Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle

Teal · at 5:07 PM

This ad appeared in the January, 1941 issue of The Detroit Sportsman. No fishing trip would be complete without some of these Bred Stixs. After all, they'll make your beer taste better and, I presume, put hair on your chest too.

Gary Miller

Teal · at 10:38 PM

The following two ads are shown to illustrate an interesting advertising technique from The House of Hardy, the legendary British tackle makers. The first is from the 1903 book The Mighty Mahseer, and Other Fish: Or, Hints to Beginners on Indian Fishing by Cecil Lang.

To show how much Hardy's hoped to capture the global market, here's another version of the ad run the next year in James Dowell's Norwegian Anglings and Other Sportings:

Note they are virtually identical ad, save for the country designation. Hardy's was nothing if not thorough!

-- Dr. Todd

Teal · at 9:51 AM

Don't have time to read 50+ fishing and tackle collecting blogs and web sites? Well, let us do it for you! Follow all of the latest news, articles, and stories on our Whitefishpress Twitter account! Hint: You don't need to be a member...just bookmark the Twitter Feed Page or click on latest links to the right!

THE MONDAY 10: The Ten Fishing Stories of the Week You Need to Know

The Big Lead: Fishin' with Lefty.

Search is on for monk seal injured by fishing tackle.

What's the true cost of a day's fishing?

Eagle is better angler than you.

Stolen rod gives away two crooks.

A first time fly fishing.

Tiger and Lindsey go fishing.

A profile of tarpon angler Capt. Chris Frohlich.

The Lahontan Cutthroat is a success story.

Finishing with a Flourish: REcord breaking 103-pound cod is landed.

-- Dr. Todd

Teal · at 2:00 AM

This weeks letterhead feature starts out with an example from a Carlisle, Penn. Watchmaker & Jeweler. Its heading is Line & Line Watchmakers & Jewelers.

Even though its heading is not that of a tackle company, the letter's content and the accompanying material make this interesting. The letter is addressed to the Airex Division of Lionel Corporation (which is crossed out with a pen) and is dated July 20 ,1964.

This letter was a request for an overhaul of an Airex Bache Brown Masterreel Model 3 spinning fishing reel. It describes the issues which need attention. The letter is signed by Henry Line. Handwritten at the bottom of the letter are the words "P.S. Send reel in with this copy to my attention and we shall repair. Thank you, Mrs. Lombardi".

This letterhead would not tell much of a story on its own. Fortunately, it was found with other paper work that captured the final transition of Airex Tackle.

Those who collect Airex would be able to surmise by the date on the letter why the words Airex Division of Lionel is crossed out. For 1964 was the year when Feurer Bros. took over the Airex line from its former owner Lionel Corporation.

Apparently this letter addressed to Airex was forwarded to the company's new owners Feurer Bros. It was then returned to the sender with an offer to repair the reel in question. Upon returning the letter, Feurer Bros. included one of their catalogs, a price list and a Service dept. letterhead with an offer to accept trade-ins on their new reels. These paper items are a great snapshot of the Airex line's transition from Lionel to Feurer Bros.

I wonder if Watchmaker Henry Line of Carlisle, Penn. was comforted knowing his treasured reel would be repaired by fellow watchmakers, rather than folks at a company best known for making toy trains.

Best Regards,

Jim Jordan

Teal · at 1:30 AM

The Video of the Week

A very interesting transformation of an old surf rod...

12 Things I Would Buy If Only i Could Afford Them

I always like a Douglass Patent Pflueger Supreme.

This Meek & Sons #3 is pretty cool.

A Hawks & Ogilvy reel is guaranteed to date before 1893, when the company became Robert Ogilvy.

Holy Moly, ABU army! Check out the Gamble-Skogmo 50th Anniversary Ambassadeur reel!

This JVH fly reel is incredible.

I love this Joe Pepper picture box!

A Freddy vom Hofe is always an incredible find.

A Meek #44 is a great fly reel.

The Winchester Multi Wobbler is a cool lure.

A Tycoon HRH Miami is an incredible rod.

A Martin Hope Island Salmon plug is pretty scarce.

All Moonlights are great in my book.

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

-- Dr. Todd

Teal · at 2:30 AM

It's that time of year, oh collector fans! It's time for Lang's Spring Auction! And a more anticipated moment is hardly seen on the calendar. Let me tell you, this auction is absolutely LOADED. Doesn't matter what you collect -- reels, rods, lures, flies, ephemera -- there is a Wowser in there for everyone. I honestly could have done Top 10 for every category, and even within them, a Top 10 for subcategories (Fly Reels, Creek Chubs, etc.). Just amazing stuff.

So here is my anticipated Top 10 Items from Lang's I Wish I Could Buy…

Of course I'd pick the only known Keeling 5-Hook Musky Minnow. Who wouldn't?

While there are LOTS of great reels, my favorite may be this Bogdan Baby Trout reel.

I love this Ogden Smith presentation set in the wooden box.

Lang's has the greatest accumulation of Gary Howells fly rods I've ever seen in this auction. They are INCREDIBLE.

They also have an incredible set of Dickerson fly rods.

This card of Weber Salmon flies is just gorgeous.

You will not find a rarer set of line spools than these CCBC Black Chubs.

Nothing better in the frog world than the Hosmer Mechanical in the box.

