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Antique Fishing Reels
Photo courtesy of Jim Schottenham / www.sidemountreels.com
This page contains examples of some of the many types of Antique Fishing Reels that I like to collect. Over the years there have been many designs and different degrees of quality in the manufacturing of these old gems. Clear back into the 1800's jewlers and watchsmiths were hand crafting intricate silver plated masterpieces known as Kentucky Style Reels. Another very interesting reel that has special interest to me is known as an Indiana Reel. Some of these reels are unique and hand made by machinist/craftsmen, and some were factory produced. They vary in size and shape and often times look like a snowflake with a tined/spoked design. Other styles such as New York Ball Handled Reels, Sidemount Reels, and very early Fly Reels are also of interest to me. Although my search is mainly for the older reels manufactured prior to 1930, I would gladly consider anything including Swedish made Ambassadeur or Record reels , as there are particular reels manufactured after that date that do spark my interest. As with all antique lures, the same holds true with old fishing reels. Boxes, Paperwork, and Accessories are very important.
I am always looking for old fishing reels or boxes to add to these collections.
Kentucky Style Fishing Reels
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Meek #3 Tournament. Horton, Mfg. Co. Bristol, Conn.
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#3 Tournament Narrow Spool. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky.
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#3 Bluegrass Reel and Box. Horton, Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn.
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#3 Tournament. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky.
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#4 Bluegrass Reel. Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn. This was the personal fishing reel of Henry Kiest.
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#33 Bluegrass Reel. Huge Aluminum Spool. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky.
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#3 Bluegrass Presentation Reel. Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn.
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Back Side plate view of a beautifully engraved presentation reel.
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# 25 Bluegrass Simplex, Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn.
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# 3 Bluegrass Reel. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky.
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#33 Meek Large Spool Tornamant Reel. B.F. Meek & Sons, Lousiville, Ky.
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#33 Gold Finish. B.F. Meek & Sons. Lousiville, Ky.
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Another back side plate view of a beautifully engraved presentation reel.
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#33 Bluegrass Reel. B.F. Meek & Sons. Lousville, Ky.
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# 3 Bluegrass Reel. B.F. Meek and Sons. Louisville, Ky.
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Meek #3 with 12 o'clock handle.
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Meek #2. B.F. Meek & Sons. Lousville, Ky.
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Kentucky reels were often presented as gifts to retired employees and such. The engraving on these reels match the quality of the fine craftsmenship of the jewlers that made them.
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# Bluegrass Reel. Horton Mfg. Co., Bristol, Conn.
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Talbot Star. Talbot Reel & Mfg. Co. MO
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Talbot Star & Leather Case / c. 1915
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Big Game Fishing Reels
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Edward Vom Hoffe with Leather Case.
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Pflueger Templar
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The "Triton" Reel
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Pflueger Atlapac 4/0 Reel with Tin Case.
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Pflueger Atlapac 9/0 Reel with Tin Case.
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Indiana Style Fishing Reels
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Monarch Reel with name and patent date. Fort Wayne, Indiana. / c. 1923
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Monarch Reel with patent date, name, and O.K. Machine Company. / c. 1923
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Creek Chub Wawasee in the Box. / c. 1923
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Creek Chub Wawasee Reel. Mfg. by O.K. Machine Co. for Creek Chub. / c. 1923
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Monarch Reel. Patent date only. No other markings. Fort Wayne, Indiana. / c. 1923
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Peters Reel variation. Knox, Indiana. / c. 1917
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Peters Line Dryer and Casting Reel. Knox, Indiana. / c. 1917
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Peters Line Dryer and Casting Reel in the Box. / c. 1917
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Another Peters Reel variation. Knox, Indiana. / c. 1917
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Another Peters Reel variation. Knox. Indiana. / c. 1917
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Kuntz Reel. S.L. Kuntz Manufacturing. / c. 1920
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N.S. Adjustable Reel with Line Guide. Ft. Wayne, Indiana. / c. 1917
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N. S. Adjustable Reel in th Box. National Specialties Co., Fort Wayne Indiana. / c. 1917
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N.S. Adjustable Reel. Mfg. National Specialties Co. Ft. Wayne, Indiana. / c. 1917
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Southworth Reel.
