Essentially, all the remaining spinning reels relied on sleeve bearings that, if properly maintained, did a good job. I should mention that the 706 had two, one being in the line roller. It had a full bail with an external trip, contrary to the half bail on most European reels.Įxcept for the large Luxor and the Penn, none of the reels had ball bearings, and the Luxor and Penn had only one, the main pinion bearing. In 1947, Airex introduced the Beachcomber. No other reel in the history of fishing can come close to matching that longevity. The 704 and 706 were (and still are) excellent reels still made in America. This reel used a worm gear drive the company probably copied from the German Quick. Penn came out with a surf spinning reel in 1961-the model 700, later refined to the 704 and 706. Reels from Asia were not on the scene until the 1980s, although Daiwa and Shimano did make a few freshwater reels in 19, respectively. Italy produced the Alcedo and the Delfino, and Germany made the DAM Quick. From France, there was the Mitchell, RU, Luxor, and the Centaure. This Airex Bache Brown Spinster was one of the earliest spinning reels available.īy the 1950s, many more spinning reels came on the scene, primarily freshwater ones from both Europe and America, but some larger ones designed for surfcasting were also coming from Europe. The spinning reel was brought to America in the 1940s by Bache Brown. This was the beginning of a whole new era. It had a full bail with an external trip, contrary to the half bail on most European reels. It was not a very large reel, weighing in at 16 ounces and holding 250 yards of 15-pound-test monofilament. That same year, Airex brought out a new model called the Beachcomber. His company was purchased in 1947 by the toymaker Lionel and named Airex. After World War II, a wealthy American sportsman named Bache Brown went to France, where he helped develop a small spinning reel that he named after himself and brought to the United States to market. Everything about this black-and-white photograph is vintage 1950s.įixed-spool or spinning reels were first invented and used in Europe in the 1930s. Finally, in the fish’s mouth is a Junior Atom. Attached is a Centaure French-made spinning reel that is taped to the rod for a warmer grip in cold weather. He is holding a fiberglass surf rod with Perfection wire guides and Neocork grips. Much can be garnered from an old photograph, like the one above featuring Joe Carrie hefting a 34-pound bass.

Crack 400 reel schematic