Some fiction converted to fact at the Orvis American Museum of Fly Fishing ? Did Lefty tell fish stories?
https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/muse ... first-reelIt is supposed to be Kreh's first reel, but the story of Brooks and trout fishing probably wouldn't have used a 1498, as I recall when I saw Pflueger reels in magazines being used in salt it was always the grownup model 1498, but that was post 1953. So were Medalists use din the salt in earlier years? which model would have enough capacity, the 1495 1/2 or 1496 1/2? 3-400'?
The rectangular line guard was a 1950 change according to the histories I've read, so the reel pictured in the Musuem would not have been available in 1947 when Brooks took Kreh shopping, his first reel must have had the "chain link" line guard if the online history is correct.
It also appears in the Orvis photo that the modified reel has a non-perforated spool, which certainly would work better for the finger brake, but I have pictured how this would work, which ever way the reel is handed, the back plate is on the rod hand side, so you hold the rod with thumb and one finger while using the middle finger to ride the spool or you reach around with the line hand in which case my thumb or palm would be blocking the spool handle. whack whack whack- I'd have to see one of these in use before I take the story at face value, it must have started as a spoof.