logo
logo
  • About
    • About Us
    • Visit Us
    • Ways to Give
    • Ambassador Program
    • Award Recipients
    • Contact Us
    • Tackle Inquiry
  • Collections & Exhibitions
    • Our Collection
    • Current & Past Exhibitions
    • Online Collections
    • The Stream
  • Journal & Film
    • The American Fly Fisher
    • Traver Award
    • Film Projects
    • Fishing The Collection
    • Online Screening Room
    • Webinars
  • News & Events
  • Online Store
  • Membership
    • Member Portal
    • Become a Member
  • Sign Up
  • Search

G.W. Gayle & Son Fly Reel

If you lived in the 1930’s you could pick up this appropriately named Simplicity fly reel made by G.W. Gayle & Son (Frankfurt, Kentucky) for only fifty cents. The reel was made of nickel plated steel with a wood knob riveted to an unventilated spool face, with this particular one featuring black finish applied by its owner to replace worn plating.

The American Museum of Fly Fishing Collection
Donated by Frederick A. Sharf


Yearc. 1930Accession No.1986.028.009Made byG.W. Gayle & Son

You May Also Like

Meisselbach Gogebic Trout Reel

A. F. Meisselbach introduced the Amateur series of reels in 1886, retailing them through A. G. Spalding of New York and cataloging them as the…

Sun and Planet Reel

Peter Duncan Malloch (1853-1921) is Scotland’s best known reelmaker. His 1880 patent for the so-called Sun and Planet reel did much to enhance his…

Spike-Mount Reel

The spike-mount reel is a mysterious design of great age. Possibly Irish in origin, it continued to be made into the 1880s. Instead of the…

Ready For More?

If you love fly fishing as much as we do, you're going to love this.


PLAN A TRIP

Visit, fish, explore & more

VISIT

DROP A LINE

We are happy to hear from you

CONNECT

COME TO EVENTS

Check out the latest events

EVENTS
© 2026 American Museum Of Fly Fishing. All rights reserved