Deconstructing Old Ads: The Heddon Stanley Pork Rind Minnow

The Heddon Stanley Pork Rind Minnow

The Heddon-Stanley PorkRind Minnow was featured in this full page ad from the March 1923 issue of Outer's Recreation Magazine. William Stanley was a Chicago Plumber who was not only a nationally recognized tournament caster, he also sold the Stanley Weedless Hook for which he had received a patent in 1907. Just prior to the time of this advertisement, he entered into an agreement with the Heddon Company in which he would design baits for them which would carry his name and they in turn they would manufacture and sell the Stanley Weedless Hook, paying him royalties, of course. You will note at the bottom of this advertisement the notice that hereafter the Stanley line of flys and hooks will be sold through the Heddon Company.


The Heddon-Stanley Weedless PorkRind Minnow was designed to compete with the Al Foss Oriental Wiggler. The first year it featured a tail attachment for the porkrind (as shown here) and appeared to be made of celluloid. The following year the tail attachment was missing and the body was made from a newer and more stable form of plastic. Unfortunately, Al Foss did not take this lying down and sued the Heddon Company for patent infringement. As part of the settlement the Heddon-Stanley PorkRind Minnow was no longer produced.

One can only imagine that there must have been an unused barrel full of the spinners that were designed specifically for this lure. These spinners which have the words “Heddon Stanley” written in script across the front surface, showed up for many years on baits for which the were not originally designed. This is especially true during the Great Depression when all sorts of leftover hardware from past productions found their way onto what collectors today refer to as “Depression Baits.”

-- Bill Sonnett