1937 Hall’s Celebrated Florida Pride Brand Twisted Linen Fishing Line Card This 1937 Hall’s Celebrated FLORIDA PRIDE brand twisted linen fishing line coiled on a rectangular card was manufactured from the highest quality flax imported from Ireland by the Henry Hall Line Company (est. 1840) of Highland Mills, New York. This line which came in […]
Tag Archives: fishing for history
Heddon Luny Frog Lure Initially the Heddon Luny Frog Lure was introduced around 1927. Changes in material would influence the way Heddon of Dowagiac Michigan would do business for decades to come. Making a switch from the standard wooden material, Heddon would evolve into a colossal giant making artificial baits with plastics. It widely known […]
George Fenner Weedless Automatic Bait Lure George Fenner Weedless Automatic Bait Lure was first introduced in to the market in 1925. A year later in 1926 his patent, 1571770 would be granted. This small spring hook type bait has been dubbed the WAB for short, or Weedless Automatic Bait. George Fenner and the Weedless Automatic […]
Trade House Tackle, Part 21:Oklahoma Tire & Supply Co. One of my favorite subcategories of trade tackle were those marketed by auto supply stores. Today, most collectors are puzzled by the connection between automobiles and fishing tackle, but in the early history of the car little distinction was made between motoring and sporting pursuits. For […]
Trade House Tackle, Part 20:F.W. Woolworth’s Frank Winfield Woolworth founded a true American iconic institution, and changed the way American business conducted their affair. The company he founded, F.W. Woolworth & Co., also sold a ton of fishing tackle, some of it branded. Born in upstate New York in 1852, he began working in a […]
Trade House Tackle, Part 19:Scheel’s Hardware of Minnesota Scheel’s is a name that is very familiar to most people from my part of the country–Minnesota. They also sold fishing tackle for a great number of years. The firm was founded in 1902 by Frederick A. Scheel, who opened a general store in the small town […]
Trade House Tackle, Part 18:Bigelow & Dowse of Boston With companies such as Shapleigh, Simmons, and Hibbard staunchly midwestern, we don’t often associate the great eastern cities with wholesale hardware. However, there were a number of large hardware concerns on the East Coast that trafficked in a whole lot of fishing tackle. One of these […]
Trade House Tackle, Part 17:J.C. Penney & Co.James Cash Penney (1875-1971) founded the store that bore his name in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. A lumberjack by trade, he saw the future of retailing long before most others, and by 1912 owned 34 stores across the Rocky Mountains. He began expanding eastward and by 1929 there […]
Fishing For History, South Bend Lures
Louis A. Paeth Part 2: The Man Behind the “Fish and Feel Fit” Logo
Louis A. Paeth Part 2: The Man Behind the “Fish and Feel Fit” Logo Today, we get an update to the incredible Louis Paeth–the painter of the Fish and Feel Fit painting–penned by his son Peter. It’s a great story that keeps getting better. You can read the first article by clicking here. Louis Paeth: An […]
Fishing For History, South Bend Lures
Louis A. Paeth: The Man Behind the “Fish and Feel Fit” Logo by Peter Paeth
Louis A. Paeth: The Man Behind the “Fish and Feel Fit” Logo by Peter Paeth Recently I received a wonderful series of emails from Peter Paeth, the son of painter Louis A. Paeth. Peter has graciously agreed to allow me to reprint pieces of this correspondence on the blog to share this information with everyone. […]
Louis Paeth and Harley Davidson: Fishing for a Connection by Peter Paeth In January ’09, I had bought a reprint of a 1926 Harley advertisement featuring a farmer in bib overalls on a motorcycle. The illustration had the “feel” of my father’s work, and when I scanned and compared it with his verified work from […]
Trade House Tackle, Part 15: The Tackle of the Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd.Today we get another Canadian company that sold a ton of fishing tackle over the years, but often gets overlooked as a trade house.The Canadian Tire Corporation, Inc. is a massive company (they employ nearly 60,000 people today) with hundreds of branch operations […]
Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Fly Fishing
Alonzo H Fowler Forgotten Pioneer of the Bamboo Fly Rod Part II
Alonzo H. Fowler: Forgotten Pioneer of the Bamboo Fly Rod, Part II Alonzo H. Fowler:Forgotten Pioneer of the Bamboo Fly Rod, Part IIBy Dr. Todd E.A. LarsonCopyright 2019, all rights reserved.As tournament casting was the premier way to advertise a fine bamboo fly rod in the 1870s, the 1876 tournament was shaping up to be […]
Antique Lures, Deconstructing Old Ads, Fishing For History
