating 1904 sporting goods catalog by Lengerke & Antoine containing lots of great reels and lures!

July 23, 2018 - Added a pic of some recently acquired ALW lures, including a trio of Mambos on the Lures page.

Mar 3, 2018 - Added a picture of a Hoosier Indiana style reel by Shakespeare into my picture gallery of Indiana reels.

Feb 20, 2018 - Added a link on the homepage leading to info about the 2018 ORCA Annual Convention. Added a page showing my bamboo fly rod making project. Added a link on my homepage to the Scarborough Fly and Bait Casting Association (SFBCA).

Aug 3, 2017 - Added a link to The Book of the Black Bass, by James A. Henshall

July 28, 2017 - Added a front page banner to help promote the 2017 ORCA National Convention at Chateau on the Lake, Branson, MO.

June 2, 2017 - Added an 1870 fishing tackle book/catalog by Stork called Der Angelsport.

April 30, 2017 - Amended list of early Canadian reel patents by Canadian inventors and added article by Paul Manuel and Alan Baracco.

April 29, 2017 - Added a link to the 1938 Catalog of Weber flies and tackle

March 31, 2017 - Added pictures of an AL&W Zephyr centerpin reel shown in the 1929 AL&W catalog. Look at the bottom of the gallery.

March 29, 2017 - Added a copy of my article: The Reel Connection Between Lawson Machine Works and Burlington Metal Products and a few relevant clippings at the bottom of this Lawson/Burlington/Major picture gallery.

March 24, 2017 - Added the Brenco story and a few images to the Brenco page.

March 9, 2017 - Added pictures of a Canadian fly reel marked Major Rod, Montreal. Other than the company name it is identical to the design of the Lawson Laurentian No.2, so assumed to be a Lawson trade reel. Note that Lawson fishing rods were probably made my Major Rod. Refer to my article on Lawson in the March 2017 ORCA Reel News and coming soon to the CAFTA newsletter.

Feb 5, 2017 - Added page for Early Canadian Patents of Fishing Tackle Registered by Canadian Residents. The is the precursor of a large Canadian fishing patent research project underway by Alan Baracco and Paul Manuel. Let me know if you are seeking early patent info. We have a large database started.

Coming soon- the story on Brenco Products Ltd who made reels made in Canada.

Dec 15, 2016 - Added a link to EVH Catalog of 1896, JF Marsters Catalog 1875, Abercrombie & Fitch 1907 on my list of old catalog links.

Dec 1, 2016 - Added a group picture of AL&W tackle, second image from the top of the gallery. Added several group pictures of Canadian made and marked reels on the respective page. Started adding pics to the Inglis page. Added a group picture of Branson Kawartha reels. Added a page showing removal of UV damaged rubber on JVH Rubber metal disc reel.

Oct 3, 2016 - Created a new page for reels and go-withs made by Branson Manufacturing, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

Sept 23, 2016 - Added pic of reely old NPB winch with long curved handle arm and ivory grasp, circa 1861-67, on the Other Favourites page.

Sept 14, 2016 - Added a page for the rare Bukoske- Bicycle Sales Co Winnipeg - Indiana style reel patented in Canada circa 1923. Also added a page for the Murphy Troller (Windsor). Updated Maker/distributor list of Canadian made and marked reels.

Sept 4, 2016 - Added pics of a few interesting lures recently bought and subsequently traded. See a Better Luck, Bright Eye and snagless Heddon Glow Worm River Runt at the bottom of this Lure page. Added a picture showing a study of Haywood reels versus Ustonson and a similar trade reel all circa early 1800's. How made reels for who? Decide for yourself by looking at the pictures at the bottom of this Other Favourites page. Removed page of trader pics that have found new homes.

Aug 11, 2016 - Added links to Old Fishing Tackle Catalogs and related online documents with reels. Includes documents of: Abbey & Imbrie, Abercrombie & Fitch, Allcock, Ashaway, Chubb, Thos. J. Conroy, Disch, Enterprise (Pflueger), Hendryx, Kescz (French), Kiffe, G. Little, Meek, Meisselbach, Wm. Mills & Son, Ocean City Fishing Club, Ogden Smiths Ltd., Shakespeare, M. Shipley, Edward Vom Hofe.

