Category Archives: Antique Lure and Reel Ads

Antique Lure and Reel Ads

Wilson Six in One Wobbler Lure Ad FS 1916

Wilson Six in One Wobbler Lure Ad

Wilson Six in One Wobbler Lure Ad This Wilson Six in One Wobbler Lure Ad comes from a Field and Stream January 1916. The article title the Plugger’s of 1916 give an over view of a half dozen or so lures new to market. Wilson That’s all Yes sir; here you are son a plug […]

Shakespeare Antique Lure Revolution HH Kiffe 1903

Shakespeare Antique Lure Revolution HH Kiffe 1903

Shakespeare Antique Lure Revolution HH Kiffe 1903 In this Great Shakespeare Antique Lure Revolution HH Kiffe 1903 we see the Advertisement for not only the Worden Bucktail, but the Revolution. SHAKESPEARE BAITS The Shakespeare Revolution Spinner The Shakespeare Bucktail Spinner The Revolution Bait. A new departure in Fishing. Made entirely of Aluminum with First Quality […]

Buel Original Spoon Bait

Buel Original Spoon Bait

Buel Original Spoon Bait This Buel Original Spoon Bait article comes to us from a Hardware trade book Iron Age in 1893. What you will find interesting is that it gives us a date of 1834. In discussing this with a friend, and fellow lover of old metal lures he was aware of the story, […]

Heddon Dowagiac Underwater Lure 1902 Ad

Heddon Dowagiac Underwater 1902 Ad

Heddon Dowagiac Underwater Lure 1902 Ad This Heddon Dowagiac Underwater Lure 1902 Ad is one of the earliest lure articles and ads I’ve seen or have run across for Heddon and their antique fishing lures. You just wont find many items in 1902, the same year the Dowagiac Underwater Casting lure and the Dowagiac Expert […]

Pflueger Flying Helgramite Vs Chapman Buel

Pflueger Flying Helgramite Vs Chapman Buel

Pflueger Flying Helgramite Vs Chapman Buel This great little ad discusses the Pflueger Flying Helgramite Vs Chapman Buel. This comes to us from 1884, 137 years ago. Early advertising for lures mentioned in here such as the Crystal Minnow, and the Flying Helgramite are hard to come by so enjoy. Pflueger Flying Helramite Vs Chapman […]

1794 Fishing Tackle Ad

1794 Fishing Tackle Ad

1794 Fishing Tackle Ad This a 1794 Fishing Tackle Ad. It proves that sometimes while we believe the roots of the American Fly Fishing or Fishing Tackle industry started in the early to mid 19th Century, it did not. While names such as TH Bate, JT Buel, WD Chapman and others like Bradford and Anthony […]

The Thrill of the Hunt Country Living June 2016

Country Living Magazine Antique Lure

The Thrill of the Hunt Country Living June 2016 Thrill of the Hunt speaks volumes to many of us collectors, either in spirit or in dedication. Whether its that crazed passion that wakes us up in the morning 4 hours early to get to be first in line at the estate sale or travel 5 […]

WD Chapman Brockville Ontario Lure Ad 1883

WD Chapman Brockville Ontario Lure Ad

WD Chapman Brockville Ontario Lure Ad This great WD Chapman Brockville Ontario Lure Ad comes to us from 1883. While this antique lure ad shows the WD Chapman Allure bait. The ad also gives us some other clues to putting together another of the Antique Fishing Lure Puzzles. We see that it uses the name […]

Shakespeare Hydroplane Antique Lure Article 1916

Shakespeare Hydroplane Antique Lure Article 1916

Shakespeare Hydroplane Antique Lure Article 1916 Magazines containing things like this Shakespeare Hydroplane Antique Lure Article from Recreation Vol 54-55 magazine in 1916 are great. Being able to uncover history’s shroud as it pertains to Antique Fishing lures and their makers is great. It was prior though by many reference materials and books that the […]

