Jack Welch, 'Hand Made', Dowagiac, Michigan, sn. 0170 & sn. 0152, right and left handed

$900

Heddon hired William Carter and Jack Welch to develop a line of reels to compete with the Meek reels. In 1917, they introduced their first Carter-built reels.  After Jack Welch left the company in 1931, he hand made some reels with his own name marked on them. All of these reels are considered highly collectable. (R. Gast)

Edward vom Hofe, 360, 'Perfection', fly reel, No. 1, Pat. Jan. 23, '83, marked on side plate 'Dame Stoddard', pointed detent drag feature with  red dots under the handle

  SOLD

The first of these trout reels, the #355, a reel with a two-tone clicker mechanism system, that can be activated as additional drag force, with a patent date of 1883, was joined around 1896 by the model  #360, equipped with an "adjustable, automatic silent tension drag" system. To distinguish the two different models, later versions of the #355 were designated as the "Peerless" and #360 became the "Perfection."  (Wikipedia)

Conroys Makers/NY, 2 1/4" diameter

  SOLD

James Heddon's Sons, No. 3-30, engraved: 'Edwin F. Sutter'

$900

Jack Welch, 'Hand Made', Dowagiac, Michigan, sn. 201

$900

Blue Brass, Reel Works, Louisville, Ky., No. 3, triple handle, tournament reel, sn. 8042, marked 'Mary B. Kellogg'  (Who was Mary B. Kellogg?)

$1,150

The Blue Grass Reel Works Co. was founded in 1899 and was affiliated with B.F. Meek & Sons of Louisville, Kentucky.  The Blue Grass line of reels was eventually incorporated into the B.F. Meek & Sons line of Meek reels.  See No. 330 for a tournament version. (R. Gast)

Benjamin-Sellar Mfg. Co., Benjamin, 'Thumzy' reel

$850

Williams Mills & Son, NY, Intrinsic reel

P.O.R.

'America', No. 2, Ball bearing take-down reel, Pat. '02

P.O.R

AMERICA COMPANY, America Reel Co. located in Rockford, IL was a mfg. from 1904 to about 1908 Manufactured a variety of quality casting reels starting with the patented quick take-down, ball bearing reel of William Sutton. Reels were made in German silver, aluminum, and nickel plated brass in a variety of sizes.

Thos. J. Conroy, Maker, NY, # 80 on foot, counter balanced S handle

$650

James Heddon's Son's, Dowagiac, Michigan, No. 3-15

$300

Unknown maker, ball handle, marked on top of foot # 10

$600

Julius vom Hofe, Pat. '89, GS

$650

The Chamberlain Cartridge & Target Co., Cleveland, O.,  'Hunter Reel'

P.O.R.

The Hunter reel was designed by Robert Hunter and made by the Chamberlin Cartridge & Target Co. The reel came in three versions. The first version was patented in May 19, 1903 and January 19, 1904. The version incorporated an anti-backlash bar and a rear mounted thumb plunger brake. The free-spool version was patented in January 29, 1907 and incorporated a thumb bar to put the fishing reel in free-spool. It could subsequently be used as a spool brake. This version was advertised before the patent in 1904. The third model was a simplified version of the above two and had neither an anti-backlash bar nor a free-spool thumb bar. (R. Gast)

Abby & Imbrie, sn. 326 on foot, Pat. '82

$500

Hendrix, raised pillar trout reel, tri-metal composition, Multiple Pat. dates, #80 on foot

$350

Meek, Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn., No. 30, sn. 522, level-wind

$300

Julius vom Hofe black reel, no numbers or names.  Hard rubber, multiplier.  Very early.  See identical type reel 371

SOLD

Holtzmann, N.Y.  surf casting reel, no numbers, free spool lever

$3,100

E. Holtzmann reel featuring free spool with clutch and automatic drag. Holtzmann was based out of New York and made a limited number of special order reels to exact specifications. His reels have often been compared to Swiss watches in their degree of quality and precise craftsmanship. Circa 1920.

A. Clerk, No. 4, ball handle NY reel, 2" Diameter

$600

Julius vom Hofe, trout fly reel, size 3 1/2, marked on foot, Pat. '89

  SOLD

B. F. Meek & Sons, Blue Grass Reel, triple handle, No. 3, sn. 3118, wood arbor spacer

$600