The perplexing Moonlight Bait Company reel

[David Lehmann]

A Moonlight lure collecting friend of mine sent me pictures of his Moonlight Bait Company reel, wondering who may have made it. With this stamping, the reel was likely produced in the late 1920s or earlier. For me, all of the large trade reel manufacturers (Montague, Pflueger, Shakespeare, Winchester, Union Hardware, Bronson) seem like unlikely candidates as none of them seemed to have produced reels that match the characteristics of this reel. There are a number of somewhat unusual characteristics with this reel (for example, the 5-screw attachment of the tailplate--not typical of most mass-produced 1920s non-levelwinds) and one really unusual characteristic (sliding click button on the left side of the tailplate--reverse from the norm). Pictures of the Moonlight reel are below.








American Swiss Magneto produced a reel (the Fernwood) that had many of the same characteristics as this reel (similar handle, foot attachment style (with polished down screw heads with just a ghost of the slot visible), screw head styles, 5-screw tailplate attachment, click spring riveting pattern, click button pattern, etc.). However, there are characteristics of the Moonlight reel that differ from the Fernwood (lack of face- and tailplate ornamentation, reversed click button position). Pictures of America Swiss Magneto's Fernwood reel are below.







Any thoughts about other potential manufacturers? Could Moonlight have manufactured their own reel? I hate to pigeonhole a reel to a known manufacturer. It wouldn't shock me if there were as many reel manufacturers that have never been identified as there are known manufacturers.

As an aside--despite previous suggestions that American Swiss Magneto did not manufacture reels--data and records suggest that they did indeed make reels. The company formed in 1919 and manufactured a pretty eclectic mix of products (mechanical cultivators, automobile door locks and hinges, fiber washers, bearings, gluing equipment, fishing reels). Their reels are unlike any other reported manufacturers', their first plant manager had previously managed an outdoors sports manufacturing plant (Savage Arms), they hired a manufacture's agent to specifically market their reels, and H&I reportedly purchased American Swiss Magneto's tackle manufacturing branch in 1925 (something that would have made little sense if the company did not produce any fishing tackle products). Additionally, when American Swiss Magneto was liquidating manufacturing equipment following H&I's acquisition, the liquidation included just the kinds of equipment one would expect a reel manufacturer to have.

[john elder]

Dave, is there any reason to exclude the possibility it was made for left hand wind? (Thus, the clicker position). Agate or metal insert missing from the rear bearing cap?

[David Lehmann]

John,
I considered left-hand wind but thought that the faceplate would have likely been reversed or upside down, which it isn't. (If they took the time to reverse drill the tailplate for left hand wind, I'd think that they would do the same with the faceplate, but you never know.) Yes, it looks like the tail end cap has a missing broken jewel. I know of two other examples of this reel that sold in the past, and both had jeweled end caps, so I suspect this one did originally, as well.

I'm hoping that a Reel Talk board user has another example of this reel and can share some jpegs. Also am hoping that we get some other suggestions of possible manufacturers!