These reels were made after WWII by the Langley Corporation in California. Langley was a part of the war airplane industry, and had lots of aluminum knowledge and craftsmanship. When the war ended they turned to manufacturing fishing reels, and brought some new design and thinking to the industry. Here's a pair that I believe to be their most interesting.
Note the ported narrow spools. The reel on the left has no level wind, but is a free spool reel. You disengage the spool by pulling the handle outward, which was not a very efficient system, but one that had been used for many years. This model, the Langley Target, was meant mainly to be used in tournament casting competition. The reel on the right, the Langley Lurecast has a level wind. Neither reel had a drag system, so you fought the fish by reeling backward. They weigh in at 3.9 and 5.4 ounces respectively. Yes, I did mean 3.9 oz. for the Target. Equal that one Daiwa and Shimano. Anyone interested in trying a reel like your grandad, or father, or this old geezer might have used can find these on eBay. The Lurecast usually sells for $10-20 and is still a great fishing reel.
