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MacDonald, Norm - 3 5/8" Disc Drag Fly Reel
$ 1,000$ 1,195
VFT4332
For sale here is a very scarce Norm MacDonald fly reel -- 3 5/8" diameter disc drag with an audible incoming click. A truly flawless handmade reel. The reel appears to have been fished very sparingly and remains in near mint condition with very minor cosmetic marks. Right hand retrieve only. The spool width is 0.80" and the reel weighs 9 1/4 oz. The drag tension is adjustable via the "Wedding Cake" type drag lever on the back of the reel. Very strong drag if needed. Saltwater capable. Palmable spool.
Norm MacDonald didn't make many reels and they are very rarely offered on the secondary market.
The below bio was copied from the now defunct Granville Island Sport Fishing Museum website......
Norm McDonald was a master machinist and an avid sport fisherman for most of his life. He fly fished mainly in Ontario and later in BC and the Northwest of the U.S.
Sometime in the 1950's, he decided to try his hand at improving upon the fly reels he had been using and proceeded to machine and assemble reels of his own design. He made a few reels for himself and gave a few as gifts to selected friends.
The regional Sales Manager for Orvis at the time was given a Norm McDonald fly reel by George Keough who was a noted fly fisherman, as well as being an Orvis Sales Representative, and a friend and fishing partner of Norm.
The reel came to the attention of Orvis President, Lee Perkins., who asked about the maker. Eventually, Lee Perkins found out the reel had been designed and made in Vancouver, Canada by Norm McDonald and Perkins tried without success to get McDonald to make reels for the Orvis company's special clients. It is a testament to Norm's skill that his reels are so highly prized.
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Shipping Information
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Other Terms
- Unless otherwise noted, all items come with a 3-day inspection period during which they can be returned to us for a full refund (provided that they are in the same condition in which they left our shop). Return shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. If an item is returned, we will issue a refund within 10 days upon receipt. Refunds will be either administered by providing a check or, when possible, by canceling a credit card purchase.