Pflueger Nobby overview

The Pflueger Nobby, introduced in 1935, is a sporty‑ to heavy‑duty baitcasting reel, rated in its box insert for 12 to 30 lb. monofilament. That range overlaps the “sporty” and “heavy‑duty” baitcasting classes in Shakespeare’s Secrets of Successful Fishing, so the reel spans a notably wide section of the balanced‑tackle spectrum. This means it is suitable to use for fish ranging from bass to muskies. The Pflueger catalog (1955) states the Nobby is "An especially lightweight bait-casting reel - designed primarily for casting lighter lures, yet rugged enough to withstand anything that may be required of a fresh water reel."

These mid-priced, mid-century American baitcasters are still fine reels to take out on the water today - the design is very simple, strong, and easy to service. This is not to say that reel technology has not advanced in the years since the Nobby was state-of-the-art, but combined with the right balanced tackle, this reel casts smoothly and has a very nostalgic, mechanical feel. This is a reel that will appeal to anglers who are either skilled baitcasters, or are willing to develop their skill in thumb control of the spool - not a difficult art, but one that requires some practice.

Pflueger made several different models of the Nobby over its production years from 1935 to 1971. The reel shown in this overview is model No. 1963 - which, a bit confusingly, has nothing to do with production years. Details on models, history, variations, features and controls, and specifications are provided in the following sections.

Videos

Watch the Pflueger Nobby model No. 1963 overview on YouTube:

The service videos show you how to disassemble, clean, lubricate, and reassemble this reel. These are companion videos for the illustrated, step-by-step service guide.

Service videos coming soon.

History and models

Introduced in the mid‑1930s, the Nobby sat in the middle of Pflueger’s baitcasting lineup: more robust than the lower-priced reels in the family, which used some nylon gears rather than brass, but less engineered than the top-end Supreme.

"Nobby" seems an odd name for a fishing reel. Looking at the dictionary definition helps explain what Pflueger was aiming for when they named this reel:

nob’by, a.; comp. nobbier; superl. nobbiest. 1. of or for nobs; stylish; fashionable. [Slang] 2. excellent; first-rate. [Slang]

By 1955 the Nobby, retailing at $12.50, was positioned in Pflueger's freshwater baitcasting lineup well below the more aristocratic Supreme ($35.00) and Summit $14.75) reels. It was on the same level as the Skilkast (featuring the "mechanical thumber"), and a bit above the Akron ($11.00), Trump, and Trusty reels - these last two retailing for $6.60 and $5.50, respectively.

Over the next few decades it evolved through several models, reflecting both changing materials and changing ideas about what a stylish, mid‑priced American baitcaster should look like.

1930s: Pflueger copyrighted the name in 1935 and in that year began production of the model shown in this overview, model No. 1963. Initial production featured a blue anodized aluminum finish, examples of which are rare today, apparently because the early anodization process was not very durable. In 1936 the satin aluminum (sometimes referred to as "nickalum") finish was introduced, and the grease disc was added to facilitate easy maintenance.

1940s: In 1941 the cork arbor replaced the original aluminum arbor (the spool was still aluminum). 1948 saw the handle color change from the original marble to tan.

1950s: In 1954 model No. 1963C was introduced, with satin chromium finish and white plastic handles. 1957 saw the original No. 1963 replaced by the No. 1960 Deluxe, sporting a maroon finish and tan handles. The Deluxe Nobby was designed with a number of features for tournament casting, including hollowed-out gears. In 1958 a snap-on plastic arbor was offered, which meant anglers could use less backing line and still fill the spool for easier casting.

1960s - 70s: The red-finished model No. 1965 was introduced in 1964 featuring push-button free spool and star drag. By 1967 the No. 1960 Deluxe had been discontinued. Production of all Nobby models ended in 1971 as more technically advanced reels edged these older type reels out of a very competitive market.

The following table summarizes the various models, variations, and production timeline:

Model	Production years	Colors	Features
No. 1963	1935 - 1957	blue / satin aluminum cream marbled handles	level wind grease disc
No. 1963C	1954 - 1971	satin chromium white handles	-
No. 1960 Deluxe	1957 - 1960	maroon tan handles	hollow gears nylon bearings cork arbor
No. 1965 Free Spool	1964 - 1971	red gray marbled handles	push-button free spool star drag

Pflueger Nobby models provides vintage catalog images of all the various models.

Dating the example reel

The model No. 1963 was produced from 1935 - 1957 and the satin aluminum finish was introduced after 1936. Cork arbors were introduced after 1941 and the cream marbled handles indicate a pre-1948 vintage, so this reel was likely made between 1941 and 1948. This means the reel shown in this overview is (as of writing July 2026) about 78 to 85 years old, and after servicing, still works perfectly.

