Otto Zwarg - St. Petersburg, FL
Otto Zwarg reels were made after he acquired the rights to the designs of the Edward vom Hofe reels in 1946 after Ocean City Mfg. Co. stopped making them. World War II brought about the end to a lot of the great fishing tackle companies including Edward vom Hofe. Otto Zwarg was the head reel maker at the vom Hofe company. He set up production for one year in Brooklyn, NY in 1946. He then moved the business to St. Petersburg, FL in 1947. The reels were made up until 1960, which was 3 years after Otto Zwarg's death in 1958. The reels came in three basic models - Model 300 Saguenay Single Action Fly/Salmon Reel, Model 400 Laurentian 2:1 Multiplying Fly/Salmon Reel and the Model 600 Maximo Salt Water Reel. The Maximo was named after Maximo Point in St. Petersburg, FL. This was a famed fishing spot since the first local settler Antinio Maximo established a "fish ranch" on the point in 1843. The Saguenay was named in honor of the celebrated salmon river in Quebec, Canada. The Laurentian was named for the lake in Ontario, Canada. The Saguenay, Laurentian and Maximo reels came in sizes 1/0 through 6/0. The Maximo also came in 9/0 and 12/0. Norm Pinardi has documented the Otto Zwarg Company and their reels in his book "Otto Zwarg, The Man and His Custom Made Reels."
Dating the year of manufacture of Zwarg reels is easy. The first year of production was 1946 and the serial number begins with the Prefix letter A. The first reels made in St. Petersburg was in 1947 and the serial number prefix is B. This sequence continues up until the last year of production in 1960 and have the prefix letter O. All Zwarg reels are collectable and the ones marked Brooklyn are the most scarce. Otto Zwarg reels are considered one of the great early reels made in the USA.
The OTTO ZWARG Reels and Catalog
OTTO ZWARG Fly Reels and Salmon Reels
OTTO ZWARG Model 300 and 400 Reels
The OTTO ZWARG Size 6/0 Size Model 600 Reel, 1948
The OTTO ZWARG Model 600 Maximo Reel - St. Petersburg, FL, circa 1950
The OTTO ZWARG Model 600 Maximo Reel - St. Petersburg, FL, circa 1950
The OTTO ZWARG Model 400 Laurentian Multiplying Reel - Brooklyn, NY, circa 1947
The OTTO ZWARG 1-0 Model 400 Laurentian Multiplying Reel - St. Petersburg, FL, circa 1947
The OTTO ZWARG 1-0 Model 400 Laurentian Multiplying Reel - St. Petersburg, FL, circa 1947
The OTTO ZWARG 9-0 Model 600 Maximo Reel - St. Petersburg, FL, circa 1947
The OTTO ZWARG 3-0 Model 600 Maximo Reel - St. Petersburg, FL, circa 1948
The OTTO ZWARG Maximo Reel Parts
OTTO ZWARG 1949 Reel Price List
OTTO ZWARG Catalog Page
OTTO ZWARG 1948 Linen Line Price List
OTTO ZWARG Reels in the 1954 William Mills & Son Catalog
OTTO ZWARG Reels in the 1958 Abercrombie & Fitch Catalog