Zwarg 400 Laurentian Salmon reel 3/0 Otto Zwarg

A superb Otto Zwarg Model 400 Laurentian salmon fly reel in 3/0 size. RHW. This reel is in spectacular original condition with clean rims and sideplates, and there is very little evidence of use. The screws show little sign of having been taken apart (maybe only a time or two) and the red lacquer indicator dots for the drag adjustment are also clean and bright. Full length and unmolested foot. 3 5/8″ diameter with a 1 7/16″ spool width. Weighs 12.2 ounces (just a bit above a comparably sized Bogdan model 150). “400”, “3/0” and the serial number “F44” are all stamped into the reel foot. 2:1 multiplier retrieve and a seven position drag adjuster. St. Petersburg model. As head of reel making for Vom Hofe, Zwarg worked with the world class fisherman who followed him when he was granted the right to make the Vom Hofe style reels under his own name. Despite what should be a popular and highly versatile size, I’ve come across relatively few of these 400’s in 3/0 size. Given the nice size of this model and the power of the Zwarg drag (which was beefier than Vom Hofes) this is a reel that makes the jump very nicely to modern fishing and should fish very well for someone looking to put a classic on their mid-sized spey setup. You certainly won’t find many in this kind of superb original condition. Comes in a non-original leather Edward Vom Hofe case which is slightly oversized and has a past owner’s initials scratched on top of the lid along with a modern labelmaker style label adhered to it (note that the latch on the front could use some TLC, while the latch on the back is broken).

This reel also comes from the collection of Dr. Earl Fleegler, a passionate angler a well-known collector in the fly fishing community as well as a renowned hand surgeon. Dr. Fleegler was close friends with a number of angling luminaries including Tom Maxwell, Vince Marinaro, and Stan Bogdan (among others) and devoted considerable effort to collecting some of the finest tackle available from masters of the craft.