History of fishing tackle
Tim Simpson provides a fascinating insight into the development of recreational fishing equipment.
An avid angling historian and collector of vintage fishing tackle, Tim Simpson provides a fascinating insight into the development of recreational fishing equipment, including the significant proliferation of Australia’s own tackle manufacturing industry prior to World War Two.
Catching fish has been an important survival skill for millennia. Using handmade hooks and lines – crude by today’s standards – early sailors roaming far from home and supplies relied upon the sea to provide its bounty. Captain Cook’s crew lined the gunnels and fished from the Endeavour
Shortly after the invention of the printing press, Dame Juliana Berners published Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle in 1496, a guide to bait-fishing that also included detailed instructions for using and making fly fishing tackle. Recreational fishing then took an inspired leap forward in 1653 when Englishman Izaak Walton first published his ground-breaking book, The Compleat Angler. Subtitled ‘The Contemplative Man’s Recreation’, this is the most famous sporting book ever published and, although relatively unknown today, in the centuries since its release it is one of the most reprinted titles ever written in English.
Early Kentucky baitcaster reels and freshwater lures
First recreational tackle
Britain dominated the supply of early recreational tackle, with businesses in Redditch producing handmade hooks, lines, reels, rods, and lures since the late 1600s. The first rods were made of solid wood of various kinds, sometimes with a tip section of flexible whalebone. From the nineteenth century, lighter bamboo was imported for rods, with the stronger development of split-bamboo cane – glued into a hexagonal rod of six carefully-planed tapered strips – by 1850. Fibreglass was not invented until 1938, and graphite fishing rods did not hit the market until 1973.
The first reels were a simple winch made of wood, with a spool on a spindle held between two endplates, bolted to the rod with a spike from its base. Famed tackle manufacturer Onesimus Ustonson set up shop in London in 1761 and is credited with the invention of the multiplying geared winch, made of brass. He received a royal warrant and supplied tackle to King George IV.
Ball-bearings were invented in 1794, but it was decades before these were gradually incorporated into reels of all kinds to enable smoother operation and easier casting. By the late 1800s the wooden reel had been refined to a centrepin design that reduced friction, which enabled casting. Today you can still find many timber centrepin reels, usually reinforced with a cast brass ‘star’ attached to the backplate. Aluminium was invented in 1886, and reel manufacturers experimented with various alloys from the early 1900s.
Early English brass winches like this were used to solid lines of twisted horsehair attached to solid timber rods. Artificial flies made from feathers were then dappled on the surface to catch trout
Early lines required care
The ancient Greeks are known to have twisted horse tail hair into lines for fishing, and such lines were used in England until the 19th century. In his book, Izaak Walton describes in considerable detail the selection, twisting, and dying of horsehair to make fishing lines. Made in sections, the line could be tapered by varying the number of hairs included. With a fine tip of perhaps only two hairs, a stealthy presentation could be made.
Stronger lines made of silk became popular by the end of the eighteenth century and were used until at least the 1940s, although these were considerably more expensive. By the end of the 19th century, most saltwater anglers used linen lines braided from fibres of the flax plant, while freshwater anglers commonly used cotton lines – both of which were much less expensive than silk.
As they were made of natural fibres, all these lines suffered badly from rot, particularly if left damp after a day of fishing. To prevent breakage, after every use the angler had to remove the entire line from his reel by winding it onto a line dryer, then wash it and leave it to dry before reinstalling it onto the reel for the next fishing trip.
As you might imagine, these braided lines were very visible to the fish, so a short leader, or ‘cast’, of stretched and treated silkworm gut was attached to the end of the line to enable a stealthier presentation.
Nylon was developed by DuPont and from 1938 it became available as either casts or entire lines for fishing. It was a breakthrough in stealth and rot-resistance, although the early synthetic was stiff and wiry. DuPont then developed a fishing line of braided polyester fibres, known as Dacron, which was popular for several decades until the further refinement of nylon fishing lines. Super-fine modern lines of braided or fused strands of gel-spun polyethylene – known as ‘braid’ or superlines – have been evolving since the 1990s.
Timber centrepin reels, usually with a brass starback, eventually developed into ball-bearing models like this
Finest reels ever made
In the early 1800s, the best fishing reels were handmade by craftsmen, who often also worked as gunsmiths, watchmakers, jeweller and silversmiths. One such craftsman was Benjamin Meek, who made geared baitcasting reels used for black bass in Kentucky, USA, from 1840. Joined by Benjamin Milam around 1850, the pair are credited with some of the finest reels ever made. Crafted in German silver, sterling silver or brass, and featuring ornate scrolling, hand-cut spiral gears, handle knobs of ivory or buffalo horn, and eventually jewelled bearings, these tiny casting reels are works of art.
By 1900 there were quite a few businesses in the USA and Europe making hand-crafted reels of outstanding quality, including England’s Hardy Brothers. Hardy is perhaps one of the most well-known tackle companies of all time, making everything from fly reels to big game reels, as well as rods and a plethora of tackle accessories. America’s reel masters include Julius and Edward vom Hofe, William Talbot, Otto Zwarg, Joe Coxe, Arthur Kovalovsky, and the initial hand-crafted reels of William Shakespeare. However, by the 1950s, lower-priced brands using mass-production factories forced the handmade reel manufacturers out of business.
Leaders made of stretched and treated silkworm gut were attached to the end of early braided lines to provide a less-visible presentation to the fish
Australia's own
Australia’s early tackle was all imported, mostly from Britain. However, from the early 1900s, Australia produced a surprisingly rich diversity of locally designed and manufactured fishing reels. Sadly, after a 102-year reign as the most iconic of them all, the last surviving manufacturer, Alvey Reels, announced its company closure this year.