Be sure to check out the sketches of Fowler Gem reels in 2 sizes in the 1884 A&I catalog.

Aug 3, 2016 - Added pics of recently acquired/cleaned reels including an EVH #621 on the Other Favourites page.

June 27, 2016 - Added Hobbs to the list of makers of 19th century folding grasp brass reels, added picture of a hammered, silver plated Delany Cobourg Spinner (that has since found a new home). To the bottom of my Other Favourites page added pictures pictures of recently acquired Frankfort, KY reels by Milam and Meek & Milam. To the bottom of the AL%W reel pics page, I added picture of a recently acquired AL&W trolling reel in box. To the bottom of the other Favourites page, I added pics of a Julius vom Hofe 1/0 surf casting reel that I "rescued" for a friend as well as a huge 4 1/3" Trowbridge salmon reel with brass and rubber that I refreshed for myself. At the bottom of the AL&W reel page, I added pictures of a Spiral Wind Reel with Canadian patent mark as would have been sold by AL&W- THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT MARK S.

May 25, 2016 - Added pic of a tough Strawberry Wigglefish that has just found a new home.

May 13, 2016 - Added an article: The Ambassador Fishing Reels of Tugg & Mason Limited, by Paul Manuel, January 11, 2016.

May 10, 2016 - Added an article: The Cornucopia of Fishing Reels Offered by AL&W by Paul Manuel March 29, 2016.
- Made minor administrative edits.

May 8, 2016- Added pics of R&L Lewis ball handle multiplier on this page. Added pics of newly acquired Canadian reels including a green Branson Kawartha, a reel by Engineering Products- Montreal , a Meek & Milam #3, a Beetzsel Washington DC with falling line guide, and an early second Douglass patent Pflueger Supreme.

May 2 & 3, 2016 - Added a picture page for Bata Shoe Company of Canada and their Trent Valley reel and added& modified pics and captions.

April 22, 2016 - Added page for more pics of Lawson reels.

April 15, 2016 - Added an article about SANDS Toronto.

April 6, 2016 - Added a placeholder for Inglis-Shakespeare and some box papers for an Inglis-Shakespeare 1850 reel

April 1, 2016 - Added pics of a pair of AL&W marked Montague rubber sided reels, circa 1930 to the bottom of the AL&W page. One is the 80 yd model and the other 60 yd. The smaller one has been sent to a new home.

March 31, 2016 - Added an image of an Inglis Shakespeare #1850 closed face spinning reel in box with papers in the miscellaneous Canadian marked reel gallery and also posted images of an AL&W Venus Minnow on my lure page.

March 28, 2016 - Added images of Fraser-Hardy Lovell/Montreal directory listings for 1950 through 1958. Re-organized pages of Canadian Reels and added a page for reels by Lawson Machines Works Montreal (and Burlington Metal Products, VT). Added a page for Tugg & Mason Limited, New Toronto.

March 16, 2016 - Updated list of Canadian Reel Makers (to include Bicycle Sales Co. of Winnipeg, Manitoba who made a Kentucky style reel patented in Canada in 1923). Added pictures of the Fraser Montreal fly reel after cleaning.

March 9, 2016 - Added a Hardy/Fraser Montreal ad that ran in the July 1922 edition of Rod and Gun in Canada. The same ad ran for many months in that magazine.

February 3, 2016 - added pics of the cleaned up nickel plated Julius Vom Hofe ball handle reel with cloverleaf logo at the bottom of the ball handle topic page. Added a picture of a rubber sided Montague reel marked: "Alcock, Laight & Westwood, Toronto".

Coming soon in the March 2016 ORCA Reel News, see my article on Ambassador reels made by Tugg & Mason, Toronto. T&M reels can be seen on my page of Canadian marked reels.

