Reel Olde School
The upper deck of the boat show holds a bevy of goodies, but to really get your hands on a piece of fishing history make sure to stop by Ye Olde English Fly Shop. A purveyor of antique rods, reels, and even tackleboxes from centuries past, Brian Barnes acquires his marine treasures from auctions in his native London.
© Andrea Barrack / RumBum.comreel"I just love this stuff," he gushes about an 1840s clamp wheel the way Steve Irwin would an alligator he's about to wrestle. "Look at this. They used to call it a winch, see?" he says as he flips to a page in a book of 19th century fishing gear. "Brass collar winch" explains the book. One minute with Barnes and you can tell you're talking to an expert.
Next, he may show you the difference between "olde" trout pole versus a salmon one. The trout measures about three feet, is thick and sturdy while the salmon is thin, flexible, and measures – get this – about 16 feet! He demonstrated stacking and securing each of the four 4' poles with the enthusiasm of a youngster taking his action figure to show and tell.
The cool factor here goes beyond Barnes' exhuberance. You're truly holding a piece of marine history from fishing forefathers. "So people really fished with these pieces?" I asked of the well-preserved pieces. "Yeah I'm guessing they looked a lot like those guys," he said pointing to a banner printed with a scene of powder-wig wearing well-to-dos who just got back from a day on the water. The photo shows them chatting, but I'm guessing they're battling out who had the biggest catch. Some things never change.
To hear more about Barnes' expertise about horsehair lines or Malloch sidecasters, or to pick up your own piece of history, go to his Ye Olde English Fly Shop in Marathon Key.
- ◀ Offshore
-
- Share This
-
