Ocean City Fly Reel - No. 35

Dr. Oscar · Post by **Dr. Oscar** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 3:22 pm

Can anyone give me some background info. on this reel? I know it was made in Philadelphia, PA. What year(s) was it made? What is the current market value? Is it a collectors item? Thank you.

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 7:39 am

About all I can tell you about the reel is that it's postwar. I can't give you better dates, but probably made into the '60s. Ocean City became True Temper. No doubt it's collectable, and also not rare. Just about everybody with a fly reel collection has one. The little round line guide gives it a classic look. The frame is aluminum, the spool is nylon. I know one person asking $40 for one right now, which is a bit steep unless it's NIB. On ebay, nice ones sell for $8 to $15, and they will occasionally bid higher. Good luck.

stiknstring · Post by **stiknstring** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 8:33 pm

I have one of these No. 35 Ocean City Fly Reels and it has a metal frame and spool (not the nylon spool mentioned above). Would this make it an earlier No 35 (say from the late 40's or early 50's) instead of a later one?

Just trying to find some history on this reel. It was my grandfathers and I now have it on a bamboo rod that I am fishing.

I would be interested in any other history you might have on the No 35 as well.

Thanks for any help.

Scott

Reel Geezer · Post by **Reel Geezer** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 8:53 pm

Scott: I believe most of Ron's information is correct. I have never seen one of these with a Nylon spool, however, and all the ones that I owned had black cast aluminum spools (or whatever they were). I believe your reel could be from c1950 on up into the 60s.

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:10 pm

do have some photos of these:
this reel has a nylon, or at least a thermoplastic spool.

this is a postwar reel.
It started off as the Ocean City Wanita, the reels were upgraded as the 305 and 306 and were sold with this mark. The models 35 and 36 must have followed.
Here's a '51 Wards catalog, selling the No. 35 as a Sport King 150, and the 36 as a Sport King 151

stiknstring · Post by **stiknstring** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:08 pm

Thanks gentlemen.

I appreciate the responses. That picture looks to be the exact one I have in every detail that I can see. It does not have the "Wanita" mark so I am assuming it is a later version (or at least not the earliest). The one I have has as a metal spool however.

Thanks again for the replies!

Scott