My collection of fishing reels is almost as big as my watch collection. Here's a few of my vintage reels....
Very early multiplier by A.B. Urfabriken Svangsta, (ABU), Record No 1300. This was ABU's first reel, made in the 1940's. The crosscut line carriage screw drives the line carriage backwards and forwards when the reel is wound ensuring an even line lay across the spool. I have several ABU's, including a matched pair of 501's; but, at only 2 inches wide, this one is my favourite - exquisite engineering.
Japanese Compac Hornet open face spinning reel from the 1950's, made by Olympic Fishing Tackle Co, Tokyo. The folding handle is simply back wound to unscrew and fold.
A pair of vintage trout reels. The 'brassie' on the right is all original, complete with silk line. Can't date this one as it's completely unsigned. The one on the right is a 1950's USA made fly reel. It was in dreadful condition when I picked it up. I fully restored it a number of years ago and have fitted it with a rather unusual level tapered line of unknown, but quite old, vintage and still use it to this day.
One of my reel bags. I have a passion for electronics, but I'm glad that fishing reels remain mechanical. A friend of mine had an interesting fly reel, as line was taken out to cast it would an internal spring, (bit like a larger version of a pocket watch main spring). With a fish on you'd wind in manually as normal and the spring would unwind; but to retrieve line rapidly you pressed a lever and the spring rewound the line very rapidly. One on my list to find and add to my collection.