This c. 1908 salmon reel was made by Leonard Atwood of Farmington Falls, Maine. The fly fishing/trolling reel weighs nearly 18 oz. and features brown composition side plates with nickel-silver rims and fittings, counterbalanced handle, on-off click, and an adjustable drag. It is marked “The Atwood Patent” on the front and back. Engraved on front is “Wm P. Frye” after its owner, Maine Senator William P. Frye (1831-1911). Frye was known as an avid trout and salmon fisherman who summered and fished on a small island in the Rangeley Lakes opposite Indian Rock.
The American Museum of Fly Fishing Collection
Donated by Wray C. Conro
