The following blurb came from the Indiana School Journal for December 1877. It was written by Charles Wackford of Shawnee Prairie, Indiana, and retells a very charming Christmas tradition mixed with fishing. I love it. We reached home at ten o’clock, receiving an invitation on the way to eat Christmas dinner with the Graham family. […]
Tag Archives: fishing
Heddon SOS 170 Minnow Lure The Heddon SOS 170 Minnow Lure is the second to the largest in the family of 4. This antique fishing lure was first introduced in 1928 by Heddon of Dowagiac Michigan. The wooden fishing lure measures in at roughly 4 1/2″ in length. The lures main focus was the larger […]
Creek Chub Bomber Kreeker The Creek Chub Bomber Kreeker shown first in the gallery below was introduced in 1942. The Bomber lure was a series model number 6600 made by Creek Chub of Garrett Indiana. This wooden antique lure is 2 7/8″ in length, and can also be referred to as a Kreeker (After), and […]
Heddon Fat Body 100 Antique Lure Green Crackle Back White Pasteboard Box This is a Heddon Dowagiac Underwater Model 100 Minnow Lure. The lure is a early circa 1911 era Combo. The wooden, glass eyed, minnow lure has 3T and cup rig hardware. The lure has three red gill marks, a single belly weight and […]
Coxe 94-C Narrow Spool Bait Casting Antique Reel This is a Vintage Bronson Coxe Model 94-C Narrow Spool Bait Casting Antique Reel. Reel is in used but very nice condition. Introduced in 1949, the No.94-C was the narrow spool version of the No.95-C economy model. These were only available in catalogs through 1951 (although some […]
The following note was sent to the editor of the Sporting Goods Dealer and published in June 1906, and illustrates the fact that the sheer number of named fly patterns a century ago had already reached into the thousands. Note that Charles Kewell, a reputable sporting goods dealer and inventor of a casting spoon that […]
Rinehart Jinx Lure Model 200 The Rinehart Jinx Lure Model 200 series lure is the Bass Size offering. Fred Rinehart of Newark Ohio, began producing this middle size version around 1940, three years after he (technically) started his business. The Bass size Jinx would be produced for over two decades, or 22 years to be […]
Early Shakespeare Antique Lure & Reel Rod Catalogs Here is a great little glimpse back in time to the earliest Shakespeare Lure, Rod & Reel catalogs. This not only gives us an idea of the items but what the company was focused on in the early days. These are rare to find, so enjoy being […]
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 […]
Pflueger Ballerina Antique Lure The Pflueger Ballerina Antique Lure was introduced around 1952. This wooden pressed and painted eye lure was Pflueger of Akron, Ohio model series number 5400. This wooden tapering cigar shaped fishing lure has a front forward line tie. The lure itself measure 4 1/8″ in length from tip to toe and […]
ABOUT THIS ISSUE The August issue of Angling Echoes focusses on the fishing reel. I have been fascinated by fishing reels since my childhood days when I would disassemble my father’s Mitchell 308 on the dining room table at our cabin, and then struggle mightily trying to put it back together before he found me […]
Paw Paw Platypus Lure Photo Gallery The Paw Paw Platypus Lure Rainbow Trout was first introduced in 1941. This strange looking plastic, raised painted eye lure, was the Paw Paw Bait Company model series #3500. The lure originally called a Wham Doodle, which was made of wood with whats referred to as an alligator eye. […]
KK Animated Minnow Antique Lure This is a scarce and very desirable K&K Minnow, made in Toledo, Ohio. This jointed, 2 piece, wooden, yellow egg yolk glass eyed minnow is a collector favorite. The lure has two segments held together via nested screw eye. The lure employs the use of 3 dual hooks held to […]
The following article appeared in the trade journal The Printer’s Ink for October 1921. It covers in enormous detail the customer service department for South Bend Bait Co. of South Bend, Indiana. If you ever wondered why the firm grew so large so quickly, look no further than the manner in which they tailored letters […]
Creek Chub Husky Injured Minnow Lure This Creek Chub Husky Injured Minnow Lure is a series 3500. This wooden glass eyed Creek Chub Bait Company lure made in Garrett Indiana was first introduced in 1929. The antique lure measures 5″ inches in length. The Silver Flash Example below in the gallery is believed to have […]
Creek Chub Husky Musky Lure The Creek Chub Husky Musky Lure was first introduced in 1919. This large wooden lure made by the Creek Chub Bait Company of Garrett Indiana had a model number 600. While its said its intent was to be salt water fished lure as it was first introduced in Mullet Scale […]
Antique Lure and Reel Ads, Antique Lures, Heddon Lures
Black Bass in Florida James Heddon Janette Hawley
