An 1880s German Split Bamboo Fly Rod!

Six months ago I wrote about the (possible) German origins of the split bamboo fly rod.

While I don't believe the split cane rod was first built in Deutschland, it is indisputable that Germany had some talented early rodsmiths. One of the rodmakers mentioned in Wilhelm Bischoff's Anleitung zur Argel-Fischerei, or Introduction to Rod Fishing (1882) was H. Hildebrand.

Now, thanks to our German friend Frank Luchsinger, we get the very rare treat of seeing a true 1880s German made split bamboo fly rod. It is a 3 piece, two tip rod and it is a real beauty. It is marked "H. Hildebrand, Muenchen" on the butt. Of course, that is the German spelling of Munich.

Frank writes:

I hope you enjoy these pictures. Any attempt to find more information on H. Hildebrand is difficult, it seems that you would have to visit Munich and physically go through Church, City, and regional records.

Indeed. Perhaps an enterprising German historian will undertake just such a project! In the meantime, enjoy a rare treat:


Full shot of the rod and its canvas sack.

Marked "H. Hildebrand, Muenchen" on the butt.

Close-up of the ferrules.

Close-up of the reel seat.

Close-up of the tips.
Thanks so much to Frank Luchsinger for sharing this with me and with all of us. What an amazing rod!

UPDATE: Frank writes: "Bottom 37", Mid 36", tip 35" Total put together 103" Weight is not stated but its heavy, probably a salmon rod."

-- Dr. Todd

Voices from the Past: Connie Mack (1926)

This cool little blurb was published in the Wednesday, March 10, 1926 edition of the Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle. It combines two of my favorite things: baseball and angling. Featuring hall-of-fame manager Connie Mack in a fishing pose, it further illustrates the connection between fishing and baseball.


Connie Mack, one of the most famous baseball managers, who assembled the great Athletics, and who last season presented a new team that made a strong fight for the flag, and which will make a strong bid this season. Connie Mack takes his fishing rod for a session in between workouts of his team at Fort Myers, Fla.

Connie Mack was one of the greatest managers of all time--he was the Philadelphia Athletics skipper for 50 years--but was also an active angler and golfer. One fascinating fact about Mack was that, although he was a ten-year major league veteran, he always wore a suit in the dugout.



-- Dr. Todd

News of the Week: 09 November 2009

Local students help improve local fishing...fishing attracts NASCAR drivers...Maine game wardens...Diana Rudolph...tackle boxes are not just for lures...follow birds to find fish...new angling game for Nintendo Wii...girls go nuts for salmon gear...the Orvis hydro...Goliath!...in Cornwall a new license tag on all rods...DNA test on potential record catch...the skinny on the new Hemingway movie...it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!

The Big Lead: These students are working to improve local fishing.

Fishing tournament is luring NASCAR drivers.


Game Wardens in Maine have a tough job.


Diana Rudolph is following in her father's footsteps.


Deep blue anglers are having a good week.


In Jersey, the bass are biting on eels.

Heloise says tackle boxes are not just for lures.

Why you should follow the birds to find fish...

Fishing for Bluefin...from a kayak. Insane.


One man tries to catch 700 pounds in six hours.


Why boat shows are not just for boys looking for toys anymore.


A review of the Nintendo Wii's Reel Fishing: Angler's Dream game.


Kayak Angler magazine on striking redfish gold.


Britain's Daily Telegraph says that girls go for salmon tackle.


The Boy Scouts of America promote fishing to the masses.


Goliath!


Theater wizard Keith Oberfeld is a fly angler.


Sharks are in trouble so here's how you can help.

Virginia has a new record Tilefish.


The Orvis Hydros fly fishing rod.

Tie on a streamer because its Big Brown time.


Spey style fly lines.

China's Joong Ang Daily tells us that Chinese anglers are fishing for moments of peace.


In Cornwall, new fishing rods come with a new license tag.

Briton Donald Black passes away; was amateur rod maker and war hero.


This angler is awaiting a DNA test on his record catch.


Finishing with a Flourish: Anthony Hopkins to star in new Ernest Hemingway movie.



-- Dr. Todd

Dealer Display Cards, Part 17

Dealer Display Cards, Part 17

Here's a dealer display card I've never seen before--the Creek Duk, courtesy of Don Murray. Neat and very rare!



-- Dr. Todd

A Thousand Words

A Thousand Words

Another great image courtesy of Jim Schottenham.