Jan 20, 2016 - Added pictures to the bottom of the ball handle multiplier reel page of a recently acquired Julius Vom Hofe with rare cloverleaf logo made 1882-85, rim brake, nickel plated brass (prior to cleaning).

Jan 6, 2016 Edited text on the page about SANDS reels to acknowledge publication of my article in the Jan 2016 edition of ORCA Reel News.

Dec 24, 2015 - Added a picture of a green Laurentian #2 Fly Reel made by Lawson, Montreal at the bottom of my Canadian marked reels page.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY 2016!

Dec 10, 2015 - Added pics of a rare Bulloch Spinner made in the late 1800's in Gananoque, ON. This is one of only about a dozen with this maker mark ever found by collectors. Added pics of other interesting reel acquisitions.

Nov 29, 2015 - Added pictures of three vintage Canadian reels made in British Columbia by Cemm, Coates and Peetz. I cleaned up the Peetz. The Cemm which is a mooching reel with features of a Hardy Silex appears to have been never used. The Coates is an all aluminium wide drum model.

Added a new page for AL&W and SANDS reels. Added a SURVEY.

Nov 23, 2015 - Added a page of my My fishing pics

Nov 7-8, 2015 - Added pics of THE FRASER REEL, MONTREAL, CANADA on the bottom of the gallery of Canadian Marked Reels. Also added some Fraser documentation. Added pics of the same reel after cleaning. Added more recently acquired lures on the bottom of the lures gallery.

Oct 25, 2015 - Added pics of a neat and unusual antique live well, an EVH Tobique at the bottom of this page, and a Conroy BH Multiplier that was converted long ago to a clamp reel from the collection of author writer Mary Kelly. Added some recently purchased lures on the relevant page.

Oct 13, 2015 - Added a few more Canadian made/ marked reels.

Oct 11, 2015 - Added picture of M&G Montreal fly reel on this page.

Sept 29, 2015 - Updated link to ORCA Benefit Auction. Added more pics of Canadian Reels recently acquired.

Sept 21, 2015 - Added pics of recently acquired Canadian made/marked Reels: Leighton Fly Reel, CNFT Trolling Reel and a Lawson Fly Reel.

Sept 8, 2015 - Added Leighton to the list of Canadian reel makers. Photo of the Leighton fly reel is pending. Added link to site of next ORCA Online Benefit Auction that starts Sept 26, 2015.

Sept 3, 2015 - Added link to my Antique Fishing Reels Group on Facebook. Added pictures of more Canadian Marked Reels in my collection: AL&W Victory fly reel, Inglis Kalamazoo BalCli level winding reel, a Laurentian Dry Fly #1 reel in a box with light brown colour, and a Gibbs Rainbow ti have had for a while but forgot to post previously.

August 21, 2015 - Click this link to see pictures relating to my July 2015 ORCA Reel News article about Detecting Reel Grasp Materials

July 28, 2015 - Added a picture of an Inglis Toronto marked Kalamazoo Canuck reel at the bottom of the the Canadian Marked Reels page

June 23, 2015 - Added a separate page for pictures of vintage Heaton Fisherman Scene Reels, including the latest addition of a platewind model with bakelite backplate bought at the recent ORCA Nationals sale in Dania Beach, FL.

June 16, 2015 - Added pictures of a number of items obtained at the recent CAFTA 2015 Spring show in Cobourg, ON, including more Canadian marked reels, a Haywood clamp reel and a great boxed Abbey & Imbrie Go Getter lure. Added a new page of Other Old Tackle with a picture of a recently acquired and traded antique cardboard Orvis fly box.

May 27, 2015 - Added pic of 3 Canadian reels that landed in the collection this week.

May 23, 2015 - Added a link on the home page for info on the ORCA 2015 National Convention. See you there!

April 26, 2015 - Added 2 additional names to the list of Canadian Reel Makers.

