New to Reel Talk

ORCA Online Forum - Feel free to talk or ask about ALL kinds of old tackle here, with an emphasis on old reels!
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Tim Van Dellen
Big ORCA Fan
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Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2021 8:06 pm

New to Reel Talk

Post by Tim Van Dellen »

Hi guys, I’m new to this forum. Not completely new to old reels but as to this point I’ve mostly just picked them up here and there because I just liked them. The main reason I joined this forum is, I would like to learn more about this subject. I live near Bronson Michigan and grew up and work in Kalamazoo. Living where I have has especially sparked my interest in Bronson reels and other local companies. My question to you guys is what would you suggest as the best books or material to teach myself more about old reels. Keeping in mind my main interest would be in domestic made reels at this point.
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Mike N
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Location: WV

Re: New to Reel Talk

Post by Mike N »

Welcome, Tim. Here’s a link to the Bronson page to get you started…

https://www.orcaonline.org/bronson-reel ... home-page/

Mike N.
Mike N.
ORCA Founder, 1990
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john elder
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Re: New to Reel Talk

Post by john elder »

Hi, Tim and welcome! There are a lot of books that are dedicated to a particular reel model such as Penn or Ocean City or Pflueger reels, to name a few. You can find many of these offered at the ORCA store on line and also through our ebay store ( look up oldreelcollector). This board is sponsored free by ORCA and you will learn a lot here by using our search to look up specific reels and questions. You should also join ORCA and get 6 issues of the Reel News per year, which is chocked full of articles on all the makers, past and present. Past issues are available through the ORCA store as well.
For history of fishing reels and details of all the mechanisms that make them work, you can’t beat Steve Vernon’s book (https://www.orcaonline.org/orca-store/o ... ve-vernon/). It’s pricey for a beginner but it will be a constant source of information as questions arise about early makers.

John
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member

Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
Teal
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Location: Cincinnati, OH

Re: New to Reel Talk

Post by Teal »

Welcome! You're in the right place. I'd suggest getting a copy of The History of the Fishing Reel which is ORCA's 25th Anniversary book. It highlights pretty much all kinds of reels and is a great way to get a broad exposure to the various kinds of reels people collect. It's available from the ORCA store.

Glad to have you on board!

-- Dr. Todd
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Eric J
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Re: New to Reel Talk

Post by Eric J »

Hi Tim-
I’m a fellow Kalamazooan and my main interest is Shakespeare as a result. There are no books that can beat going to an ORCA show and getting hands-on experience with the reels and talking to the many knowledgeable collectors there. That’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of great books written that are invaluable resources. There is a book that was published by the American Museum of Fly Fishing (I think it’s called “A Treasury of Reels” or something like that) that is beautifully made and expensive, but I haven’t found it to be particularly useful. I use Steve Vernon’s and Dr. Todd Larson’s books as a reference quite often. Dan Homel and Al Munger both have written good books for reel collectors.
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