The History of the F.C. Woods Expert Minnow in Ads
The History of the F.C. Woods Expert Minnow in Ads The History of the F.C. Woods Expert Minnow in Ads Ads can often be misleading, especially when older pictures are used from years prior. The most famous example of this is the use of illustrations from the 1920s in Heddon catalogs from the 1950s. However […]
Alonzo H. Fowler Forgotten Pioneer of the Bamboo Fly Rod Part I Today and tomorrow, I am happy to share with everyone an article I have been working on in bits and pieces for the past seven years. It deals with a forgotten pioneer of the split bamboo fly rod, and will hopefully be the […]
Decker Lure Box Chronology by Tim Clancy Today we are all fortunate to have a guest author here on the blog, Tim Clancy. Here, he illuminates one of his passions: Ans. B. Decker history. Ans. B. Decker and his father and three brothers were all well known fishing guides on Lake Hopatcong, a huge resort […]
Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses Part 13 Manhattan Marine & Electric Co
Trade House Tackle, Part 13:Manhattan Marine & Electric Co. of New York City One of my goals in 52 for 52 is to show everyone the sheer diversity of fishing tackle sellers in American history. So far, we’ve covered discount stores, department stores, wholesale hardware concerns, a bookseller, a plumbing supply store, and today, we […]
Live Action Frog Lure The Live Action Frog Lure shown in the box below is quite a fishing lure contraption. The fishing lure was first made in 1960 by the Action Frog Corporation out of Long Beach, California. This antique frog lure is 5 1/5″ inches in length overall. This crazy frog lure has a […]
Heddon Torpedo Lure Model Series 130 This gem is a Heddon Torpedo Lure Model Series 130. The 130 was first introduced by Heddon of Dowagiac, Michigan in 1924 and would last for 35 years until 1959. The Torpedo would cross decades of composition changes from material it was made from, eye type, hook and hardware […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, The Friday Fun House
Friday Fun House February 22nd Edition
Good Reads The American Angler’s Book: Embracing the Natural History of Sporting Fish, and the Art of Taking Them Over one and a half centuries after its original publication, Thaddeus Norris’s The American Angler’s Book remains a classic heavily sought after by fishing enthusiasts and collectors. Considered father of American fly fishing, Norris’s encyclopedic compilation of nineteenth-century […]
52 Trade Houses Part 12 Davidson’s Firearms of Greensboro NC Trade House Tackle, Part 12:Davidson’s Firearms of Greensboro, NC This episode of 52 for 52 will deal with one of my very favorite kinds of trade houses: gun dealers that sold fishing tackle. Throughout history many legendary gun names–Winchester, Remington, Browning, etc.–lent their names to […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc)
Angling Marketplace March STA Times
March 8-18, 2019 Seller Timed Auction This timed auction catalog will go live and bidding will commence Friday, March 8 at 7:00pm. After 10 days of bidding, on Monday, March 18, if any lot receives a bid during the last 10 minutes of the auction (6:50-7:00pm), an extension timer will start on that lot for […]
19th Century Fishing Lures, Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Voices from the Past
Voices from the Past James Grant
Voices from the Past James Grant There is nothing more delightful than coming across a reference to a fishing tackle maker in an unexpected place. In my “other job” as a history professor I try to keep up on recent research. A fairly recent book I picked up called Gwen Raverat: Friends, Family and Affections […]
19th Century Fishing Lures, Fishing For History
Yankee Doodle: The American Humorist’s Take on Victorian Angling
Yankee Doodle: The American Humorist’s Take on Victorian Angling When I was working on my dissertation (which dealt with the überexciting subject of British travel writing in the Balkans), I would consistently be distracted by the British humor journal Punch. Punch was a legendary satirical political journal that took swipes at all aspects of British […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, The Friday Fun House
Friday Fun House February 15th Edition
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Video of the week Sites & Social Media www.facebook.com/groups/NAVTC/ If your on Facebok, you need to drop by and say hello to the folks @ National Antique & Vintage Tackle Collectors Cody, Chris, Rick, Clay & Cindy moderate a large and continually growing FB Hangout. With over 580 active members, […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 11 Henry C. Lytton’s The Hub of Chicago
