Commemorative Tackle

We are thrilled to share our second annual commemorative tackle project: a Thaddeus Norris rod.

This is a rare opportunity to own a rod built to 1860s specifications that offers the pleasure and performance of casting a modern fly rod.

After the successful launch of AMFF’s commemorative tackle series that featured a circa 1850s Morgan James fly reel, built by J.M. Becker Rod Works, curator Jim Schottenham realized the follow-up piece needed to match the historical importance of that early side-mounted reel. For the 2026 installment of the program, he’s selected to commemorate a rod built by the “Father of American Angling”, Thaddeus Norris.

Once described by Arnold Gingrich as “the American Walton,” Thaddeus Norris (1811-1877) is considered one of the founding fathers of American fly fishing. While Norris was familiar with and clearly respected the traditions and techniques of his English forebears, he was not afraid to bend, break, or alter the dictates of conventional wisdom in his search for the most effective ways to fish on this side of the Atlantic. He advocated using a lighter, one-handed rod over the stout two-handers commonly used in the British Isles, was one of the first to design flies and tackle specifically for American waters, questioned the need for strict imitation, and even argued for returning caught fish to the stream decades before the phrase “catch and release” even entered the vocabulary. In addition, Norris was one of America’s earliest rod makers, contributing to the development of the split-bamboo rod.

The museum worked with master rod maker Jeffrey Hatton to produce a limited number of commemorative Norris rods, using many of the methods and tapers Norris described in his 1864 work, titled The American Angler’s Book.

Mr. Hatton has had the distinction of handling the majority of known original Norris rods and understands the significance of this project. Tasked with creating a rod that honors the traditions of 1860s rod building while offering the castability of a modern fly rod, he has produced a design that we feel captures the best of both worlds.

Production is extremely limited, with just eight rods being made. One will become part of the museum’s permanent collection, five will be offered through our 2026 Limited Life Membership packages, and one will be available through our museum raffle.

We knew AMFF’s first reproduction reel needed to be special, so our curator Jim Schottenham and production partners at J.H. Becker Rod Works didn’t hold back with this incredible recreation of a c. 1850s Morgan James Reel. We only produced 12 reels, and the first one went straight into the museum’s permanent collection.

Why this reel:

Morgan James, like many other early American reel makers, was a notable gunsmith from the Adirondacks region of New York State. While AMFF doesn’t currently have a Morgan James reel in our collection, we were able to model this reproduction reel after one of his original “Pillbox” style reels loaned to us by a collector.

Beyond the sheer rarity of reels made by Morgan James (there are only 3 or 4 known to still exist), the reels from this era are also vitally important from a historical perspective as many of the fundamental innovations from that time period can still be found in reels produced today. One aspect of the reels from this era that didn’t survive much past 1900 was the way they were mounted to the rod. Instead of the reel being mounted vertically below the rod, this reel was a “side-mount” reel, with its foot parallel to the spool face. We modified the foot of this reel to better accommodate modern rods, but you still need to use it in its intended orientation on the side of the rod, like the original.

Full specs:

Curly black cherry reel body
Aluminum spool and back plates
Stainless steel spindle and oil-infused bushings
Simple “silent” drag system using preset spring washer
Nickel silver line guard
Handle turned from imitation ivory
AMFF medallion in cast silver acting as a counterbalance
Premium brass and/or stainless steel fasteners
Overall dimensions: ³⁄₄” by 2⁵⁄₈”
Spool width: ³⁄₈”