Vintage fly reels

Single-action fly reels, here the Pflueger Medalist 1494 and 1495. The spool turns once for each turn of the handle, line is stripped by hand, and the reel mainly stores line and backing and provides a click and light drag when a fish runs. Fly reels are sized by the fly-line weight and backing they hold rather than by pound-test capacity, so the 1494 is the trout size and the larger 1495 suits heavier lines. Early Akron-made Medalists are the collector tier; later reels are inexpensive, dependable fishing tools.