Fin-Nor is listed at number 5 on IFGA’s list of the top 10 fly fishing reel brands utilized by the 2007 record holders in the Word Record Game Fishes book. The Fin-Nor brand was established in 1933 by Alfred Glassell Jr. and Tommy Gifford. They designed their premier big game reel in a machine shop located in Miami, Florida. The reel weighed 35 pounds and was so big that it could fit in a large water bucket. Fin-Nor did not gain popularity until Captain Tommy Gifford used his reel to catch a Bluefin Tuna that weighed 527 pounds.
The brand earned even more attention when Alfred Glassell Jr. caught a 1560-pound Black Marlin in Peru in 1953. This catch still holds the record for the largest Black Marlin ever caught.
[phpbay]fin nor, 6, 23818, “”[/phpbay]
Fin-Nor tackle has set over 380 world records that are listed with the IGFA. In the early 1950s Gar Wood Jr. fashioned the first Fin-Nor saltwater fly reel which was called the “wedding cake†reel. Fin-Nor fly fishing reels were designed to endure the hardships of catching large saltwater fish such as tarpon.
Today, the company is under new ownership of the W.C. Bradley Corporation. They also own other well-know fishing brands such as Quantum PT and Van Staal. They are successfully continuing the legacy of fine crafted high-quality products that Fin-Nor has been known for since the early 1930s.