On display is Gar Wood Jr.’s prototype machined aluminum saltwater reel. The finished model is presented to friend and skilled angler Charlie Dunn in 1961. The Fin Nor Company, which Charlie had just purchased, contracts to build four sizes of this classic “Wedding Cake” style reel, produced between 1967 and 1976. According to historian Ed Pritchard, the #4 size reel- the same diameter as the #3 but with a wider spool-utilized the same spindle. Under pressure from big fish the spindle bent causing it to hit the frame, stalling and breaking leader or line. The #4 was discontinued after 28 units. The #3 reel, however, became a go-to tarpon reel and the standard for future big-game reels that took abuse from fish and resisted corrosion.
