Reel Manufacturers & Major Distributors - B
BARNEY & BERRY.
One of the many names used on fishing tackle by Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
Originally a 19th century Massachusetts producer of metal products, they were
purchased by Winchester in 1919. Winchester stamped the Barney & Berry name on
fishing products from 1924 until 1930.
BATE, THOMAS H. &
COMPANY. New York City fishing tackle retailer. The company was formed by
Thomas and James Bate of Redditch, England in the 1820s. Thomas Bate immigrated
to the U.S. in 1828, where he was involved in the sales of hooks only. In the
1850s the company became an importer and retailer of all kinds of fishing
tackle. The company evolved into William Mills & Son [see entry] in 1873. Mills
was the son-in-law of Bate, and had been active in the company for years.
BEAN, L. L.
BENJAMIN THUMEZY.
BENSON.
BETTS & BODDEUS.
BILLINGHURST,
WILLIAM (1807-1880). Rochester, N.Y. gunsmith who invented and patented a
ventilated, horizontal fly reel on August 9, 1859.
BILTWELL
BING.
BISHOP
BIVANS.
BOGDAN, STANLEY
E. Machinist from Nashua, New Hampshire who designed a fly reel for Atlantic salmon
fishing. The reels are machined from aluminum and anodized black or gold. Most
have a 2:1 retrieve ratio and phosphor bronze brakes. Bogdan reels come in seven
sizes.
BOURNE & BOND.
BOYER.
BRADFORD &
ANTHONY. Boston, Massachusetts. Samuel Bradford was a Boston Hardware &
sporting goods retailer and wholesaler established in the early 1800s. Martin
Bradford started handling fishing tackle in the middle of the 1800s, after
taking over the company reins from his father. In 1867 Bradford took on Nathan
Anthony as a partner to form the company whose reels we sometimes encounter.
Bradford & Anthony retailed many New York style reels and brass fly reels
produced by the Brooklyn reelmakers. B&A was sold to Dame, Stoddard & Kendall in
1883.
BRETTON
BRISTOL.
BRONSON. Organized in 1922 in Bronson,
Michigan. In the 1940's and 1950's they claimed to be the largest manufacturer
of fishing reels in the U.S. Bronson was sold in the 1970s, and closed down a
short time later. MORE.
BROOKLINE.
BULLARD & GORMLEY
BUNYON, PAUL
BURLINGTON METAL PRODUCTS.
BUSHKILL
BUTLER, HERB. Spokane, Washington maker
of a multiplying fly reel called the "Fish" Fly Reel. MORE
