1875 Striper Fishing What Reel?

[roycestearns]

It's 1875, I'm on the NE coast, maybe somewhere between Plymouth and Portsmouth, fishing for Stripers. I'm fishing a period rod Ash butt, lancewood mids and tips, 10' 6" long, weighs in at a 32 oz, I could be from shore like in the image, or rowing a small boat in a bay. I probably have a linen line loaded up and either bait or maybe it's period metal. What reel am I using?

[Steve]

Winans & Whistler

[Mike N]

If you were single and had any folding money in that leather satchel, perhaps a Frederick or Edward vom Hofe multiplier.

Here’s a candidate courtesy of Ed Pritchard’s website:


But you better have some jingle to go with that jangle.

[Mike N]

Royce- are you any relation to the artist of the original painting depicted, JB Stearns?

Mike N

[roycestearns]

My first thought was Vom Hofe also, but didn't the 401 come after 1875?

Winans & Whistler that's an interesting road to run down !

Junius Brutus Stearns ... 99% of all Stearns in the US came from Issac Stearns who landed at Boston/Waterton in 1630 with the Winthrop group, so yes we share lineage.

[Midway Tommy D]

Winans & Whistler that's an interesting road to run down !

Royce, I challenge you to find an example of it.

[Mike N]

1875 is pretty early. A.B. Shipley and J. C. Conroy were advertising multiplying reels in Forest & Stream about that time.

[Jim Schottenham]

What else but a big Billinghurst?

[roycestearns]

Steve - I can't imagine stopping a 68 lb striper with a W & W 1875 patented reel!
Jim- have you fished these for anything that had to be fought from the reel? that must have been wild! My own experience with knuckle knockers was unpleasant.
Tom - Does a picture count I guess it's another unicorn?
Mike - agreed

[Steve]

What else but a big Billinghurst?

Billinghurst made his reels for people who preferred to shoot their hooked fish with one of his rifles, then crank them in. According to George Reiger, Winans' piers were considered the best locations in New England for striped-bass fishing. And there's the kind of evidence that Mike N. prefers: an illustration.

Furthermore, a W&W reel was exhibited in several expos by the U.S. Fish Commission. It had been supplied by Conroy, Bissett & Malleson. Description, London, 1883:


How solid is the evidence that EVH was using HR for sideplates by 1875?

[roycestearns]

The way I read the description, the cast was made with the cover closed, to reel you opened up the cover which hung open until you were ready to cast again. Can you imagine that 4-6" cover hanging as you reeled, and all of a sudden the striper took off on another run! The rifle would be the best type of drag for that reel

[Mike N]

How solid is the evidence that EVH was using HR for sideplates by 1875?

I guess solid enough for Jim Brown to write this in The American Fly Fisher, Spring 1990, Vol.16, No. 1, at page 10. (which puts EVH’s use of hard rubber side plates at around 1874). I’m assuming Jim had access to early EVH advertising or catalogs which are not in our ORCA library.

[Steve]

...solid enough for Jim Brown to write...[about this time]

Precisely why I asked the question. Why don't we ask Jim?

[BCharles]

Maybe a bit later than 1875, but still a great photo!

Based on the rod's hardware I wouldn't be surprised if it is a Vom Hofe as well.

[roycestearns]

BCharles - excellent picture. Any background on the image?

[Steve]

How solid is the evidence that EVH was using HR for sideplates by 1875?

Why don't we ask Jim?

Brilliant questions! Here's what Jim had to say:
"I have read a claim by one writer several years ago that ebonite was used by the Vom Hofes from the “early1870s” but no evidence was provided and I have been unable to confirm this as fact. I have confirmed an 1867 use of ebonite, or black hard rubber, for a grasp in an Edward Vom Hofe all nickel silver presentation striper reel. This tells us that the maker had the material on hand and had started using it in his reels but it leaves open exactly when he began using it for sideplates.

1875 is probably a reasonable estimate of when EVH began using BHR for sideplates in at least some of his reels. Fowler was making entire reels of the material in 1872 and the Orvis 1874 patent mentions a provisional use of hard rubber for sideplates so 1875 feels about right for EVH even if it is speculative."

"About right." Not the last word, I hope.

[RonG]

[Paul M]

Now that's gotta be the rarest EVH reel I've ever seen. Holy cow!

[kyreels]

Ron likes to pull out the Gold reels just when you thought you had seen it all.

[BCharles]

BCharles - excellent picture. Any background on the image?

It was taken by William Henry Jackson, apparently off West Palm Beach in the 1890s. He was quite the adventurer and was part of the US Geological Survey of the Tetons. As a side note, he was related to Samuel Wilson who created the character of 'Uncle Sam'.

[Rook]

Oh my god is that an assault rifle? It looks black in the photo so it must be! Run for the hills and call somebody, call the swat team or call Nancy Pelosi we need help. In the meantime hide out under the soccer balls in the minivan.