The Fishing Reels of Augustus D. Hendrick

    Augustus D. Hendrick manufactured fishing reels in southern Connecticut from 1884 to 1901. He and his brother, George W. Hendrick, opened Whiting & Hendrick Brothers in 1884 in New Haven, as partners of Henry B. Whiting, an established rod maker. When Whiting left the firm about a year later, it was renamed Hendrick Brothers. "A.D. Hendrick, Manufacturer of Fishing Reels and Guides," carried on alone after George left by 1887. A local businessman, Isaac J. Boothe, acquired the business and moved it to Birmingham by 1890, renaming it Star Reel Works. Hendrick remained an employee there until it was sold around 1898 and moved to Waterbury. He continued to work for his new employers until his death in 1901.
    Hendrick specialized in reels made for the mass market, and his products competed with those of Andrew B. Hendryx, the better-known tackle manufacturer in New Haven. His single patented reel even lacked a spool. Its one moving part was a just a rod (arbor) on which the line was wound. Nevertheless, his reels were featured in the catalogs of such giants as Sears, Roebuck Co. and Montgomery Ward & Co.
    More information on Hendrick and his associates is available here.

The following pages show the styles of fishing reels Hendrick made at different stages in his reelmaking career.