A Hibbard trade minnow is an OVB (Our Very Best).

A VIM trade minnow is a Veribest. Don't confuse the two.

Here is a link to both days' auction catalogs at LiveAuctioneers. Love the new layout, too!

-- Dr. Todd

Teal · at 1:20 PM

The May 2013 issue of The Fishing for History Magazine is up and ready to be downloaded! It's 100 pages of pure fishing history joy!

This issue features the following articles:

-- Bill Sonnett on the Arbogast Hula Popper

-- Gary Miller on Countdown Trout

-- Steve Lumpkin on the Selby Flat-Head Minnow

-- John Etchieson on All Foss and Bullfrog Line

-- Dick Braun on the Zebco

-- Finn Featherfurd on Virgil Ward and Championship Fishing Magazine history

-- Patrick Daradick on Lucky Strike

-- Tom Jacomet on Spinno Minnows

-- Dr. Tim O'Brien on Big Game Fishing Reels

-- Harold Dickert on an Interesting Display

-- Ben Wright's Spinning Reel Report from March 2013

-- Robert Ellis on the Bronson Gold Medal Reels

-- G. Buckley Juhasz on Rod Tip Tricks Rodmakers Don't Want You To Know

-- Annotated Catalogs: T.J. Conroy Lure Section (1889)

-- Photo Essay: Monofilament Line Spools

-- Collection of the Month: C.A. Clark Salesman's Case

-- Fishing Photography with Doug Bucha

-- Full Page Ads

-- The Fishing News of the Month

-- 1000 Words

-- Focus on Full Page Ads

-- The UNID Files

-- Lost Patents: Hansen Tackle Box

-- Voices from the Past: Charles Davis Pratt, W.T.J. Lowe, South Bend

-- Michael Koller on Fishing Regulations Pamphlets

-- Joe Stagnitti on a Perfect Wedding Gift for Anglers

-- The William Demmer Prototype Rod-and-Reel Combo

-- Lost Patents: Hanke Powerhook (1957)

-- Outers vs. Recreation Magazine

-- The Phantom Twin Syndrome

-- Letterheadings with Jim Jordan

A spectacular issue! Note that is 17 megs and will take some time to download! Download the May Issue for free until June 15th!

-- Dr. Todd

Teal · at 1:19 AM

Don't have time to read 50+ fishing and tackle collecting blogs and web sites? Well, let us do it for you! Follow all of the latest news, articles, and stories on our Whitefishpress Twitter account! Hint: You don't need to be a member...just bookmark the Twitter Feed Page or click on latest links to the right!

THE MONDAY 10: The Ten Fishing Stories of the Week You Need to Know

The Big Lead: The great Glen Brackett gets profiled.

The charms of Southern trout.

A Twin Cities fly shop enters a new age of angling.

Orvis purchases Scientific Anglers.

Are you thinking of owning a U.S. tackle company ?

Glenda gives an angling masterclass.

Minnesotans like to buy their fishing licenses at the tackle shop.

Searching for perfect fishing.

Governor Brownback goes a-fishing.

Abel Reels are casting for recovery.

Finishing with a Flourish: ever made?

The best fly reel

-- Dr. Todd

Teal · at 4:28 PM

This weeks feature is from Tycoon Tackle Incorporated, Miami, Florida dated July 2, 1937. I love the graphics on this one. A wonderful fishing scene of a boat, an offshore angler seated in a fishing chair, bent rod in hand, fighting a large Billfish. I can almost taste the salt air.

The content of this letter is fairly plain. South Bend Bait Company's Ivar Hennings was trying to get in touch with Tycoon's founder Mr. O'Brien. It is one of many examples of how correspondence between tackle companies took place back then. The following is a brief history of Tycoon Tackle by Tim O'Brien. Tim is the son of Tycoon Tackle founder Frank M. O'Brien.

Tycoon Tackle was one of those stories that can be considered "a typical American success story" because it did not begin with someone’s visions of greatness. The company's founder, Frank M. O'Brien, Jr., had an idea, and a dream. to make a better fishing rod than was then available. He was not concerned about competition or the odds of success; he simply wanted to make a product, period! O'Brien designed and tested the products himself, he listened to what the great anglers of the day liked and disliked about existing fishing rods, and he consulted with the skippers and crews to glean their perspectives of what worked well and what did not. He was never afraid to modify or alter the product line as necessity dictated. In time, names like The Martuna, The Bimini King, The H.R.H., The Scion, and others became synonymous with catching big fish and orders were placed by anglers from all over the world. In the end, he overcame the odds and the company grew to be a giant in an industry that today is one of the leading generators of revenue and income in the world. Through testing, perseverance, and hard work he achieved his goal. And in time, this angler and his little Tycoon Tackle Company rose to prominence in the sportsman’s world to the point where at one time its products held more than ninety-five percent of all the “Big-Game” world record fish that were caught. Along the way, this company helped win a world war, impacted the commercial fish packing industry, was a pioneer in plastic injection molding, and set the standard for excellence in production, innovation, safety, and quality.

I'd like to give Tim a big thanks for providing us with this wonderful history of his Father's company. For a more in depth look at Tycoon Tackle, Check out Tim O'Brien's book, The Tycoon Tackle Story. It is available here by by clicking here.

Best Regards,

Jim Jordan