Virginia Reel Co. "Virginia Reel" with Original Box & Manual Madison Wisconsin Circa-1946

Vintage “Virginia” rubber band fly fishing reel Madison Wisconsin 1946. A complete NEW combination of a interesting reel rarely seen that functions perfectly. This reel was described in a 1946 edition of Popular Mechanics as the “Rubber Band Reel”. The unique design employed rubber bands to retrieve the fly fishing line once it had been pulled off the internal reel while fishing.. Basically, as the line is pulled out of the drum, the rubber bands twist to provide energy to retrieve the line when the brake is released. A interesting historical note is found in the directions accompanying the reel that explains to the consumer that because of the government restrictions on rubber procurement as a result of the war effort (WWII), the substitute rubber bands are not as good as the manufacturer would like, but should suffice in the short term. This new type reel is said to eliminate cleaning and repair problems encountered with the conventional reel.