Awful News: Robert Ellis Has Passed

John Elder reports that fishing tackle historian, Fishing for History magazine columnist, and all-around good guy Robert Ellis has passed away. Very, very sad news. Robert was truly one of a kind. He was a bundle of energy and knowledge -- I have many anecdotes but I'll relate my favorite one. Robert was a maniac for Bronson reels, so much so that for any Bronson reel -- even a trade reel for which he had no background -- he tried to ferret out information any way he could.

Thus the mystery of the Packard reel was born. Bronsons marked Packard are fairly common, but their origin has always been a mystery. So much so that I, too, dug into their background about five years ago and successfully solved the mystery, setting the material aside for an upcoming article for my Reels of the Trade column in The Reel News. Robert a year or two ago inquiring about Packard, and I told him I knew who sold them, and as a joke, told him he'd have to wait for the article to come out. He thanked me for the email, as he always did, and the next thing I know he was advertising on ORCA and Joe's Board paying "$25 Cash for Knowledge About Who Sold Packard Reels from Bronson." Keep in mind a really mint Packard reel itself costs about $10. I chuckled and emailed Paul the information he was seeking, and he laughed. I suspect it was a joke on his part, too, but you could never tell with Paul when it came to Bronson! I think he really would have paid cash for the information.

I will miss him greatly. You can read more from John Elder and his other ORCA friends by Clicking Here.

RIP my friend. I'm sure you and Jack Bright and the rest of our deceased ORCA family are having a ball right now.

-- Dr. Todd