-- Dr. Todd

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett
Shannon Twin Spinners


A Personal Note on the Shannon Twin Spinner
 
Not too long ago I was walking through a tackle store and saw some Shannon Twin Spinners on the shelf. This started me thinking about my Dad who was born in 1915 and passed away about two weeks before 911. He was never a die-hard fisherman, but he did enjoy baitcasting in the yard at targets and had gone to Wisconsin with close friends on a few bass fishing trips in the 1940's . He always said that the most effective Bass lure he ever used was the Shannon Twin Spinner. A couple of times he told me the story of his largest ever bass, a six pound largemouth he hooked while casting this bait over a log. He managed to convince the fish to leap back over to his side of the log before boating it. I have often wondered just when the Shannon Twin Spinner was introduced. Today's ad from 1919 and a promotional write up from the the April 1917 National Sportsman give a good idea that it was 1917. At least this appears to be when W. J. Jamison started to produce them.

 I often fish with vintage baits and have caught fish on quite a few over the years, but I have still to catch the first one on my Dad's favorite lure.


-- Bill Sonnett

UPDATE: Worst. Packaging. Ever.

UPDATE: Worst. Packaging. Ever.

Some of you may recall I have had my woes about packaging (Click Here and then if you have the stomach for it Click Here). But in all my years of collecting, I've never seen anything like what Steve Bodeen went through. He posted this on Joe's Board and I just had to repost it here, because frankly I'm stunned.


I'll let Steve describe it:

"Not only did they take the pins out to take the collar off, because they didn't want to use a larger box. He taped the lure to the cardboard, right across the lure body. No padding. I emailed seller of the bait and scolded them already. Never know what your going to get."

He later wrote me:

I was amazed.  Not only did he not cover the hooks, he took off the pinned collar and taped the lure to the side of the box so it wouldn't slide around.  I was SHOCKED to say the least.

I guess shocking is the only way to describe it...when I saw the picture for the first time I almost started gagging. It's almost a work of art how bad this is. The picture is horrifyingly fascinating, in the same way people can't stop staring at a picture of a wrecked exotic car.

Don't fret, however, Steve reports that the lure is actually fine.

I hope to never see a worse packaging job than this, but you never know!

-- Dr. Todd

Friday Funhouse

Video of the Week
A house full of Flu at the Larson Household, so we head into the weekend with a Classic Rapala commercial.



Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them
Instant Collection Alert: Shakespeare Revolutions galore!


This is an awesome Payne fly rod...love the butt on this fly rod. Wait. That didn't come out right at all.


Anyone for an entire Wedding Cake?


Crikey! ThisCCBC Dingbat in Brilliant Greenback is just awesome!


An Edwards Quadrate is always a nifty find...


A Meek No. 3 Tournament is an incredible reel.


Hello Otto Zwarg!


An Ari'T Hart reel with extra spools makes me extra jealous, considering I just bought the Ari'T Hart book!


Ah...Johnny Garland's Bagley Book. Always attracts great interest!


Hold that Tiger! Bingo Tiger!


Well, this is about the funkiest wooden reel I've ever seen.



As always, have a great weekend, and be good to each other, and yourself.

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: World Record Bass Book!

Thursday Review: World Record Bass Book!

Bill Baab--time NFLCC member who has helped edit the NFLCC Gazette--has a new book out, and it couldn't be more timely. With the IGFA weighing in on certification of a record-tying World Record Bass caught by Manibu Kurita in Japan, interest in the original world record holder, George Perry, could not be higher.

Fortunately, Bill has been working on a biography of Perry for thirty years. The timing could not have been more fortuitous (he had the full manuscript to the Whitefish Press months before the Kurita catch).


Baab, noted outdoor writer and former outdoor editor of The Augusta Journal, has spent over three decades unraveling the story of the man behind the bass. George Perry was much more than just one fish -- in fact, he's the only man to ever win the Field & Stream Big Bass division TWICE -- and his life reads like an adventure novel.

In addition to the definitive history of how, where, when and with what THE BASS was caught, the book includes a full biography of Perry's life and the story behind all of the other bass that threatened the record -- from close calls to out right hoaxes. Fittingly, it ends with the Kurita bass...

This is truly one man's lifetime of work, and I'm sure everyone with even a passing interest in bass fishing or fishing history will find this to be an incredible read.

Order the Book by Clicking Here.

-- Dr. Todd

More Thoughts on the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force

For those who haven't been following the important debate over the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, you can catch up by
Clicking Here and then Clicking Here.

The issue isn't going away and we always welcome new view points on the issue. Today we get Brian Funai, a noted Hawaiian angler, outdoor writer, fishing historian, and tackle collector. I thought it might be nice to get a few thoughts from someone who is (likely) more immediately affected by the IOPTC than many of us. Here are his comments:

I appreciate the President’s recognition that the health of our nation’s ocean’s coasts and Great Lakes should be addressed and that he sees the importance of creating an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. Many in Hawaii have been seeking our own State of Hawaii Government to formalize a similar interagency task force to effectively manage our coastal and ocean resources. Many of us see the failure to address critical interlocking land and sea issues because agencies cannot coordinate or work together, resulting in the resource being neglected and in most cases, the resource user being ultimately blamed for its demise.

