Clarence Gayle - Frankfort, KY
C. Gayle reels were made after Clarence took over the G.W. Gayle & Son company in Frankfort, KY when his father George’s died in 1896. Clarence continued to make the reels that he and his father had made up until the late 1940’s. His reels can be found in sizes ranging from small fly reels up to large big game reels. Clarence also made reels for the famous tackle companies VL&A of Chicago and William Mills & Son of NY. The William Mills & Son models were named "Intrinsic". "Intrinsic" bait casting reels came in the "Standard" and "Frankfort Reel" styles and had extra fancy knurling. They also made Tarpon and Salmon "Intrinsic" reels for William Mills & Son.
C. Gayle, the reel maker, started marking his reels “HAND MADE” in about 1930. The last reels were marked “HAND MADE” and the maker’s name “C. Gayle” in script. Clarence did make some reels using B.C. Milam & Sons parts that he had acquired when that company dissolved in 1928. Typically, these reels have Milam marked head plates with Gayle handles and Gayle style knurling. The last Gayle reel ad can be found in a 1946 issue of "Kentucky Happy Hunting Grounds" magazine. Gayle also made an inexpensive fly reel named the "Simplicity." It was made in several models and was mass produced. Clarence died in 1948.
Early Gayle History - George W. Gayle was a silversmith and watchmaker by trade. The 1850 Frankfort, KY US Census shows George did work for Benjamin F. Meek as an apprentice. George went into partnership with his son in 1883 and that is when they made their first reels. The first reel were solid brass. George and Clarence went to work for one of the major reel manufacturers in Brooklyn, NY in 1886 and 1887. When they returned to Frankfort in 1887, the first reels they made for sale were German silver with hard hard rubber end plates. Clarence Gayle was the main person involved in making the Gayle reels found today. His reels can be found made of solid German silver and of aluminum alloy. The "Standard" Gayle reel has a flanged head plate that looks like a man's top hat. The "Frankfort Reel" style Gayle reels are the most ornate and heavily knurled reels. They are of the highest quality. The reels can be found marked G.W. Gayle as well as Geo. W. Gayle. Clarence also made a reels for the famous tackle companies VL&A, Chicago and William Mills & Son, NY. The William Mills & Son models were named "Intrinsic". "Intrinsic" bait casting reels came in the "Standard" and "Frankfort Reel" styles and had extra fancy knurling. They also made Tarpon and Salmon "Intrinsic" reels for William Mills & Son. The Gayle fly reel is made of aluminum and is also sought after by collectors. George died in 1896.
A Pair of Reels by Clarence Gayle, circa 1937
1937 Field & Stream Magazine Ad
(Notice the similarity to the Clarence Gayle Reel above made with B. C. Milam parts)
Clarence Gayle Reels
Large Clarence Gayle Reel
Narrow-Spool Tournament Casting Clarence Gayle Reel
The GAYLE INTRINSIC Tarpon Reel
The GAYLE INTRINSIC Style HAND MADE Reel
The GAYLE INTRINSIC Tarpon Reel Click and Drag
The GAYLE INTRINSIC Salmon Reel
Variations in the "STANDARD" Gayle Reel
Variations in the "STANDARD" Gayle Reel
WILLIAM MILLS 1909 Catalog Image of The GAYLE "INTRINSIC" Tarpon Reel
The GAYLE Reels
The GAYLE "Standard" Style Reels
The GAYLE SIMPLICITY No. 6 Reel
1929 GAYLE SIMPLICITY Fly Reel Ad
The GAYLE Lure
The 1935 GAYLE Reel Catalog
The 1935 GAYLE Reel Catalog
1946 Geo. W. Gayle & Son Ads
1929 Clarence Gayle Flyer Sent to Customers
Link to ORCA Newsletter Article about Clarence Gayle
Link to Newspaper Article about Clarence Gayle
Link to 1946 Kentucky Sportsman Article
Link to 1946 Kentucky Happy Hunting Grounds Article
Link to "The Courier-Journal" Newspaper July 1, 1951 Article
Outing Magazine, "Evolution of the Kentucky Reel", by Dr. James A. Henshall, Dec. 1900
Forrest and Stream Magazine, "History of the Kentucky Reel", Interview with J. L. Sage, Jan. 1915
Forrest and Stream Magazine, "More About The Kentucky Reel", Dr. James A. Henshall, Feb. 1915
Field & Stream, "The Kentucky Reel", by Robert Lincoln Page, March, 1930
Field & Stream, "My Old Kentucky Reel", by A.J. McClane, January, 1953