Chapman Combination Minnow Lure Ad

Chapman Combination Minnow Lure Ad

Chapman Combination Minnow Lure Ad This WD Chapman Combination Minnow Lure Ad is out of Forrest and Stream from January 25th, 1885. Chapman’s Bait Still Ahead The “New Combination,” Just Out. See Cut In Three Sizes for Pike, Pickerel, Bass, Trout & Muskellunge Read the Testimonials: W.D. Chapman and Son, Theresa, New York: As an […]

Pflueger Antique Fly Lure 1888

Pflueger Antique Fly Lure 1888

Pflueger Antique Fly Lure 1888 This Pflueger Antique Fly Lure 1888 ad is one of those that I found off the beaten path. Recording media has been done since the beginning of time, its just the mode, methods and the medium for transmission have change. I found this great old Pflueger Antique Fly Fishing lure […]

FC Woods Expert Lure Detachable Hook Ad

FC Woods Expert Lure Detachable Hook Ad

FC Woods Expert Lure Detachable Hook Ad This FC Woods Expert Lure Detachable Hook Ad comes to us from January 1907 Shields Magazine. Messrs FC Woods & Co Alliance Ohio manufacturers of the Expert wooden minnows have placed on the market a new hook. It is double and is instantly detachable without the use of […]

Heddon Dummy Double Ad 1917

Heddon Dummy Double Ad 1917

Heddon Dummy Double Ad 1917 This ad is a Heddon Dummy Double Ad 1917 copy. Believe it of not this ad came out of all things a Shakespeare Lure Catalog. I’ve got a bunch of ads to share out of there and I’ve always found it funny that The Shakespeare lure company would advertise its […]

Grover Cleveland Fisherman President

Grover Cleveland Fisherman President

Grover Cleveland Fisherman President What do Grover Cleveland Fisherman President and Joseph Decatur, Dr Kassen Gibson and the small town I grew up in in Upstate NY have in common? Grover Cleveland, who in my opinion was one of our best presidents was arguably one of the better fisherman and outdoors sportsmen presidents of all time. […]

Pflueger May Bug Lure Ad 1904

Pflueger May Bug Lure Ad

Pflueger May Bug Lure Ad This Pflueger May Bug Lure Ad comes to us from a vintage 1904 Enterprise Manufacturing Company; Pflueger Lure and Reel Catalog. The May Bug spoon itself dates back into the 1800’s and can be fished bait casting as well as skittering. The May Bug has always been a favorite among […]

Fowler Reel Ad Abbey Imbrie 1884

Fowler Reel Ad 1884

Fowler Reel Ad Abbey Imbrie 1884 This Fowler Reel Ad comes to us from a Abbey Imbrie antique fishing tackle catalog. The antique lure and reel catalog was published in 1884 and provides for us this great ad. Enough cant be said about vintage or antique advertising giving us glimpses into the past from which the […]

Jamison Coaxer Floating Trout Fly Ad May 1909

Jamison Coaxer Floating Trout Fly Ad May 1909 Here we have a Jamison Coaxer Floating Trout Fly Ad May 1909 field and Stream article. A Live Artificial Bait This is what JW Jamison of Coaxer bait fame calls the little Coaxer Floating Trout Fly in his catalog. Mr Jamison says that all trout must prefer live flies […]

FC Woods Expert Lure Ad Shields 1907

FC Woods Expert Lure Ad Shields 1907

FC Woods Expert Lure Ad Shields 1907 This ad is a FC Woods Expert Lure Ad Shields 1907. The Shields magazine had the same editor as the previous decade Recreation magazine and has provided more then a few great ads of antique fishing lures and tackle. The ad highlights their new type 2 detachable hooks […]

Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad 1910

Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad

Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad 1910 This Moonlight Floating Bait Lure Ad is from 1910 and sourced from the Outdoorsman’s Handbook. We see here a new lure just the year before produced by the Moonlight Bait Company from Paw Paw Michigan. You will notice however that the collar is the second version collar on the […]

Welch Graves Minnow Tube Article 1893

Welch Graves Minnow Tube Article

Welch Graves Minnow Tube Article 1893 This Welch Graves Minnow Tube Article comes from an American Angler magazine, specifically the March 1893 issue. This obscure little ad shows us  the Welch and Graves antique lure Minnow Tube the year it wast introduced. I grew up not far from Natural Bridge and really wished I had […]

