In the last half of the 20th Century, collecting antique fishing tackle became a major hobby for thousands of men, and a surprising number of women, worldwide.  Some collect old fishing lures, some (like me) favor antique fishing reels, and many like collecting split bamboo fly fishing rods, creels, etc.

 

     There is a National Fishing Lure Collector's Club, and a very large independent group of collectors in the State of Florida named the Florida Antique Tackle Collector's Club.  I am a life member of both organizations, and a member of the Old Reel Collector's Association too.  

 

     I collect antique fishing reels, which is a very broad category, but I focus primarily on bait casting reels made in Kentucky, where bait casting was born in America, and on reels made by master craftsman Otto Zwarg.  Zwarg was a dentist in Berlin, but came to America after World War I and took a job as reel maker for the Edward Vom Hofe Company in New York. 

 

     In those days the custom was for Italians to seek work from Italian-American businessmen, for Germans to seek out German-Americans, and for the Irish, the Polish, and everyone else to do the same.

 

     Zwarg became the head reel maker for Vom Hofe, but the company went out of business after World War II broke out, and Zwarg was given the right to make reels of their design.  It was 1945 before he made his first reel under his own name, and he was living in Brooklyn at the time.

 

     With other businessmen, he formed a company and moved to St. Petersburg in 1946 and started making custom reels there.  I too am a New Yorker who moved to Florida (1951), and perhaps that is what piqued my interest in his reels.

Otto made reels until the mid-1950's, when he died of a heart attack.  His men continued making his reels for five or six years before ceasing production. 

 

     He made three models of reels, models 300,  400 and 600.  The 600 is a trolling or bottom fishing reel for salt water use, with a star drag.  The 300 and 400 are fly reels.  All range in size from 1/0 to 6/0. 

 

     Of these, the  model 300 and 400 reels are valued in the range of $1,000 and up, if they are in good condition and all original (no cracks or replaced screws, etc.).  Cracks, marred screws, etc., will reduce the value considerably.  A reel that is new and unused in the original box (or leather case) and has never been used, will attract a premium price.  The smallest (1/0 size) command the highest prices.

 

     The model 600 reels are valued at $200 to $600, with the smallest (1/0) commanding the highest value of the model 600 reels.....Except for the rarest of these reels,  the huge "big game" reels in size 12/0 up to 16/0 in size.  There are very few of these known to exist.

 

     The Zwarg reels all have metal oil covers a little smaller than a dime, stamped with "Otto Zwarg, Maker," and either "St. Petersburg, FL" or "Brooklyn, N.Y."  

 

     If you have a reel made by Otto Zwarg, turn it over and look at the bottom of the reel foot, the part that would touch the rod when it is mounted.  You will see two numbers, with one being the model number (300, 400 or 600), and the other being the size of the reel (1/0, 2/0, etc.).

 

     Zwarg reels also have a serial number, which is stamped on the edge of the reel foot, just above the model and size markings.  Here you will find a letter and a number.  The letter indicates the year the reel was made (A = 1945, B=1946, etc.)