09/09/2026
Finding this specific reel on Vancouver Island, British Columbia adds an incredible twist to its history. It tells a classic story of British emigration and the deep historical ties between the UK and the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century.
Here is how my Victorian "trotting" reel likely made its way to Vancouver Island, and how it was used once it arrived:
The Pioneer Emigrantās Prize Possession
Between 1890 and 1905, Vancouver Island particularly the Cowichan Valley, Duncan, and Victoria experienced a massive influx of wealthy British settlers, retired military officers, and estate builders. These emigrants didn't just bring clothes; they brought their sporting lifestyles.
Because high quality fishing tackle wasn't widely manufactured in Western Canada at the time, English settlers brought their prized British rods and reels with them in heavy leather travel trunks. My reel was almost certainly packed in England around 1900 and transported across the Atlantic and Canada via the newly completed Canadian Pacific Railway to its new home on the island.
A Match Reel Meets the Wild West Coast
What makes my reel truly fascinating in a BC context is how its purpose shifted:
* In England: The narrow spool and free spinning build were meant for catching small 1 pound river fish like roach or chub.
* In British Columbia: There were no roach or chub. The owner would have found themselves facing legendary runs of Steelhead, Coho Salmon, and massive searun Cutthroat Trout in rivers like the Cowichan, Campbell, or Stamp Rivers.
An expert angler who brought this narrow-spool reel to Vancouver Island would have used it for "side casting" or primitive "float fishing" for trout and steelhead. The ultra smooth, fast spin that I have noticed would have been absolutely perfect for letting a lure drift naturally down a fast-flowing, pristine BC river.
I am going to fish this thing...It is the oldest rod and reel combo that I own in a centerpin configuration specifically set up for drift float fishing in a river. Do'in it!