Omer Immell Inventor of the Chippewa Lure

Omer Immell Inventor of the Chippewa Lure

Omer Immell Inventor of the Chippewa Lure This Omer Immell Inventor of the Chippewa Lure historical excerpt is about Omer Immell, the inventor of the Chippewa antique fishing lure. HISTORY OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY Omer F Immell hustling agent for the New York Life Insurance company was born on a farm three miles east of Blair, April 22, […]

WD Chapman Minnow Propeller Definition

WD Chapman Minnow Propeller Definition

WD Chapman Minnow Propeller Definition This WD Chapman Minnow Propeller Definition is a pretty unique advertisement. It lends itself or proves that life was simpler back then in the 19th century. In a day and age where everything seems to be complicated from our fishing boats to the equipment installed upon them, we have come […]

Antique Lure History Collage

Antique Lure History Collage

Antique Lure History Collage While this Antique Lure History Collage isn’t very old all being published in 1986, the author took great care in inserting some wonderful “Easter Eggs” to find. This photo was taken from an article in 1986, from “The Florida Today” newspaper. How many can you find? The Heddon Slope Nose or […]

Pflueger Antique Lure Sign Ad

Pflueger Antique Sign

Pflueger Antique Lure Sign Ad This Pflueger Antique Lure Sign Ad window sign was published in a 1905 Vol. 23 of “The Hardware Magazine”. The ad specifies how dealers in Pflueger’s Fishing Tackle can get one. I will take a dozen please. Finding Point of Sale or store displays for the Antique Lures, Reels and […]

Pflueger Antique Lure 1893 Sportsman Directory

Pflueger Antique Lure 1893 Sportsman Directory

Pflueger Antique Lure 1893 Sportsman Directory In this Pflueger Antique Lure 1893 Sportsman Directory advertisement we see the Enterprise Manufacturing Company, Pflueger advertise its luminous lures. The Enterprise Manufacturing Co., out of Akron, Ohio had just a year earlier come out with the Success Spinner. The advertisement recants an anglers success and experiences with one of […]

1888 Thomas Conroy Billhead

1888 Thomas Conroy Billhead

1888 Thomas Conroy Billhead This 1888 Thomas Conroy Billhead is a great piece of Ephemera. Paper goods from the previous century provide us large cookie crumbs along our way to finding out some of the riddles. If for nothing else the Bill head, and envelope provide a picture or window into business names during certain […]

Brush Trolling Spoon 1880 Ad

Brush Trolling Spoon 1880 Ad

Brush Trolling Spoon 1880 Ad Here is a great Brush Trolling Spoon 1880 Ad. Taken from Forest and Stream the May 20th 1880 weekly edition. The ad actually uses the patent drawing in its advertisement illustration. Don’t Catch Weeds and Logs But Catch Fish Brush’s Patent Trolling Spoons entirely overcome the defects heretofore found in […]

Andrew Clerk Company

Andrew Clerk Company 1885

Andrew Clerk Company This Andrew Clerk Company ad comes out of book published in 1885. One of the benefits of insomnia is I get to stay up reading and get rewarded by running across great early ads such as below. Through mergers, acquisitions name changes, and more the Andrew Clerk Company was around for more […]

Skinner Turkey Wing Ad 1884

Skinner Turkey Wing Ad 1884

Skinner Turkey Wing Ad Since today’s motif is Turkey, I found  this apropos. This Skinner Turkey Wing Ad came from 1884. The Hibbard Spencer and Bartlett Company was a large seller of many items fishing tackle included. GM Skinner Clayton NY Silver Plated Oval and Kidney Pattern. These Baits are noted for superior workmanship and […]

Hawks Ogilvy 1889 Fishing Tackle Catalog

Hawks Ogilvy 1889 Fishing Tackle Catalog

Hawks Ogilvy 1889 Fishing Tackle Catalog Here we have a Hawks Ogilvy 1889 Fishing Tackle Catalog cover. I had posted another early Henry Loftie Catalog cover and I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the others. I’ve always enjoyed being able to look back in time, to see the American Fishing Industries roots being […]

