Other anglers must think it odd that I still use the old Pflueger Medalist reels. What can I say? I like how they feel and work. I like the feel of the rod when there’s a little more weight at the bottom, the way I prefer older knives with thick handles when I’m preparing a meal, though I find it hard to say why. Maybe my hands have developed muscle memory for fly casting and slicing onions, and the brain connected to the hands expects a certain weight to be there. I have other reels made from much lighter metals and I used them exclusively for several years. Now I’ve reverted to the Pflueger family again. The Medalist is the reel I learned with. It’s the one the late master Lefty Kreh learned with. It has a classic look and reminds me of fly fishing traditions, all the anglers who came before me and some absent fishing friends. I think of them every time I fish.
Published by Dan Rodricks
Dan Rodricks is a long-time columnist for The Baltimore Sun, winner of numerous national and regional journalism awards, a radio and TV personality, podcaster and fly angler. His narrative memoir, "Father's Day Creek," was published in May 2019 by Apprentice House at Loyola University Maryland. View all posts by Dan Rodricks
Dan Rodricks 