Logo, colors, and finishes

The Nobby sported a simple but stylish script logo, inscribed into the cap along with the model number.

The various models and years of production saw the Nobby offered in a variety of colors and finishes. The representative example reel featured in this overview sports the satin "nickalum" finish, in production after 1936, and the cream marbled crank handles, used prior to 1948.

The History and models section provides a compact tabular summary of all the various colors across all models and years.

Features and controls

Anti-backlash / ABL: The Nobby features an interesting "infinite" anti-backlash control button. By rotating the button in the direction of the arrow (clockwise) the user gradually increases the tension on the spool. Less tension means greater casting distance because the spool can spin more freely, but also increases possibility of backlash - depending on the skill of the angler!

In practical terms, 3 or 4 partial turns gets to the "click" point when tension resets to zero. So when beginning a casting session the angler may want a little more tension to help prevent backlashes while getting warmed up - 3 partial turns, a few casts, then all the way to zero, 2 partial turns, and so on, until the sweet spot for casting is found.

Grease disc: Pfleuger recommends greasing the reel's gears regularly (a good practice for any reel, but perhaps even more important for these mid-century baitcasters), and this reel sports a fairly innovative feature - by sliding the grease disc to one side a small hole is exposed, which allows the angler to grease the gears without disassembling the reel. The box insert states that "It should not be necessary to take this reel apart for cleaning oftener than once or twice a season . . ."

Level wind: The level wind mechanism uses a very small pawl that rides back and forth across the shaft during retrieve. Since this small, easily damaged or lost part is essential to the functioning of the level wind, Pfleuger engineered a very small receptacle in the side of the reel which holds an extra pawl.

Clicker: The click mechanism is thrown on or off by sliding the click button located on the back plate. This is intended to (1) sound a warning when a strike occurs, or (2) keep the line tight on the spool when the reel is not in use.

Specifications and materials

Weight: 5 3/4 oz.

Pillars: 1 7/8"

Plates: 2"

Gear ratio: 4:1

Line capacity:

Line type / lb. test	yds.
monofilament
12	175
15	110
20	85
25	65
30	-
braided line
9	290
12	210
15	145
18	110
24	90
30	60
35	-

The Nobby is made mostly of aluminum alloy, sometimes referred to in company documentation as "nickalum." The trim is made of another company-original material, "diamolite." The bearing blocks, bushings, and bearings - all parts subject to heavy wear - are made of phosphor bronze.

The thread shaft - the main component of the level-wind mechanism - is made of what Pflueger literature refers to as "diamalloy," reputed to be rustproof. The pawl, a very small part that rides back and forth across the thread shaft, is made of steel alloy. This combination of materials makes the reel very durable and rust-resistant, but still recommended only for freshwater use. This reel is extremely light for its duty rating.

The three internal gears are made of brass, which makes them very durable, hard, and long-wearing.

The oil cups on the front and back plates, in which the steel pivots of the spool rotate, are inset with what the box insert calls "scarlet jewels," which are actually made of agate. In any case, they seem very long-wearing.

The arbors were made of aluminum until 1941, when they began to be made of cork, which was supposed to make for easier casting, and to allow anglers to cast greater distances. The reel shown in this overview has the cork arbor. Some later models also had plastic arbors.

Balanced tackle outfits

Combined with the right rod, line, and lures, this reel casts smoothly and has a very nostalgic, mechanical feel. The Pflueger catalog (1955) states the Nobby is "Ideally suited to longer, lighter-action rods and 3/8 to 1/2 oz. lures."

Rod	Line lb. test	Lures oz.
5'8", 6' light	12	3/8 - best, 1/4 & 1/2 - good
5'2", 5'8" light or medium	15	1/2 - best, 3/8 & 5/8 - good
5'2", 5'8" medium	20	5/6 - best, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 - good
4'6", 5'2" heavy	25	3/4 and up

These ratings are derived from both manufacturer documentation and the balanced tackle tables in Henry Shakespeare’s Secrets of Successful Fishing. For details on this method see Duty ratings.

References

• Miller, "The Pflueger Nobby – A Few Surprises"
• Shakespeare, Secrets of Successful Fishing (1962)
• The Enterprise Manufacturing Co. Fishing with Pflueger (1955 catalog)
• ibid. Pflueger Fishing Tackle (1964 catalog)
• ibid. Pflueger Free Spool Nobby (manual)
• ibid. Pflueger Trade Catalog 95 (1937)
• The Pfluegers. Pflueger Nobby Level Wind Fishing Reel (box insert)
• Webster's New Twentieth Century Dicitonary

For full source details, see References.