Before 1970, Australia had produced at least 208 different brands of reels, with many hundreds of models covering styles from timber centrepins and sidecasts to fly reels, baitcasters, overhead casting reels and big game reels.
Due to increasing leisure time, coupled with wartime shortages and import restrictions following World War Two, the Australian industry experienced a surge of new home-grown fishing brands from the late 1940s to the 1960s. The majority of the rods, reels, lures and tackle manufactured in Australia were copies of models from England or the USA, but Aussie ingenuity has also produced industry-leading innovations and improvements that have been exported and recognised worldwide.
Sidecast reels originated with the Malloch all-brass reels from Scotland, but Australians adopted and developed the principle, producing a wide variety of larger timber-spooled reels ideal for surf and rock fishing. The spectacular Seamartin surf reels handmade around 1970 by Cliff Martin of Lakes Entrance, Victoria, are a unique hybrid design that is now revered by collectors around the world. With a sealed body and spool of Australian cedar, they blend the attributes of both sidecast and threadline reel design.
Two of the finest handmade game reels. Designed by C. Alma Baker in New Zealand, the Hardy 'Alma' (left), made around 1926, was the world's first two-speed reel. The Hardy 'Zane Grey' series was produced from 1928
Big game inspires the world
By the late 1800s an extension of the US railway introduced adventurous anglers to the plentiful tarpon in the Keys of southern Florida. Growing to more than 100kg, these fish are now regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular gamefish, but until the early 1900s they usually proved more than a match for the tackle of the day.
Drag and anti-reverse systems had not yet been developed, so the overhead reels used had only a leather pad to press onto the line for a brake, and the handles spun wildly backwards whenever the fish could not be held, resulting in many bruised or broken fingers. The tarpon’s bony mouth also proved difficult to hook, so new hooks had to be developed to stay connected during their frequent high and wildly gyrating leaps. However, reports of this amazing fish reached far and wide, inspiring a stream of wealthy adventurers to take on this new sport. This in turn spurred the rapid development of new hooks and reel systems to cope with the challenge.
One of the new sportsmen was the widely-travelled author, Dr Charles Holder. While fishing the prolific waters at Avalon on Santa Catalina Island off Southern California, he became disgusted with the way yellowtail kingfish were mercilessly hauled up the beach on heavy lines. He decided the fish deserved a fair chance to escape, so vowed to introduce a more sporting code of angling. In 1898 he landed an 83kg bluefin tuna from a rowing boat off Avalon, using a reel with no anti-reverse and only a leather pad for drag. The incredible catch inspired him to establish the Tuna Club, which soon drew sportsmen, Hollywood icons, politicians and leaders of industry from around the globe. It also established big game fishing as a worldwide sport.
With television not to be invented for another 29 years, books were big business in those days. Dr Holder’s popular books about fishing and adventure promoted his gamefishing principles around the globe, inspiring great support.
Made in Victoria around 197, Cliff Martin's unique handmade all-cedar Seamartin surf reels blended the advantages of a sidecast reel with a spinning reel
Game fishing influencer
An early member of the Tuna Club was another author, Zane Grey, whose novels about the wild west were so popular they made him the equivalent of a billionaire today. Grey was a fanatical angler, particularly fond of big game fishing, and in 1924 he used his wealth to buy a magnificent 58m three-masted sailing sloop, which he named Fisherman, then used it as a mothership to sail the world on multiple gamefishing adventures.
Zane Grey’s unlimited budget enabled him to commission the best handmade tackle in the world, and his amazing fishing success and subsequent promotion in his best-selling fishing books, prompted tackle manufacturers to seek his endorsement. One such arrangement was made with Britain’s Hardy Brothers, who with Grey’s input designed an almost indestructible series of overhead multiplying star-drag big game reels made of Monel metal. To get his endorsement, Grey insisted they had to be not only the best reels in the world, but also the most expensive!
Zane Grey visited New Zealand several times on gamefishing expeditions, and fished Australia in 1936 and just prior to his death in 1939. Wherever he went he was hugely influential in tackle and techniques, but his arrogance and demanding attitude did not win him a lot of friends. While in Australia, Grey examined and used the Aussie ‘Atalanta’ reels made by Fred Smith for Errol Bullen, along with the split-cane rods crafted by Bill Southam, which Grey said were among the best outfits he had ever fished with.
Local craftsmen handmade most of the game reels used in Australia during the 1930s, particularly Leo Willis of Sydney, who made ranges of excellent reels under dedicated brand names for different tackle retailers. Some of his most notable models include the Swordfish, Swordfish Senior, Undover, Landem, Tasman, and Neptuna.
Of course, this article has only scratched the surface of our fishing tackle history. Its development travels a path rich with stories and breakthroughs. I hope this introduction has inspired you to delve deeper, as our vintage tackle helps us to understand the influences that have shaped our sport.
Sydney fishing rod and tackle maker Bill Southern inspecting a split-cane fly rod in front of his stock of bamboo. In 1936, he was praised by Zane Grey as one of the best rodbuilders in the world
Vintage tackle wanted
Trade-a-Boat editor Tim Simpson is also a fishing historian and passionate collector of vintage fishing tackle. If you have, or know of, quality fishing reels, rods, lures, hooks, or tackle from before the 1950s, please call him on 0400 665 947, or email: tim7simpson@gmail.com. Your tackle could help historic research, with top prices offered for items available for purchase.