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 11 Henry C. Lytton’s The Hub of Chicago Trade House Tackle, Part 11:Henry C. Lytton’s “The Hub” and its Fishing Tackle This week we get a fun little history of a venerable Chicago iconic institution–Henry C. Lytton’s “The Hub” stores and their foray into fishing tackle. Henry C. Lytton […]
Paul Bunyan Electro Lure The Paul Bunyan Electro Lure was First made in 1938. The Paul Bunyan Antique lure company was out of Minneapolis St Paul Minnesota and was a series model number 1000. The lure was not made at first by the Paul Bunyan, however like many other lures the patents were acquired. The […]
Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Tight Lines Tuesday
Tight Lines Tuesday Mermaid Brand
Tight Lines Tuesday The Mermaid Brand by John Etchieson The Mermaid Brand braided silk fishing lines, introduced about 100 years ago, were manufactured by the Newton Line Company of Homer New York (est. 1909) who advertised these high grade silk casting lines with the simple marketing slogan – “Mermaid bought – big ones caught” This […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fly Fishing, The Friday Fun House
Friday Fun House February 8th Edition
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Good Reads ABOUT THE BOOK Back after constant demand, and fully revised and expanded! It’s Don Wheeler’s Frog Lure Collector’s Guide, and it has been expanded by a full 30% (now coming in at a loaded 352 pages. It’s the largest color book we’ve ever done, or will ever likely […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 10 Van Camp Hardware of Indianapolis
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 10 Van Camp Hardware of Indianapolis Trade House Tackle, Part 10:From Blacksmith Tools to Tackle:–Van Camp Hardware of Indianapolis Van Camp hardware is one of the legendary names in the wholesale hardware field. Founded in the nineteenth century in America’s heartland, it served the middle west for over […]
Christening the Jamison Raider Antique Lure How do lures get their names? Well, in just about every way imaginable–from the sound they make to the person who invented them to the completely made-up. The Jamison Company of Chicago, however, decided to try something different in 1941 when they introduced the No. 1500, a River Runt […]
Antique Lures, Fishing For History, Fly Fishing, Fly Rod Lures
The Strange History of the Fizgig and Wibble Wabble
The Strange History of the Fizgig and Wibble Wabble Chicago’s Wartime Fly Rod Lures By Dr. Todd E.A. Larson The Summer of 1942 would seem by just about any measure to be the worst time to launch a new business concern. But considering the state of affairs concerning the outdoor world, it might be considered […]
Tight Lines Tuesday The Pelican Brand by John Etchieson The Pelican Brand – H. J. Frost & Company was a jobber and wholesaler of all types of fishing tackle in New York, City in the early 1900 – 1920 period and sold under the name Jack Frost Tackle, using the trade marks KELSO, SENATE, ANCHOR […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, The Friday Fun House
Friday Fun House February 1st Edition
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Were testing out a few new columns in the fishing for history magazine so I thought I would add a few samples to the Friday Funhouse News & Noteworthy ORCA announced the Dates of its National Convention in Oklahoma in concert with the folks from Zebco for their 75th anniversary. […]
Shimmy Diver Antique Lure This Shimy Diver antique lure is a very scarce Texas made Lure, a model series 600. This classic pier bait style fishing lure was made by the International Mfg Company in Denton Texas. The lure measures just north of 2″, has painted eyes, 2 trebles. The antique lure comes painted in […]
Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Fly Fishing, Friends & Clubs
Thaddeus Norris, Profile of a Rodmaker, Part I
Thaddeus Norris, Profile of a Rodmaker By Dr. Todd E.A. Larson Introduction What would convince a successful businessman, internationally respected author, and an icon in his field to begin a new career at the age of 63 that promised enormously long hours, excruciatingly exacting work, and precious little pay? At a time when most of […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 8 A.C. McClurg
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 8 A.C. McClurg Trade House Tackle, Part VIII The Bookseller’s Fishing Tackle, A.C. McClurg & Co. of Chicago One of the most surprising fishing tackle wholesalers has to be the Chicago firm of A.C. McClurg & Co., a name far more famous in book circles than in fishing ones. […]
