Old Fly Reels, all photos by Tim Bronson In 15th century En…

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all photos by Tim Bronson In 15th century England, anglers didn’t use reels at all: They simply tied a braided horsehair line to the tip of a long rod. (Dapping and Tenkara operate on the same principle.) But by the 18th century, small brass “winches,” attached to the rod’s base by a spike or clamp, were being made in British toolmakers’ shops. Fly reels progressed from brass, to wood, to hard rubber and nickel silver, and then on to today’s lightweight magnesium or aluminum. Though materials changed over the years, modern reels remain strikingly similar to their early ancestors. The reels shown here are from the “Angler’s All” exhibit at the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont.