Pflueger Fishing Tackle

About Antique and Vintage Pflueger Fishing Tackle

Founded in 1881 in Akron, Ohio, E. F. Pflueger’s Enterprise Manufacturing Company was not the first company to manufacture a fishing reel—that honor goes to the Meek Brothers, whose Kentucky reels predate 1840. But Pflueger was the first major commercial tackle company—its 1900 catalog, produced two years before James Heddon hung out his shingle to sell handmade wooden fishing lures, featured 126 pages of "Fish Bait and Anglers Specialties."

Pflueger’s company, which was taken over by his son and renamed E. A. Pflueger Company in 1906, was the first to commercially produce wooden fishing lures. In 1883, the elder Pflueger patented a luminous lure paint designed for night fisherman. A lure from that period, the Luminous Flying Helgramite, had wings and feathers, but was only made for about a year, making it a highly collectible antique fishing lure...

In the 1890s, Pflueger produced rubber decoys, the rubber Muskallonge Minnow (it had three single hooks and metal fins), and, in 1899, the Trory Minnow, which had three treble hooks, propellers at its head and tail, and yellow glass eyes.

Throughout the early part of the 20th century, Pflueger produced numerous minnows and bugs, some weighted, some designed to float. But the competition from Heddon and others proved too much for the company. Fortunately, lures were not its only source of revenue. Indeed, Pflueger reels would keep the company independent until well after the middle of the century.

The product that secured Pflueger’s reputation for reliability and dependable action while casting was the Baitcasting Reel, introduced in 1916. The brand for this new line of fishing reels was Four Brothers, who were E. A., Joseph, George, and Charles. Models included the Delite fly reel, in 40-, 60-, 80-, and 100-yard sizes. The reels’ plates were made of hard rubber and covered with either polished nickel or satin gun metal. Also available in that introductory year was a double-multiplying casting reel called the Medina, so named for the county west of Akron.

By 1924, Pflueger had largely dropped the Four Brothers name in favor of the model names themselves. The Regal, Elinor, and Pastime reels were still marketed as Four Brothers reels, but the Delite reel was now sold on its own. So were the Eclipse and Mohawk reels, which were salt-water models. Two other smaller salt-water reels, Sumco and Beacon, were introduced in 1927, and the Castwell came along in 1931 (it was introduced as the Comrade but that dull name was quickly changed).

Other antique and vintage Pflueger fishing reels sought by collectors include the Skilcast ("Blister Proof" is the guarantee on the side of the box), the Supreme, and an Orvis-like fly reel called Taxie.

In the 1930s, Pflueger all but discontinued its line of lures, which is what helps make those lures so rare today. In 1954, Pflueger introduced its first spinning reel, and in 1966 the company was sold to Shakespeare. Today, reels, rods, and combos bearing the Pflueger name continue to be manufactured in South Carolina.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Antique Fishing Lure and Tackle Collector Joe Yates

I grew up fishing. And I always had a few old lures – several came from my grandfather – and I just decid… [more]

An Interview with Vintage Fishing Reel Collector Jim Schottenham

I got into bass fishing in my late teens, early 20s. I was rooting around my grandmother’s basement one aft… [more]

Guest Column: Trends in Fishing Tackle Collecting

I’ve been a collector of antique fishing tackle for over 20 years, and have been selling antique tackle in… [more]



