My favorite fly reel.....old Pflueger Medalist 1495 1/2

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have had this reel for many years (50+) and have fished it all over the world.

Got it used 'way back when' from an old angler who used it a lot too.

It is probably a pre-WWII model with steel parts including a right hand steel drag disc.

No plastic parts on these really old Medalists.

Here is an old article I wrote about the Pflueger Medalist fly reels:

http://www.billkiene.com/fishing/pflueger-medalist-fly-reel/

This was the most popular fly reels of the Greatest Generation and even my generation, the Baby Boomers.

It has a really tight spool to frame fit as most of the really old Pflueger Medalist had.

I put a nickel silver Hardy/Sage 500 counter balance on it.

It has caught a lot of Bonefish at Christmas Island.

Lots of small Tarpon in Central America including one 40 pounder at Rio Chico in Venezuela.

I caught lots of Steelhead with it in dozens of nice rivers including the famous Dean River in BC.

Even caught Stripers on the Lower American River with it.

Used on lots of American Shad in Nor Cal rivers.

Caught lots of bass on it too, LMB and SMB....

I am using it today on an old Fenwick fiberglass 'FF85' fly rod that is 8'6" for a #7 line in 2 piece.

This is the only fly reel that I will never sell........

[JAWallace]

Bill your article has been very helpful to me over the past couple of years when buying Medalists. I think I have about 10 now, and they are just too cool. Not my choice for every application, but especially on a vintage glass rod they just fit well, and are next to bulletproof. I use them for bass and smaller trout that don't run much to avoid getting banged by that handle.

That round line guide on yours would make collectors drool.

[johnsquires]

My first reel. I remember using it on an Eagle Claw fiberglass pack fly rod on Thousand Island Lake around 1962. One of those amazing days that sticks in your memory forever. I wish I knew where that reel is now.

[Baja Fly Fisher]

I use to have a bunch of those. A great reel in it's heyday. I use to fish a 1495 1/2 for salmon on the Smith way back in the late 70's and most of the 80's. One weekend it blew up, yes blew up. I had just hooked into a bright 45lb salmon and fought it for quite a while. When I hooked it, it went to the middle of the hole and that's not where you want to sit there and sulk. They were all yelling to get the fish out of the hole and take it down river. Once I got over the fish, it took off and headed back to the open ocean. Back there we all use shooting heads and amnesia for running line. The fish would stretch the mono and as you wound it back on to the reel. it went on tight. Once the fish was landed and the Amnesia had a chance to settle, it started to contract back to normal size. My reel blew all three rivits on the outside of the spool, so when I picked up the rod and got ready to strip line off the reel, all the line come shooting out the side of the reel and into my pram, my day was done.
I was keeping the reel for keepsake but finally threw it away a few years ago. The good thing about the reel was not too many parts to break. I still have a Pfluger Supreme salt water reel some where around the house. Now that's a heavy reel