This great personalized brass trout reel from G. Little and Co., 15 Fetter Lane, London, “Makers to H.R.H Prince of Wales” is a fine example of the height of style and kind in British reel making throughout the Victorian age. This variation of the reel, developed with raised pillars is an early design from the 1870s.
The sprays of trout damp flies were connected particularly for an early variation of “The Fly-Fisher’s Entomology, Illustrated by Coloured Representations of the Natural and Artificial Pest and Accompanied by a Couple Of Observations and Directions Relative to Trout-and-Grayling Fishing” initially released in 1836 by Alfred Ronalds (1802– 1860).
This book released with a fly wallet with leading patterns consisted of was the initially extensive work connected to entomology in fly fishing. Although the work was Ronald’s only book, it was released in 11 editions in between 1836 and 1913 and has actually been thoroughly reprinted in the last 100 years.
Steve Woit is the author of “Fly Fishing Treasures: The World of Fly Fishers and Collecting”, a book including profiles of 30 specialists and collectors and over 800 pictures of uncommon and collectible fishing pole, reels, flies, books, and ephemera.