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Pflueger Kent Frog Floater Rare And Great Condition$274.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 68 watchers
Early Pflueger Monarch Musky Lure Glass Eyes$160.08 Ends Sunday 14 bids 67 watchers
Nice Pflueger 2800 Casting Fishing Reel$132.50 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 15 watchers
Pflueger 3 Hooker Vintage Fishing Lure Unmarked Props$124.99 Ends Sunday 2 bids 16 watchers
Pflueger Atlapac 6/0 Vintage Fishing Reel$107.50 Ends Sunday 6 bids 22 watchers
Super Tough Shark Tooth Pflueger Minnow$99.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 16 watchers
Super Tough Pflueger Bar Perch Wood Box 5 Hooker$99.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 4 watchers
Pflueger Brown Crackle Back 3 Hooker$99.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 6 watchers
Pflueger Strawberry Spot 3 Hooker$99.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 10 watchers
Antique Reel Lot Penn, Mitchell, Pflueger, Ambassaduer $76.00 Ends in 14 hours 11 bids 18 watchers
Vintage Fishing Lure Pflueger Kent Frog Mint With Box$59.50 Ends in 17 hours 14 bids 42 watchers
Group Of 9 Wooden Pflueger Lures$57.67 Ends Sunday 12 bids 32 watchers
Lot Of 8 Vintage Fishing Reels 7 Pflueger 1 Jc Higgins$45.00 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 8 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Akron 1895 Free Spool Casting Reel!! $44.80 Ends in 12 hours 12 bids 8 watchers
Early Pflueger Medalist 1492 Fly Reel In Original Box$41.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 22 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Jtd Pal O Mine Fishing Lure Glass Eyes$40.00 Ends Monday 5 bids 11 watchers
Scramble-finish Pflueger Pal-o-mine Rare In Great Shape$38.77 Ends in 21 hours 6 bids 15 watchers
Pflueger 80 Brass Fly Reel For Bamboo Fly Rod !!!!$37.00 Ends in 11 hours 3 bids 20 watchers
Awesome Frog Back Pflueger Bulldog Globe Vint Lure D4$36.00 Ends in 22 hours 9 bids 11 watchers
Vintage Old Pflueger Reel 1953in Box/inst.looks Unused $36.00 Ends in 22 hours 9 bids 13 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Summit 1995 Baitcasting Reel With Box$36.00 Ends in 15 hours 5 bids 14 watchers
Pflueger Summit Baitcast Reel Pflsummitlp Rh 10 Bb$32.51 Ends Thursday 2 bids 5 watchers
Pflueger Palomine Wood Lure Glass Eyes Rare Color Nice!$31.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 26 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Summit No. 1993l Fish Reel / Box $30.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 3 watchers
Vintage Old Pflueger "redifor" Nlw Reel Ohio 1923 Exc$29.90 Ends Sunday 1 bid 38 watchers
Fishing Reel Gem Patents 1923 To 1931 Pflueger Supreme$26.99 Ends Sunday 4 bids 3 watchers
5 Vintage Pflueger Reels, 2 Fly, 3 Casting$26.57 Ends Sunday 9 bids 16 watchers
Pflueger Summit Baitcast Reel Pflsummitlp Rh 10 Bb$26.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Pelican Spinning Reel In Original Box$25.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 11 watchers
Pflueger Redifor Jeweled Reel Vintage$23.44 Ends Monday 5 bids 24 watchers
Vint Pflueger Fishing Reel Lot 1993l 1963 1933 1943 +$22.49 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 4 watchers
Vintage 1931-34 Jeweled Pflueger Summit Casting Reel!!$22.05 Ends in 11 hours 5 bids 12 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Wood Neverfail Minnow Fishing Lure$21.57 Ends in 18 hours 6 bids 26 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Brass Plated Akron Reel$21.50 Ends Sunday 6 bids 10 watchers
15 Vintage Wood Lures Creek Chub, Pflueger South Bend..$21.09 Ends Sunday 6 bids 18 watchers
22 Vintage Heddon Pflueger Penn Cast Spin Fishing Reels$20.51 Ends in 16 hours 7 bids 22 watchers
Vintage Pflueger 511 Supreme Baitcasting Fish Reel Good$20.50 Ends in 23 hours 8 bids 8 watchers
Vintage 1930 Pflueger Summit Casting Reel Amber Handles$20.50 Ends in 11 hours 2 bids 22 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Summit 1993l Fishing Reel In Box$20.50 Ends Sunday 5 bids 15 watchers
Pflueger Pelican No.1020 Spinning Reel$20.49 Ends Sunday 3 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Medalist 1498 Fly Fishing Reel W/ Box$19.49 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 27 watchers
Vintage Pflueger 1494 Da Fly Reel$18.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 1 watcher
Vintage Pflueger Nobby-level Wind In Orignial Box$18.50 Ends in 22 hours 2 bids 1 watcher
5 Nice Old Reels Pflueger Bronson Sport King$18.00 Ends Saturday 2 bids 2 watchers
Vintage Fishing Lure Pflueger 3 Hook Minnow Glass Eyes$17.28 Ends Thursday 3 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Rocket No. 1355 Casting Reel/instruct$16.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 2 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Akron Reel Ib, Papers$15.50 Ends Sunday 8 bids 3 watchers
Old & Early Pflueger Bond Reel Nopatent W/leather Drag $15.50 Ends in 19 hours 3 bids 5 watchers
Pflueger Buckeye Nlw Reel$15.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 9 watchers
As Found 2 Vint.pflueger Palomine Lures &kingfisher Box$15.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 10 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Trump Fishing Reel With Box~mint$12.50 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 1 watcher
Pflueger Supreme Fishing Reel In Box$12.49 Ends Sunday 4 bids 10 watchers
Heddon Gamefisher,flaptail,stingaree Pflueger Lures$12.49 Ends Monday 2 bids 8 watchers
2 Unknown & 1 Pflueger Rocket No.1375 Fishing Reels$12.07 Ends in 16 hours 2 bids 2 watchers
Rare Pflueger Fishing Lure Pocket Catalog 1938$12.00 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
Vintage Pflueger Medalist 1495 Fly Fishing Reel W/ Box$11.50 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 19 watchers

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