Black Bass in Florida James Heddon Janette Hawley In the Black Bass Florida James Heddon Janette Hawley article from 1904 printing of Angling Stories we get this great article from James Heddon, I think. The book is a compilation of Angling stories from other Magazines, such as Sports Afield. We see in the article penned […]
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 […]
Outing Bassy Getum Lure The Outing Bassy Getum lure is Circa 1926. The antique lure is a hollow, painted brass lure. As you can guess the paint doesn’t like to stick to these after they were used a few times. The fishing lure was made by the Outing Manufacturing company from Elkhart Indiana. Outing made […]
Fred Arbogast Tin Liz Sunfish Lure The Fred Arbogast Tin Liz Sunfish Lure has always been a collector favorite. Long before the Jitterbug and its top water treachery would take the fishing world by storm this unique and simplistic lure was born. Fred Arbogast from Akron, Ohio is synonymous with fishing on so many levels. […]
Hobbs Supply Bon Net Lure The Hobbs Supply Bon Net Lure was a 6 fishing hook Minnow. This wooden glass eyed bait was Circa 1952 and measured in at 3 5/8″ in length. The antique fishing lure had 6 hooks and used what collectors term as surface hardware. The Bon Net underwater minnow was made […]
Heddon 100 Antique Lure Fancy Sienna in Wood Box This is a very tough and super desirable vintage Heddon Underwater Minnow antique fishing lure, a wood box model series 100. This wooden, glass eyed lure measures 2 3/4″, and weighs in at 2/3oz. The 100 minnow model lure was first introduced in 1904 and made […]
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 […]
Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses Part 14 The Tackle of General Merchandise Co. of Milwaukee
Trade House Tackle, Part 14:The Tackle of General Merchandise Co. of Milwaukee This week in 52 for 52 we are featuring one of the many mail order catalog companies that exploded in the post-war era. General Merchandise Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin grew from humble roots into a massive conglomerate that eventually got purchased by one […]
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 […]
Tight Lines Tuesday Fred Arbogast Tight Lines Tuesday by John Etchieson – Fred Arbogast made fishing line too – Among the collectors of antique and collectible fishing tackle the name Fred Arbogast is well known. Fred Arbogast was one of the true pioneers of the fishing lure industry. As with so many who enter the […]
Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Voices from the Past
Voices from the Past The History of the Nottingham Wooden Winch
The following article came from the London Fishing Gazette, 07 September 1895. It details the background history of the famed Nottingham Wooden Winch. History of the Nottingham Wooden Winch Anglers throughout the country are by this time familiar with the qualities of the Nottingham wooden winch, and a few facts in connection with its invention […]
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 […]
March 8-18 Seller Timed Auction This auction catalog will go live and bidding will commence this 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 10 […]
Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Tight Lines Tuesday
Tight Lines Tuesday TH Chubb
Tight Lines Tuesday TH Chubb by John Etchieson 133 years ago in 1886 this very rare and beautiful russet colored silk line wrapped on a cardboard line winder and packaged inside this blue, tan, and gold leaf bordered box marked ‘OUR “SPECIAL” BRAND OILED SILK BLACK BASS LINE’ was introduced and sold by the Thos. […]
Moonlight Muskie Pikaroon Antique Lure This Moonlight Muskie Pikaroon Antique Lure is one of those lures that takes your breath away. Every now and then I get an antique lure in on consignment that that fits that bill. The Moonlight Bait Company bought or acquired the Silver Creek Novelty Works bait company somewhere in the […]
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 […]
JD Allen Antique Lure Fish Spoon This JD Allen Antique Lure Fish Spoon is kind of a 19th Century fishing lure head scratcher for me. These spoons are marked JD Allen, South Otselic, NY and a size number 4. One of the main mysteries Ive never been able to resolve is, in Arlan’s book, JD Allen […]
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 […]
Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Fly Fishing
The Fishing Valentine
The Fishing Valentine: A Photographic History Valentine’s Day started as a Victorian British tradition but really began to take off in America around the end of the nineteenth century. By 1910, the tradition of bringing Valentines to school to distribute to classmates began and created a long-running tradition here in the United States for school […]
February 2019 Angling Echoes About this Issue Someone once said February days are the teeth of winter, and where I grew up, the month served as the heart of the ice fishing season. Now that I no longer live in the frozen northland, I find it a strange month that can be minus 20 one […]
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 […]