Misplaced Pages

George W. Snyder (c.1780 –  February 10, 1841) was an American watchmaker, silversmith and inventor from Paris, Kentucky. He is credited with inventing the first American-made fishing reel in 1820.

Kentucky Reel

Snyder was born in the same county as Daniel Boone — Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In about 1803 he went to Paris, Kentucky (then called Hopewell), and died there on February 10, 1841, aged 60 years old. He was a skillful watchmaker and silversmith; being a good practical angler, and seeing the necessity for a rapid multiplying reel for black bass fishing with the live minnow, he proceeded to invent one. Snyder's first reel was made for his own use, about 1810. He afterward made reels for members of his club, and others.

Snyder's reel was a trolling reel designed for fly fishing, named the Kentucky Reel. Without patent or trademark protection, the Kentucky Reel was quickly copied by many others, including Meek, Milam, Sage, Hardman and Gayle. These artisans were trained in jewelry fabrication and were experienced in cutting gears, constructing small parts, and doing precision work. In time, the Kentucky Reel was mass-produced by the emerging factories located in the Northeast, where they could be produced at a fraction of the cost and time required for hand-built construction. The availability of more affordable fly reels greatly stimulated the sales and popularity of fly fishing equipment, and was soon applied to bait casting reels, resulting in a surge in the popularity of fishing as a pastime among all levels of American society.

New York Reel

During the middle of the 19th century, another fly reel was invented in New York City. The "New York Reel" was usually made out of brass or nickel silver, and it was much heavier than the Kentucky Reel. It had a serpentine crank or a "ball-handle".

See also

• Fishing reel

References

1. Henshall. James A., "Evolution of the 'Kentucky Reel'"
2. Land, Bill. ORCA, "Reel History". Accessed December 6, 2011. Archived 2015-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
3. Kerr, Charles. "Learning How to Fish". Accessed December 6, 2011. .

v t e Fishing equipment and methods
Fishing tackle Fish hook Circle hook Gaff Hookset Sniggle Fishing line Braided Knots Monofilament Multifilament Power pro Swivel Fishing sinker Arlesey Bomb Bombarda Downrigger Sandsinker Fishing rod Bamboo fly rod Fishing reel Fishing rod tapers Fly rod building Fishing bait Bait fish Boilies Chum Clonk Groundbait Vermicompost Worm charming Plastic bait Deadsticking Plastic worm Fishing lures Artificial fly Heddon Little Cleo Mormyshka Original Floater Plug Sabiki Spinnerbait Spoon lure Spoonplug Surface lure Swimbait Topwater lure Zara Spook Bite indicators Fishing float Pellet waggler Shortfloating Quiver tip Fishing rig Carolina rig Chod rig Drop shot rig Hair rig Texas rig Apparel Creel Diving mask Hip boot Personal flotation device Snorkel Waders Wetsuit Other Fish stringer Tackle box
Fishing techniques Gathering Abalone Ama divers Clam digging Flounder tramping Gathering seafood by hand Noodling Pearl hunting Scallop aquaculture Trout binning Trout tickling Spears Bowfishing Gigging Harpoon Hawaiian sling Polespear Spearfishing Speargun Trident Fishing lines Angling Dropline Drum lines Handline fishing Jiggerpole Jigging Jug fishing Longline fishing Spin fishing Tip-up Trolling Trotline Fishing nets Cast net Cheena vala Drift net Ghost nets Gill net Glass floats Haaf net Hand net Ice jigger Lampara net Lampuki net Lave net Lift net Salambaw Seine net Surrounding net Tangle net Trawl net Turtle excluder device Fish traps Almadraba Barrier net Corf Crab trap Double-Heart of Stacked Stones Eel buck Fish corral Fish nest Fish wheel Fishing basket Fishing weir Lobster trap Putcher fishing Trabucco Other Basnig Blast fishing Cormorant fishing Cyanide fishing Dredging Electrofishing Electric pulse fishing Fish aggregating device Fish toxins Fishfinder Fishing light attractor Flossing Ice fishing Kite fishing Muro-ami Otter fishing Pa-aling Payaos Shrimp baiting Snagging

• Fishing equipment
• 19th-century American businesspeople
• Businesspeople from Kentucky
• People from Paris, Kentucky
• 1780s births
• 1841 deaths