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Kelly 4-Tine. Aluminum Hub and Brass Tines. Kelly Mfg. Co., Lansing, Michigan.
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Kelly Brass 6-Tine. Kelly Mfg. Co., Lansing, Michigan.
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Kelly Brass 4-tine in a really neat Tin Box. Kelly Mfg. Co., Lansing, Michigan.
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Kelly Brass 6-Tine. Kelly Mfg. Co., Lansing, Michigan.
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Kelly Nickle Plated Brass 6-tine. Kelly Mfg. Co., Lansing, Michigan.
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Benson Anti-Backlash Reel. Benson-Vaile Co., Kokomo, Indiana / c. 1919
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Henry A. Kiest in yellow labeled Tin. Knox, Indiana. / c. 1920
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Henry A. Kiest in older style plain Tin with Winchester Store tag. Knox, Indiana. / c. 1920
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Henry A. Kiest Reel in Red Tin. Knox, Indiana / c. 1920
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Micro Motor Reel. Micro Motor Co. Indiana / c. 1926
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Unidentified Aluminum 4-Tine Style.
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MARC Reel with aluminum tines.
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Marc Reel with Script Writing and Box.
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MARC Reel with brass tines.
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Unidentified 6-tined Indiana Style.
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Unidentified Heavy Duty Aluminum Reel. This is a very big reel! I call it "The Ships Wheel".
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Unmarked and most likely a unique and hand made Reel.
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2 Reels both stamped "Frank Davis". I don't know if this was the fisherman or the maker. These are most likely hand made.
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Another unmarked and unknown example. It is reels such as these that make Indiana Reels so much fun to collect.
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And yet another unmarked and unknown example.
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Heddon Winona in Box. Dowagiac, Michigan. / c. 1923
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Goite Reel and Box. Birmingham, Michigan. / c. 1930
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Goite Jr. Reel with Box and Papers. Birmingham, Michigan. / c. 1930
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Kiest Reel in Box. This box was never put into production. Henry Kiest died shortly after producing it.
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Willoughby Reel and Box. Indianapolis, Indiana. / c. 1946
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Shakespeare Hoosier Reel. Kalamazoo, Michigan. / c. 1923 +
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Shakespeare Hoosier. This painted style was made for only 2 years. / c. 1923 +
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Henry A. Kiest Reel and Box. This box was never sold. Mr. Kiest died shortly after they were printed. / c. 1920
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Shakespeare "Intro" version of the Hoosier Reel. This is a very scarce variety. / c. 1923
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A really neat 8-tined unidentified Reel with attached line guide.
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Miscellanious Fishing Reel Companies
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Chapman Reel. New York.
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Carlton Reel. Carlton Mfg. Co. / c. 1908
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Billinghurst Birdcage Reel. New York / c. 1870
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Beetzle Reel.
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Pflueger Supreme. First Model. Pflueger Enterprises. / c. 1917
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A. F. Meisselbach Featherlight Fly Reel. / c. 1889
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Yawman & Erbe Automatic Fly Reel. c. 1888
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Unique Expandable Line Dryer.
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Edsall Rod & Reel Combo. Edsall Metals. / c.1887
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Chicago Gentleman Streamliner. Chicago Fish Tackle Co. / c. 1948 (top). Hurd Supercaster. Hurd Lock & Mfg. Co. / c. 1946 (bottom).
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Pflueger Everlaster Surf Casting Reel. Pflueger Enterprises.
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Julius Vom Hofe. Brooklyn, New York. / c. 1885
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Julius Vom Hofe. Brooklyn, New York. / c. 1885
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Pflueger Interocean Surf Casting Reel. Pflueger Enterprises. / c. 1908
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Montague Casting Reel (Unmarked). New York.