However, there are important cautions that need to be recognized before deciding on a single national policy. For example: the State of Hawaii, territories of Guam and American Samoa and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are island communities and as such, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean (and on one side by the Philippine Sea in the case of the CNMI). As islands we do not have a continental shelf as those of the U.S. Mainland coastal states, nor do we have anadromous fish crossing some inland state lines, an important difference when considering a national policy. The states, territories and commonwealth have jurisdiction of the coast to 3 miles and the federal government, 3-200 miles. This distinction requires a set of policies unique to these island areas. Additionally, it is important to recognize that some of these island areas are at different stages of economic development and deserve some latitude before hard and fast national rules are established. Without such consideration, it would be detrimental to their economic stability and well-being of its populace.

In short, one size does not fit all. This was recognized by congress when eight regional fishery management councils were established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act. A regionally focused approach that is considerate of the various natural, environmental, cultural, economic and political uniqueness of each region within our nation, that also allows a public input process, must be the cornerstone in the development of fair and equitable national ocean policy.

Of utmost concern is that this effort mirrors the type of tactics that we here in the Islands have seen before all too often. Those who do not want fishing and eating seafood to continue as a part of our Island culture and lifestyle have used it mostly with failure, due to the determination of our local fishermen, but with a single victory in establishing one of the largest no-fishing zones in the country – the North West Hawaiian Islands. By circumventing the public process and going directly through the Executive Branch, a naturally isolated and protected fishing area was taken away from use by our State residents with the stroke of a Presidential pen, deaf to the many calls for consideration of what people here in this State considered important. This effort to centralize management and again take away the input of the citizens is not warmly embraced and people here are strongly objecting to having yet more say in the management of our fisheries taken away.

Brian F. Funai
Kaneohe, Hawaii

* * * * * * * * * *

Dave Pfeiffer, President of North American Shimano, writes to tell us that we are having a positive effect. "It seems all of the press that is out on the Ocean’s Policy Task Force and resulting letters is working," he writes, "at least it is causing a stir in the halls of Washington and Congress and many others are demanding answers from the Obama Administration on what is going on with this, what’s behind it, etc." Pressure from anglers like you and me have even gotten the NOAA to admit that the erred by not including the recreational fishing community a seat at the table for discussions and promised to rectify it. We'll be ever vigilant to make sure they follow through on this pledge. Dave further writes that he has a big thank you "to all that took the time to write letters. We got some peoples’ attention which was our objective at this point."

So keep up the good work, everyone! Keep writing those letters.

-- Dr. Todd

Voices from the Past: Ervin Hickman (1951)

This nifty idea--from an article in a 1951 Sporting Goods Dealer--comes from San Antonio, Texas. I'd sure like a chance to pluck a few lures off the lure tree...thanks to Steve Lumpkin for sending this our way!



-- Dr. Todd

News of the Week: 02 November 2009

Monster shark alert in Australia...48 pound Lake St. Clair musky...sturgeon on their way back...a huge Grouper...Florida loses a fishing icon...a Chinese tackle merchant...Guy Harvey is a hall-of-famer...woman uses fishing rod to defraud neighbors...monster reds...braided line is making a comeback...a new record herring?...2 rods 1 shark...fishing for crocodiles...it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!

The Big Lead: Jaws is Real!


A massive 48 pound musky is caught in Lake St. Clair.

Even more news on the potential demise of the bluefin...


But we do have some good news: sturgeon are on the rise in the Great Lakes.


Holy big Groupers, batman!


A florida community loses a fishing icon in John B. Sweeney.

If you're ever in Bangkok, check out the fishing tackle display at the Soon Phum Panya Thai Bance Centre.


One Chinese businessman is tackling fishing head on.


A new (albeit late) review of the Lost World of Mr. Hardy from the august Times of London.

Guy Harvey is inducted into the IGFA Hall-of-Fame.

How to beat the flu? Go fishing.


An Old Dominion Univ. science project may end up with a wonderful new fishing rod for the disabled.

Woman uses fishing rod to defraud her neighbors of £30,000.

More EPL soccer player anglers...

Don't get discouraged with the thought of fly angling.

Monster reds are invading...

Catch more fish with braided lines.

Gene Kelly would be happy: fishin' in the rain.

Monty Python would be proud: a new Herring may be a record.

One man catches one fish.on two rods...


Finishing WIth a Flourish: Angler lands...crocodile ?



-- Dr. Todd

A Halloween Fishing Cartoon by Peter Nilsen

The unbelievably talented Peter Nilsen sends in this great cartoon perfectly fitting for the Halloween weekend. We hope to feature many more of his great drawings in the coming months!


Thanks Peter! Terrific job...

Dealer Display Cards, Part 16

Dealer Display Cards, Part 16

Almost every 1940s-1970s tackle box had at least one Little Cleo spoon in it. A Seneca Tackle product, this had to be one of the most popular lures sold during its heyday. And who would wonder at $.65 each?



-- Dr. Todd