Pflueger May Bug Lure The Pflueger May Bug Lure was introduced in the late 1880’s. The May Bug is one of the early quintessential Pflueger, or Enterprise Manufacturing Company Lure made in Akron Ohio. The lure was produced for around 3 decades or thirty years until 1916. The May Bug was made to be fished […]
Tag Archives: fly fishing
Pflueger 4 Brother Brand Leaders on Card Pflueger 4 Brother Brand Leaders on Card; The brand name “4 Brothers” was apparently conceived as a goodwill gesture to mark the reconciliation of E. A. Pflueger (who had departed the Enterprise Mfg. Co. to form his own company in 1906) and his reuniting with his three brothers […]
Ball Minnow Trap The Ball Minnow Trap is really a great piece of angling history. Let me first add by saying yes, this is the same maker as the famous Ball jar line. For those that may not know here is a piece borrowed from the Society of Historical Archaeology Inc. Although its roots go […]
Mr. Shakespeare Goes to Washington Mr. Shakespeare Goes to Washington; When your name is William Shakespeare, you are definitely in for a lot of grief. Certainly this was true for William Shakespeare Jr. of Kalamazoo, Michigan—if he had a nickel for every time someone made a pun using his name, it is certain he would […]
Messinger Fly Bucktail Hair Frog Collection We had a historic Messinger Fly Bucktail Hair Frog Collection in on Consignment a year or so ago. Over 40 Messinger Frog’s, no 2 exactly the same a life collection of a fellow NFLCC antique fishing tackle club member. We’ve been given an opportunity to not only help sell […]
Moderne Brand Gladding Silk Fishing Line Spool The very rare 1931 Moderne Brand Gladding Silk Fishing Line Spool was made for that one year only by the B. F. Gladding Line Company of South Otselic, New York (est. 1816). The brand name “Moderne”, sometimes termed Art Moderne, is a late type of the Art Deco […]
Vintage Oriental Gladding Japan Silk Line Spool This 1910 – 1934 Vintage Oriental Gladding Japan Silk Line Spool was sold by the wholesale hardware distributor Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett, & Company of Chicago (1882 – 1962) under their “house brand” name REV-O-NOC. This line was manufactured by the B. F. Gladding Line Company of South Otselic, […]
Cormorant Gladding Cuttyhunk Casting Fishing Line Spool This 1930s era Cormorant Gladding Cuttyhunk Casting Fishing Line Spool was a strong fishing line made from the Hemp plant that was also grown to make rope. Manufactured by the Gladding Line Company (est. 1816) of South Otselic, New York, this line featured a gold foil paper label […]
The following excerpt is from the article “Fly-Fishing” published in the American Turf Register for June 1838. It argues the best fly rods are those made with a “scare” joint — a scarf joint in today’s lexicon. There are some who still subscribe to this theory, and a few makers, like Bob Clay, are manufacturing […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Fly Fishing, Voices from the Past
Voices from the Past: A Tour of Abbey & Imbrie’s Fly Factory
A Tour of Abbey & Imbrie’s Fly Factory A Tour of Abbey & Imbrie’s Fly Factory; The following description was published in the June 12, 1897 issue of Forest & Stream magazine, and describes as well as anything to date a trip through a fly tying factory in Brooklyn. The fly tying factory was that […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Friends & Clubs
Angling Marketplace January STA Ending Tonight
Angling Marketplace January STA Ending Tonight Starting at 7:00pm EST, 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 minutes. Each time another bid is placed, the 10 minute timer resets, until no further bidding occurs, then each lot […]
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. […]
Thaddeus Norris, Profile of a Rodmaker, Part 3By Dr. Todd E.A. Larson© 2008 The AuthorThe Sad Demise of Thaddeus Norris From humble beginnings in January 1874, over the past three years Thaddeus Norris had labored long and hard to establish his name as synonymous with quality. But just as he was put into a position […]
Paragon Minnow Lure From across the pond harkens this glass eyed beauty, a very desirable and tough to find Allcocks, Paragon Minnow lure. The Paragon was first introduced in the 1890’s and made through the Teens. This metal minnow is 3″ in length with a red yarn covered single trailing treble. The lure has “Tiffany” […]
Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, Fly Fishing
Thaddeus Norris, Profile of a Rodmaker, Part 2
Thaddeus Norris, Profile of a Rodmaker, Part 2 By Dr. Todd E.A. Larson Rodsmithing 101 Thad Norris’ importance went far beyond just the fly rods he made with his own hand. His Chapter XVII in The American Angler’s Book entitled “Rod-Making” gives a succinct overview of the contemporary state of rod building that is the […]
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, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, NFLCC
2019 NFLCC National Lure Competition
2019 NFLCC National Lure Competition Rusty Jesse announced today, the NFLCC is once again holding a national lure competition at the 2019 National Lure show in Fort Wayne, IN this July. All NFLCC members are welcome to enter. There will be three classes of competition Musky Class: Musky lure has to be at least 8″ […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Fishing For History, Friends & Clubs
The Angling Marketplace January STA
The Angling Marketplace January STA The timed auction catalog will go live and bidding will commence this Friday, January 25 at 7:00pm. After 10 days of bidding, on Monday, February 4, 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 […]
Antique Lures, Antique Reels, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History, The Friday Fun House
Friday Fun House January 25th Edition
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Video of the Week X 2 Double Feature, Grab a reel, a refill and get comfortable…. 12 Things I would buy if I could afford them. Heddon Ice Spook Decoy Hardy St George Fly Reel Heddon #14 Bamboo Rod Langley Blue 310 Streamlite Fishing Reel in Box HEDDON […]
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. […]
Angling Echoes, Collectible Fishing Empherma (Books, Catalogs, Photos, Etc), Fishing For History
Angling Echoes January 2019
About This Issue As we begin our second year of Angling Echoes, both Matt and myself would like to give a great thank you to everyone who has subscribed and read our little magazine. The first year was a grand learning adventure and it is just now that we feel like we’re hitting our stride. […]
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, The Friday Fun House
Friday Fun House January 18 Edition
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Video of the Week. 12 Things I would buy if I could afford them. Heddon Box Goite Combo Mizera Decoy Phillipson Rod Shakespeare Box Bon Net Lure in Box McHarg Lure Keeling Box Hot Tip of the Week Thanks me Later If 1 is Good 6 is Better Love […]
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 […]
Fishing For History, Trade House Tackle
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 6 Yates Sporting Goods of Arizona
52 Trade Houses in 52 Weeks Part 6 Yates Trade House Tackle, Part VI: The Yates Sporting Goods Stores of Arizona Who would have thought we’d be profiling not one but two Arizona trade houses in the first two months? Such is the sad state of knowledge concerning Southwestern fishing tackle. First it was the […]
Orchard Industries Slippery Slim Lure The Orchard Industries Slippery Slim Lure is another lure in the trio produced by the company. Based in Detroit Michigan, on Morgan Drive, this famous antique lure maker was probably more noted for it’s “Action Rod”. The company founded in the late 1940s by co-owners Lewis Adam and A. Johnson. […]
Dr. Todds Friday Fun House Video of the Week.. 12 Things i would buy if I could afford them. It Appears that some of the links work and some dont, Ive redone the from scratch 4 times. So I will assume its on Ebays End. 1. The Charmer is a Timeless Classic Charmer […]