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Montague New Record Casting Reel. New York.
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Abbey Casting Reel. Montague. New York.
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Julius Vom Hofe. Brooklyn, New York. / c. 1885
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Hendryx Raised Pillar Aluminum Casting Reel. c. 1879
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Hendryx Raised Pillar Tiny Casting Reel. / c. 1879
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Two small unmarked Brass Reels / c. 1800's
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Large unmarked Brass Reel. / c. 1800's
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Very small unmarked Brass Reel. / c. 1800's
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Large unmarked Brass Reel. / c. 1800's
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Two Brass Reels. Hendryx (left) and unmarked (right. / c. 1800's
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Montague "Alligator" Casting Reel & Box
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Kingfisher Raised Pillar Reel & Box
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Montague "Classic" Raised Pillar Reel & Box
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Montague "Empire City" Reel & Box
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Montague "Indian" Raised Pillar Reel & Box
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Hendryx Raised Pillar Reel & Box
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Pennell Reel & Box
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Dakota Fly Reel & Box
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Union Hardware Fly Reel & Box
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Meisselbach "Kingfisher" Reel & Box
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Meisselbach "Tripart" 581 Reel & Box
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Meisselbach "Tripart" 580 Reel & Box
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Meisselbach "Takapart" 480 Reel & Box
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Meisselbach "Tripart" 581 Reel & Box
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Winchester Raised Pillar Reel & Box
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Montague "Indian" Raised Pillar Reel
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William Shakespeare Company / Kalamazoo, Michigan
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Shakespeare Criterion in early Gray box.
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Shakespeare Ideal in early Gray Box.
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Three Reels all manufactured by Shakespeare and sold under different names during the depression years. These are all Shakespeare "Favorite" Reels. / c. 1930
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Shakespeare Marhoff in early Gray Box.
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Shakespeare Kalamazoo Reel in early Gray Box.
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Shakespeare #1982 Sportcast Direct Drive Reel and Box
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Shakespeare 1740 Aluminum Tournament Casting Reel in the Box.
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Shakespeare #1973A Direct Drive Reel and Box
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Shakespeare #1965AS Professional Reel and Box
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Shakespeare #1973D Direct Drive Reel and Box
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Shakespeare #1740 Nickel Plated Tournament Casting Reel and Box
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Shakespeare #1974AS Supra Reel, Box, and original Leather Case
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Click here for Shakespeare dating code chart on next page
South Bend Bait Company / South Bend, Indiana
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
South Bend #1000 Oreno and Box.
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South Bend #1131A Anti-Backlash and Box.
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South Bend #1131B and Box.
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South Bend #1200 Anti-Backlash in Tall Box.
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South Bend #1200 Anti-Backlash in Box.
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Very Rare Un-Numbered Arched Logo South Bend Reel with Leather Case.
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South Bend #1130 Automatic Fly Reel in Box.
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South Bend St. Joe Fly Reel in Box.
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South Bend #1150 Bakelite Fly Reel in Box.
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South Bend #900 Anti-Backlash in Box.
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Garcia / Abu Ambassadeur / Sweden
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Abu Ambassadeur 5000 and Case / c. 1954
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Abu Ambassadeur 5000C and Case / c. 1973
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Abu Ambassadeur 3500C and Box / c. 1984
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Abu Ambassadeur 2600 and Case / c. 1961-62
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Some Other Reels
(Click On Images To Enlarge)
Utica 200 Reel in the Can that it was sold in.
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Bronson Coronet 25 with Leather Case and Box / c. 1965
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Heddon Pal Pro Weight 25 Narrow Spool Tournament Casting Reel and Box / c. 1955
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Zebco Lurecast 330 Tournament Casting Reel with Box
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Orvis 101 Spinning Reel and Leather Bag.
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