This section of the website covers all types of reels produced by the Bronson Reel Company of Bronson, Michigan, from 1921 to about 1972, first published by the late Robert Ellis on August 23, 2011. ORCA’s intent is to continue making this the most comprehensive site ever devoted to Bronson reels. It’s available to Bronson collectors, researchers, buyers, sellers or anyone who has even a passing interest in Bronson reels, as the go-to source of information.
Be sure to click on photos to see the full images or enlargements.
We enlist the help of the public to obtain any information that we don’t currently have here, whether it be a recently discovered Bronson-made reel, or box or even some historical information. If you think you have anything we can use for the site, don’t hesitate to contact ORCA. We’re always happy to credit your name to anything we use.
If you are not sure that your reel was made by Bronson, click on the link How Can I Tell My Reel Was Made by Bronson?
Some of you may know that the Bronson Reel Co. was one of the largest reel makers of their time. Their slogan for years was “Reels Sell By The Thousands”. They made hundreds of different model reels, many of them “trade” reels. These were often identical in every respect to one of their regular models, but re-branded with a different model name for a particular retailer or wholesaler. They were produced for the large catalog stores like Sears and Wards, right down to local tackle shops and hardware stores across the country.
Use the navigation links below or on the sidebar to find out about different types of reels and other info:
- Bronson Production Reels – Page 1 – Aetna to Green Hornet
- Bronson Production Reels – Page 2 – Invader to Wolverine
- Bronson Trade Reel Models – Page 1 – A&I Broadway – Bronson Greyhound
- Bronson Trade Reel Models – Page 2 – Hawthorne – Montague Favorite
- Bronson Trade Reel Models – Page 3 – Montague Flipline to Rocket
- Bronson Trade Reel Models – Page 4 – Simmons to Xpert
- Bronson Reels Made for Sears
- Bronson Fly Reels
- Bronson Open Faced Reels
- Bronson Closed Faced Reels
- Bronson Salt Water Reels
- Bronson Salt Water Trade Reels
- Bronson Owned Meisselbach-Catucci Mfg. Co. Reels
- Bronson / J.A. Coxe Reels Freshwater Reels
- Bronson / J.A. Coxe Reels Salt Water Reels
- Bronson History
- Boxes & Literature
- How Can I Tell If My Reel Was Made by Bronson
- Bronson Reel Patent Search Tool
Pictures and information are being compiled from near and far to create this site. Robert Ellis was an active member of ORCA (Old Reel Collectors Association) and of the NFLCC and enjoyed his hobby greatly. We want to thank all who have contributed to help start his site.
We are aware of every “regular” model reel produced by Bronson, but many Bronson trade reels are still being discovered and we are constantly looking for new models to catalog and add to the site. We are very sure we will never see all of the reels that Bronson made. But with your help, maybe we can discover more, so we can all enjoy them.
Editor: Mark Bumgarner – Previous Editors : Robert Ellis, Mark Williams
Webmaster: Matt Wickham – Previous Webmasters : Ed Bronson, Matt Lollman, Paul Manuel
Special thanks to: ORCA, Daryl Rodenberger, Rick Heitman, Len Sawisch, Bill Sonnett, Richard Thomann, Don Champion, Mark Williams, John Elder, Phil White, Dick Braun, Brian Purrone, Wayne Benson, Karl and Beverly White, Scott Truex, Jim Garrett, Skip Brooks, Kenzo Bronson and John and Debbie Ganung from Lang’s Auctions for help and information.