The First American Fishing Tackle As I was prepping for a course I’m teaching on the first half of American history, I recently came across a great eBook from the legendary Project Gutenberg that details a bit on the origins of American angling. New Discoveries at Jamestown: Site of the First Successful English Settlement in […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 7 Lippman
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 7 Lippman Trade House Tackle, Part VII Lippman’s Tool Shop Sporting Goods Company:The Little Sports Shop That Slayed A Giant This week’s edition of 52 for 52 details a largely forgotten Detroit-based sporting goods store known as Lippman’s Tool Shop Sporting Goods Company. It’s a bit of a […]
Throwback Thursday January 10th by John Etchieson I write a lot of articles, blog entries, etc., etc. and my focus much of the time steers to the history of the item, or the item itself. I feel sometimes I dont highlight the important stuff or I get to busy doing 15 other things (Thanks to […]
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Video of the Week Ive always enjoyed collecting dual purpose items use it and collect it… 12 Things i would buy if I could afford them. This weeks Black Friday Special is from Langs Timed Auctions, if you havnt been by there, stop by and check out the new […]
Samuel Allcock & Company The following history of the venerable British firm of Samuel Allcock was published in the 1888 edition of Wyman’s commercial encyclopædia of leading manufacturers of Great Britain. Allcock was one of the largest — if not the largest — makers of fish hooks in the world and branched out to produce materials […]
Antique Lures, Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 4 Hudson’s Bay Company
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 4 Hudson’s Bay Company of Canada Trade House Tackle, Part 4: Hudson’s Bay Company of Canada The Oldest Tackle Trade House in the World Perhaps the most legendary of all corporations in America is also the oldest commercial store in North America, and one of the oldest in […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Fishing For History Magazine
Fishing For History Volume 2 Number 4
Fishing For History Volume 2 Number 4 Fishing For History Vol 2 No 4 September – October 2018 About This Issue Click to Visit Fishing for History Deconstructing old Ads with Bill Sonnett: The Long Island Flasher…1 Heddon After Heddon, Part IV by Dr. Todd E.A. Larson…4 The Golden Anniversary of the Carbon Fibre Rod […]
Fishing for History Volume 2 No 3 May June 2013 To Subscribe visit the Fishing for History Store: Fishing for History Volume 2 No 3 May / June 2018 Jim Dorr on Fly Rod Baits • Bill Sonnett on True Temper Steel Rods • Dr. Todd Larson on Heddon After Heddon • Brian Taylor on […]
Angling Echoes, Antique Lures, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History
Angling Echoes Salmo Fontinalis
Angling Echoes Salmo Fontinalis Angling Echoes Salmo Fontinalis; The fish here reproduced, be it understood, is a genuine specimen of the speckled brook trout, or, to put it scientifically, of the Salmo-fontinalis, and weighed eight and a half pounds when taken from the water by its captor, R. G. Allerton, of New York City. It […]
Angling Echoes, Antique Lures, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Fly Fishing
Angling Echoes Trout Fishing in the Rangeley Lakes
Angling Echoes Trout Fishing in the Rangeley Lakes An excerpt from Angling Echoes Trout Fishing in the Rangeley Lakes; As regards methods of fishing, it need only be said that the high-toned angler will not tempt his intended victim with anything but a fly at any season. The best fly-fishing is to be had in the […]
Vermilion Mouse Lure The Vermilion Mouse Lure is a cool little unit. This antique lure is wooden with faceted glass eye and has a leather tail. The mouse lure was first introduced in n the early 1920’s somewhere between 1922 to 1924, and was made by Frank Knill of Vermilion Ohio. The lure itself, minus […]
NFLCC Greater Milwaukee Lure Show NFLCC Greater Milwaukee Lure Show; Ever Wondered what it was like to look through the eyes of a antique lure collector? Mac Hoover did an amazing job in this short piece about the Greater Milwaukee Classic. If your interested in the history of fishing (Bass, Ice, Fly, Carp, Crappie, Salt […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, The Friday Fun House
Friday Funhouse January 26 2018
Friday Funhouse January 26 2018 The Video of the Week If you haven’t seen this video of Frank Rybarcyk’s Shakespeare collection, you really should. 10 Thing I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them This Heddon Vamp #7509X is a truly astounding lure. A Leonard Mills Fly Reel is a classic reel. A Creek Chub Dealer Box of #502swill […]
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