Prelude to , "All the [spin-cast fishing] reels I've Loved Before."

The Golden Age of Spin-cast Closed-face Spinning Reels. This is a quick up-to-speed primer on vintage spin-cast fishing reels, as known to me growing up in a fishing familyduring the late 1950's and 1960's. The Golden Age of Spincast Fishing Reels was from the mid-1950's until the end of the 1970's. During this time, the spin-cast reel reigned supreme for all kinds of freshwater game fishermen. Many fine reels were produced during this era. Many if not most of these old fishing reels are still good and serviceable today. In my opinion they are far superior and less expensive than modern spin-cast reels. Join my journey and recall or discover some of the best of these vinate reels.

 

My first exposure to fishing was during the 1950’s. My dad was an avid outdoorsman and fishing was one of his favorite pastimes. Living in the Southern USA, the most common spincast fishing reels included Zebco and Johnson models during this time. Spin-cast reels, also called closed-face spinning reels, were just coming into their on. They had not been around very long. In fact, viable spin-cast reels were not invented until the last year or two of the forties and only became commonplace and accepted as a freshwater fishing standard during the mid fifties.

There were two main spin-cast designs that caught on quickly and dominated the market during the fifties and sixties--Zebco and Johnson. Whether by design, or by natural appeal, Zebco appeared to concentrate on the mass casual weekend fisherman market. Johnson reels were the choice of more serious freshwater game fishermen. Zebco reels were made of cheaper molded plastics which made them less expensive to purchase. Plastics were still pretty new materials for use in making consumer-products. Plastics were still viewed with some skepticism regarding durability and reliability. Johnson reels were initially made almost totally of metal. They were also more expensive. They looked and felt more solid and expensive and appealed more to serious fishermen. Johnson reels were actually very pretty—with their trade green metal bells. Although beauty is said to be in the eyes of the beholder—Zebco reels were pretty ugly to behold.

Dad would not have a Zebco fishing reel. He outwardly scoffed at the cheaper Zebco reels. Dad was not a very materialistic man—but he certainly had his opinions and preferences when it came to such things as guns and fishing gear. Although I can’t recall any specific derogatory references, I had the early impression that Dad considered Zebco reels to be cheaply made and unreliable. Although my preference was likely linked to Dad’s, I too found the Johnson Reels to be the best. Honestly, I may have never given early Zebco reels a fair chance, but I did have a fair amount of exposure to at least some models as these were often the kind of reel my friends would have. My predisposition toward them seemed also be anecdotally borne out. I think that Zebco targeted the mass market of occasional fishermen, while Johnson targeted the more serious fishermen.

The focus of this blog is on the non-Zebco fishing reels. This is mostly because I don’t consider myself to be a very good source on Zebco reels. And, frankly, it is also probably because I still think those old Zebco reels suck. I can hear the howls of protest now from those who loved their old Zebco’s if there are any. But even a very recent experience with my neighbor who is about the same vintage as I tells me that his old Zebco reels have provided him about as much displeasure as my Johnson’s have provide pleasure for me. He said something like, “Hell, those damned ole Zebco’s I got don’t work worth a damn.” Nuf said.

Prior to the common acceptance of the spin-cast fishing reels—three common types of fishing reels were widely used. Spinning reels or open-faced spinning reels as they came to sometimes be called later were the kind that hung beneath the fishing rod. These reels depended upon a combination of rod whip and gravity to propel very light spinning lures relatively long distances. A right-handed person generally retrieved the lure by cranking the reel handle with his left hand. This was because the right hand fingers were required to hold the spinning line once the line was freed from the confining bail of the reel. During the casting process, spinning reels unleash the fishing line as it is allowed to come off the reel in a controlled fashion without any resistance of the reel turning. This method works very well for light lures, but it becomes harder to control when using heavier plugs or heavy bait rigs with sinkers.

For heavier lures, bait-casting reels were the standard. Initially these reels required a great deal of practice, luck, and skill to use. Bait-casting reels rely upon the weight to the lure to turn the spool while the line is dispensed during the cast. Early attempts at this type of fishing reel—relied upon the fisherman’s ability to properly and evenly throw, or cast, the rod for an even pull of the lure while the fisherman’s thumb is used to moderate the rate of  the spool’s spin. If the thumb pressure is too heavy, the lure will not go very far. If the thumb pressure is too light, the spool will overrun the line being dispense and result in a huge tangle of fishing line within the reel. It is also prone to cause cursing and unrest for the fisherman.

A third type of reel was also commonly used. The fly-fishing reel was and is mostly a place to store the line when using a fly-rod. Fly-fishing relies upon the spring of the fly-rod and the weight of the fly-line itself to get the very light fly lure to the fish. A less-visible leader is tied to the heavy line and then to the lure or fly near the end of the line.

The spin-cast reel made fishing with all three types of lures readily mastered with only one rod and reel and little or no practice.

 

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