ANTIQUE REELS

Kentucky, Fly, Collectible & Big Game Fishing Reels 

 Lighthouse Point, Florida

Tom Greene

E-MAIL TOM GREENE

B.C. Milam, Frankfort, Ky., No. 2 , sn. 7825, GS, marked 'E. J. McA.'

$1,400

B. F. Meek, Louisville, Ky., No 3, sn. 352, #2 on foot, brass, marked 'T.W. Anderson / Cynthiana, Ky'

$2,200

Jack Welch Dowagiac, Mich. 'Hand Made'  reel, from Jack's personal tackle box

$1,200

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)

Heddon 3-25, sn. 1922, personal reel of Jack Welch from his personal tackle box

$300

Meek & Milam, Frankfort, Ky., No. 2, numbered screws, brass, marked 'J. L. Waggener, Frankfort, KY'

$3,800

J. L. Sage, Frankfort, Ky., No. 3, #2 on foot, GS

$5,800

Edward vom Hofe, Pat. date 1883, size 1, trout reel, with thumb brake, no model number, marked 'George Eastman.'  

SOLD

George Eastman (1854-1921), was the  founder of the Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, NY.)

Side mount fly reel. Maker unknown

$800

B. C. Milam, Frankfort, Ky., No. 2, sn. 6611, GS, marked 'Chas. A. Graham, Louisville, Ky'

$1,900

B. F. Meek, Frankfort, Ky., No 8, sn. 155; Note this reel is left handed and meant to be used upside down with custom drag lever on right, GS, engraved 'Joseph Jefferson, Esq., with sincere affection, Rumsey W. Scott, Nov. 21, 1909'

SOLD

Gayle, George & Son, Frankfort, Ky. No. 5,  

$7,500

George W. Gayle and his son Clarence Gayle began making reels around 1883. George Gayle was a silversmith and learned reel making while he worked for J.F.& B.F. Meek. Clarence Gayle, however, was the main person involved in making the Gayle reels. His reels can be found made of solid German silver and of aluminum. The "Standard" Gayle reel has a flanged head plate that looks like a man's top hat. The "Kentucky" style Gayle's are the most ornate and heavily knurled reels and are of the highest quality. (R. Gast)

J. Deally, Louisville, Ky., No. 4, marked 'Bollvin'

  SOLD

James Deally made Kentucky fishing reels from 1895 until 1902.  His earliest reels were not marked with the size number. Later reels are marked with a size number on the face plate of the reels.  Handles are found with both ivory and buffalo horn knobs. All Deally reels are high quality and made of nickel silver.  These reels are considered scarce and have been found in sizes varying from the typical No. 3 size to the large No. 12 size. (R. Gast)

C. H. Wisner, sn. 276, Michigan Reel, free spool, jeweled bearings, narrow spool, excellent condition

$4,500

Charles H. Wisner received patents for the Michigan Reel on June 27, 1899 and on December 12, 1899. Supplied in sterling or German silver, the reel was put into free-spool by a sliding feature on the handle. The click was engaged by rotating a knurled knob located on the top face of the reel. Wisner also made a reel that more closely resembled a traditional casting reel. It did not incorporate the free-spool mechanism, but did have the rotating click. (R. Gast)

J. L. Sage, Frankfort, Ky, No. 3, sn. 320, brass

$6,200

James L. Sage made reels for sale between approximately 1883 and 1900. According to Dr. Henshall, author of the "Book of the Black Bass", he also made a click fly reel earlier. Sage was not a jeweler or watchsmith like the majority of the early Kentucky reel makers. He was apprenticed as a gun and mathematical instruments maker in the 1850's. Sage started making reels in Frankfort and then in Lexington about 1887. All of his reels found have the Frankfort, KY stamp. The majority of the Sage reels are a No. 3 size and appear similar to the B.C. Milam reels. Sage used Buffalo horn for the crank knob and Milam used ivory. All Sage reels are scarcer than Milam reels. (R. Gast)

C. H. Wisner, sn. 314, Michigan Reel, free spool, jeweled bearings

$3,500

B. C. Milam, Frankfort, Ky., No. 6, sn. 6116, GS

  SOLD

B. F. Meek, Louisville, Ky., No 7, sn. 521, jeweled end caps, GS, marked 'John B. Carson to Joseph Downey'

  SOLD