Antique Fishing Attire 1875

Antique Fishing Attire 1875

Antique Fishing Attire 1875 There have been may discussion over Antique Fishing attire in as much as the ability of the common layman to be able to afford to fish as a leisure or pleasure hobby. Simply put many people in early 19th Century America fished for food not for pleasure. In the span of […]

Bomber Bait Company Press Release

Bomber Bait Company Press Release

Bomber Bait Company Press Release This Bomber Bait Company Press Release and accompanying letter from one of the founders is a neat breadcrumb that I came across in sizable pile of research docs, catalogs, and salesman brochures I had amassed over time. It was hidden behind some papers I had looked at many many times […]

Enterprise Manufacturing Pflueger Fishing Tackle Plant

Enterprise Manufacturing Pflueger Fishing Tackle Plant

Enterprise Manufacturing Pflueger Fishing Tackle Plant This great Enterprise Manufacturing Pflueger Fishing Tackle Plant article comes to us from November 10th, 1900. The article found in the trade rag, Hardware; A Review of the American Hardware Market. The article discusses the growth and transition through acquisition of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company, Pflueger. Enterprise Manufacturing Pflueger Fishing […]

Shakespeare Floating Bait Lure Ad 1922

Shakespeare Floating Bait Lure Ad

Shakespeare Floating Bait Lure Ad This Shakespeare Floating Bait Lure Ad comes to us from what I believe is a 1922 Shakespeare Lure Catalog. I say what I believe is, as it says Catalog #20 in it, and knowing Shakespeare printed its first catalog in 1902 Im just making the assumption. However, the lures in […]

WD Chapman 1888 Lure Maker Rochester NY

WD Chapman 1888 Lure Maker Rochester NY

WD Chapman 1888 Lure Maker Rochester NY The WD Chapman 1888 Lure Maker Rochester NY business description below gives us great insight into WD Chapman the antique lure maker. Giving insight into its business structure and partners of the era ,and some of the relational Chapman antique lure stamping you may find. It also isn’t […]

Chippewa Lure Ad Field and Stream February 1913

Chippewa Lure Ad Field and Stream February 1913

Chippewa Lure Ad Field and Stream February 1913 This is a Chippewa Lure Ad Field and Stream February 1913. Field and Stream magazine never fails to provide great advertising for antique lures. The “CHIPPEWA” Bait The “CHIPPEWA” Bait is a combination of an artificial minnow with the most attractive of all lures the old SPOON […]

Wilcox Wiggler Antique Lure Patent

Wilcox Wiggler Antique Lure Patent

Wilcox Wiggler Antique Lure Patent In this Wilcox Wiggler Antique Lure Patent  we see what Charles M Wilcox of New Paris Ohio intended with his Wilcox Wiggler lure. Produced in 1907 filed for patent 1908. The Wilcox Wiggler has always been a tough lure to find, and a treasure to own for antique lure collectors. 923,095 […]

Heddon Dowagiac Expert Lure Ad 1903

Heddon Dowagiac Expert Lure Ad 1903 The is a Heddon Dowagiac Expert Lure Ad from 1903. Telling folks that finding any advertisements for early Heddon antique Lures is tough is an understatement. This has always been one of my favorite catalogs of mine to look through. Heddon having just begun to produce commercially in 1902 […]

Michigan Life Like Minnow Ad FS May 1909

Michigan Life Like Minnow Ad This Michigan Life Like Minnow Ad was in the Field and Stream May 1909 magazine. “We here illustrate the Michigan life like minnow which during the brief time it has been in use has proven a killer for all sorts of game fish. The distinctive features are the jointed tail […]

Heddon Antique Lure Ad 1904

Heddon Antique Lure Ad 1904

Heddon Antique Lure Ad 1904 This Heddon Antique Lure Ad was found in a 1904 VL&A Fishing Tackle Catalog showing the following antique lures. The Dowagiac Expert No. 1 The Dowagiac Minnow No. 1 1/2 The Dowagiac Underwater Expert No. 3 The Dowagiac Killer No. 5 What a great find early Heddon Adds are few […]