April 23-25, 2015 - Added a new page of Canadian Reel Makers (a work in progress), including a maker whose name I have not seen listed before, anywhere. At the bottom of the Canadian Marked Reels page, I added pictures of an antique W.A McElroy & Co reel, made by a Toronto manufacturer circa 1909. It reminds me of a Gayle Simplicity. I keep finding references to other Canadian reel makers so please let me know if you learn of other names to add to this list. Another was added, so now there are 2 more on this list than any other known list of Canadian Reel Makers. Added page viewing tips in key locations.

April 20, 2015 - Added an Allcock, Laight & Westwood Toronto fly reel to the page of Canadian marked reels. Also added a picture at the bottom of the Distinct Collections>Other Favourites page showing a group of my Hendryx reels.

April 3, 2015 - Added recently acquired misc old reels to Other Favorites page. Updated copyright notices on key pages. Removed the NFLCC link from the Home page but I changed my mind and re-joined for the 2015-2016 season. Removed the Home Page link to the ORCA Auction Benefit since the current auction ended (but I have donated 3 reels for the next auction expected to take place Sept 2015).

February 26, 2015 - Added pictures of a recently acquired Victorian brass salmon reel with folding grasp, featuring 2 grasp rest cutouts in the rim (probably to accommodate an altered or replaced foot- a very, vey old repair), an internal line winding cage to speed retrieval and help air out the line and an nicely inscribed name: J Somerville. Pics are located towards the bottom of this gallery.

February, 21, 2015 - Added pic of recently acquired 2 3/4" clamp reel with constant check, added a link to the ORCA Benefit Auction on the ROR home page, added pic a recent Great Lakes, Windsor, ON Canadian reel acquisition

December 27, 2014 - Added a page for civil war era American Ball Handle Multipliers.

November 16, 2014 - Added pics of a recently acquired Ustonson reel circa 1800. Simply awesome.

October 19, 2014 - Added a page of my Canadian Marked Reels under Distinct Collections. Addition of misc pictures or reels and lures recently aquired. Remarked where pictured items have since found a new home.

August 30, 2014 - Extensive changes and additions. Added ReelyOldReels Facebook Page and Twitter social media icons. Added link to NFLCC. Updated splash page content. Added pictures of recent antique reel and lure acquisitions. Posted a link to the CAFTA Fall 2014 show notice.

July 23, 2014 - Added a picture of my recently acquired Frederick Vom Hofe & Son ball handle multiplier.

July 6, 2014 - Added a page of metal baits on hand, some pending reel trade offers.

June 20, 2014 - Added a link under Other to the ORCA Online website where I show the steps I used to thoroughly clean up a Julius Vom Hofe President #1 reel.

June 14, 2014 - Added a new old sidemount.

June 8, 2014 Paul Manuel/ReelyOldReels is awarded Best Display in Show at the 2014 Spring CAFTA Show held in Peterborough, Ontario. See item and pics at this link to ORCA Online.

May 25, 2014 - updated description of Julius Vom Hofe President reel, adding thanks to Steve Vernon for the ID. Posted pic of disassembled President on ORCA Online. Also added pic of Lucky Strike Walleye Minnow by itself with acknowledgement of Merrick Burr for the ID. Merrick reminded me that the underscore of the reel line capacity marks on the 3 ALW reels posted yesterday may mean they were actually made by Winchester (Made in USA) for Allcock, Laight & Westwood. Descriptions updated accordingly. Removed an erroneous pic of a Virginia Reel Co Indiana reel in a Goite box, thanks to an alert from an Indiana reel expert. Fixed a few typos. Phew!! this webmaster stuff takes a lot of time and effort.

May 24, 2014 - added 3 new subsections under "Other" tab with extensive pics of reels, lures and go-withs acquired during a trip to the Maritimes and other interesting sights. Also added pics of new acquisitions from Lang's. See my new folding handle reel acquisition at the bottom of the Folding Handle Winches gallery. Also added 2 Chapman lures on the Lures Page. Added a pic of another acquisition from Lang's: a lovely BC Milam No. 3 with 12 O'clock non-counterbalanced handle, posted on my Other Favourites page.

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