Thursday Review: ORCA's Reel News (Nov-Dec 2012)

The latest issue of my favorite tackle publication -- The Reel News (Nov-Dec. 2012) -- has just hit the news stands! And it has a ton of great stuff in it.

We start with the dean of fishing historians, the incomparable Steve Vernon. Steve gives us the skinny on Fred Wilkie's patented clutch mechanism, which was used on some amazing nineteenth century New York style reels. It's another in a long line of groundbreaking pieces from Vernon, who (rumor states) is closing in on the final stages of his magnum opus.

Mike Cacioppo gives us another segment of Penn history with the Quick Apart reels. Quick Aparts were popular in the pre-war era, and Penn added its offerings to a very crowded market, and some of them can be tough to find.

Ben Wright gives us a ton of info on two-speed spinning reels. I have always wondered why this idea never got traction, and Ben does a good job explaining to us why.

Bob Miller gives us the 1950s in Pflueger reels. It's a great series he's undertaken, and I love reading about how Pflueger tried to keep up with the changing nature of the tackle industry.

Len Sawisch gives us a lighter piece, "Look What Carl Made Me Do," which is a story about a really neat Shakespeare reel.

My own offering this issue was a history of the trade reels of J.C. Penney. I grew up shopping Penney's and always have had a soft spot for these reels.

If you are not an ORCA member--and at this point I'm just going to roll my eyes if you aren't--you can join us by Clicking Here. The Reel News is lovingly edited by Richard K. Lodge.

-- Dr. Todd