Holzwarth Expert Minnow Lure Ad 1901

Holzwarth Expert Minnow Lure 1901

Holzwarth Expert Minnow Lure This Holzwarth Expert Minnow Lure Ad dates to 1901 and was found in a Wisconsin Naturalist Magazine. Really a strange place to advertise the ad for his Expert Minnow lure so far away from Ohio. I say this as there is not much information out there about Holzwarth in general and […]

Schoonies Skooter Lure Ad 1916

Schoonies Skooter Lure Ad 1916

Schoonies Skooter Lure Ad This Schoonies Skooter Lure Ad was found in a 1916 Shakespeare antique lure catalog. The Skooter is a really neat antique lure. The lure itself is rather hard to come by so its neat we get to at see it in an ad. Schoonie’s “Skooter” A Surface Bait and a Perfect […]

Reuben Wood Forrest Stream

Reuben Wood Forrest Stream

Reuben Wood Forrest Stream In this Reuben Wood Forrest Stream article from 1896 Vol. 47 we see an account from Mr Fred Mather about fishing with Reuben Wood. One of my favorite pieces that Ill share from later is a 1897 catalog from his fishing tackle company, its a bit worse for wear on the […]

Pflueger Muskellunge Minnow Ad 1904

Pflueger Muskellunge Minnow Ad 1904

Pflueger Muskellunge Minnow Ad This Pflueger Muskellunge Minnow Ad is brought to you from 1904. The Ad itself is out of the 1904 Pflueger or Enterprise manufacturing Company from Akron Ohio. I’ve always loved this giant lure and had wished I had kept my example of this giant rubber minnow. The ad is a really […]

Heddon Dowagiac Minnows Newspaper Ad 1919

Heddon Dowagiac Minnows Newspaper

Heddon Dowagiac Minnows Newspaper Ad This Heddon Dowagiac Minnows Newspaper Ad comes to us from 1919. Often we think only to look to magazines for ads, artwork and for information. This Ad is from the Arizona Republican Newspaper published in 1919. The Palace Hardware and Arms store provides us with this outside the box glimpse […]

W D Chapman Lure Article Closure 1893

W D Chapman Lure Article Closure 1893

W D Chapman Lure Article Closure 1893 In this W D Chapman Lure Article Closure 1893 we see WD Chapman Lure Company say adieu to the fishing tackle industry in a Jewelers trade rag in 1893. Sorry for the blurry article. A lot of the older magazines and paper articles don’t scan well. Fishing Tackle […]

Pflueger Wizard Lure Ad 1904

Pflueger Wizard Lure Ad 1904

Pflueger Wizard Lure Ad Here is a great early Pflueger Wizard Lure Ad. This clip is out of the 1904 Pfleuger Enterprise Manufacturing Company Catalog. The plate below touts it should the actual size. Model numbers 473 being Luminous, , Model 474 Non Luminous 1st Quality and 475 being of second quality. I’m not sure […]

Welch Graves Minnow Tube Lure Ad 1893

Welch Graves Minnow Tube Lure Ad 1893

Welch Graves Minnow Tube Lure Ad 1893 This Welch Graves Minnow Tube Lure Ad is out of American Angler March Issue for the year 1893. Early American antique fishing lure ads like this are hard to source. If you read his ad its actually amusing as he says he doesn’t have time to respond to […]

Pilot Spinner Antique Lure Ad 1903 Hardware Dealers

Pilot Spinner Antique Lure Ad This ad comes to us from the Hardware Dealers Magazine Vol.23 1905 and shows the Pilot Spinner Lure. The Pilot Spinner HR Stewart & Co 938 First National Bank Building Chicago Ill are offering the trade the Pilot Spinner illustrated. It is an adaptation of a spinner and a feathered […]

Pflueger Trory Minnow Lure Ad

Pflueger Trory Minnow Lure

Pflueger Trory Minnow Lure Ad This Pflueger Trory Minnow Lure Ad comes to us from a 1904 catalog. The Pflueger Enterprise Manufacturing Company Claims to have created the first artificial minnow production with its Crystal Minnow then on to the Flying Helgramite then to the Trory. Its hard to argue with them. The Trory minnow […]