Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Happy New Year's Eve!
Be safe, be happy, be good to each other. And have a Happy New Year!
-- Dr. Todd
Monday, December 30, 2013
The 20 Most Interesting Fishing Stories of 2013
Presented in no particular order, we get my list of the most important and interesting fishing stories of 2013.
The 20 Most Interesting Fishing Stories of 2013
Biggest salmon in 75 years caught in Scotland.
Atlantic Sturgeon leaps into man's boat.
The Rebirth of Tycoon Tackle!
Police arrest confessed killer of pro angler Jimmy Johnson.
Legendary ice decoy carver James "Judd" Nelson has passed away.
The Norwegians are yelling "Helpe Meg!!" over the size of this tryout.
The great Ian Frazier documents the last days of Stealhead Joe.
Wright Thompson, the best journalist around, chronicles the great Tom Morgan.
More information on the Brittania fly reel.
Kirk Deeter is Missing John Merwin….
114 year old woman is better angler than you.
Record breaking 103-pound cod is landed.
The 10 Weirdest Fishing Lures.
Karl White is still seeking a home for his massive collection.
A profile of Tibor "Ted" Jurascik.
The great John Merwin has passed.
Lew's resurgence is a great story.
Incredibly knowledgable (and nice) collector Jim Schottenham, and Lang's Auctions, gets a nice profile in the Wall Street Journal.
Remembering the great Bill Cullerton Sr.
An interview with Jeremy Wade.
Friday, December 27, 2013
The Friday Funhouse
The Video of the Week
This movie from the 1930s if very cool/
12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them
I love these weird Ocean City #350 spinning reels.
This Ocean City #604 Cradle Reel is pretty rare.
A Bill Vogt #10 bait casting rod from Heddon is pretty cool.
This Ari T. Hart set of presentation fly reels is incredible.
Wow -- this CCBC Gar is out of this world.
This So-Co surf lure is pretty darn rare.
I do like this A&I Jenning Torpedo.
Who wouldn't love this Heddon River Runt sinker in goldfish shore minnow.
Winchester (Indiana) lures are pretty rare.
Special Order Husky Plunkers are awesome.
Ambassadeur 7000s are awesome musky reels.
A CCBC Surfster in Rainbow Fire is a great find.
As always, have a great weekend, and be good to each other -- and yourself.
-- Dr. Todd
Thursday, December 26, 2013
The Fishing Themed Advertisement: Miller Beer (1964)
Last week we featured a 1951 Miller High Life ad with a lovely selection of tackle; this week we feature a later 1964 ad showing the company still loved fishing themed ads. It's very similar to a number of magazine cover paintings from a previous generation.
-- Dr. Todd
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas 2013!
A repost from the past (and a couple year's past even printed in Crappie Angler magazine!). I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and overall glad tidings to everyone in this holiday season! Enjoy!
My apologies to Clement Clark Moore for butchering his classic, but I could not let the holidays pass without a shot at rewriting his beloved poem, with a fishing theme...
An Angler's Christmas
butchered by Dr. Todd
'Twas the night before Christmas and all across the lake
Not a creature was stirring, not even a snake
The stockings were hung in the cabin with care
In hopes they'd be filled with bugs made of deer hair
This angler was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of Pfluegers danced in my head;
Shakespeares and Heddons both old and brand new
All served to disrupt my long winter's snooze,
When down on the dock there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Worried about my Big O's in mint silver flash,
I tore open the door to investigate the splash.
The light reflecting from the nearly full moon
Gave the lustre of mid-day to my Dardevle spoons,
When, what to my shock down the hill should appear,
But a Skeeter bass boat filled with reindeer!
And a portly old fisherman, so lively and quick,
I saw it was the angler we knew as St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his reindeer disembarked,
And he whistled, and shouted, their names he did hark:
"Now, Bagley! now, Paw Paw! now, Norman and Zebco!
On, Arnold! on Rebel! on Jamison and Nebco!
To the top of the steps! to the end of the dock!
Then on to the shore, my grazing herd flock!"
As dry flies that before the stiffest breeze fly,
When they meet with the wind and blow in the sky,
So along the dock the bounders they flew,
Followed by the boat full of tackle, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the shore
Their prancing and pawing and reindeer like roar.
As I drew in my breath, and was turning around,
Up the steps St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in B.A.S.S. gear from head to foot,
And his Ranger Boats cap was blackened with soot;
A bundle of rods he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a trout bum just opening his pack.
But his eyes, they twinkled, his smile was so merry!
His hooks were all sharp, his reels were so cherry!
His Orvis fly rod was as lithe as a bow,
And his hand tied streamer whiter than snow;
A piece of his leader he held tight in his teeth,
And the rest of his line lay coiled like a wreath;
St. Nick the Angler adjusted his belly,
And it flubbered around like a worm made of jelly.
But despite his big girth he could handle a rod
And he had taken his share, in spite of his bod
He slipped in the house with nary a word
As I stared in disbelief at his grazing deer herd.
St. Nick got to work, and with a nod of his face
He gave his approval of my piscatorial cache
He spoke not a word, and went straight to his work,
Filling the stockings with baits made to jerk,
Arbogasts, Helins, Spoonplugs and Skinners
Bass Pro, Cabelas, and multi-blade spinners
The stockings were soon just bursting with treasure
And he threw in a Winston, just for good measure
Then laying his finger aside of his head,
He gave me a nod, and down the steps he fled;
Into his boat he jumped, with its promo decals
And he puttered off out of sight to fish with his pals
But I heard him exclaim, as he trolled out of sight,
"Good fishing to all, and to all anglers, a good-night!"
Merry Christmas!
-- Dr. Todd
My apologies to Clement Clark Moore for butchering his classic, but I could not let the holidays pass without a shot at rewriting his beloved poem, with a fishing theme...
'Twas the night before Christmas and all across the lake
Not a creature was stirring, not even a snake
The stockings were hung in the cabin with care
In hopes they'd be filled with bugs made of deer hair
This angler was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of Pfluegers danced in my head;
Shakespeares and Heddons both old and brand new
All served to disrupt my long winter's snooze,
When down on the dock there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Worried about my Big O's in mint silver flash,
I tore open the door to investigate the splash.
The light reflecting from the nearly full moon
Gave the lustre of mid-day to my Dardevle spoons,
When, what to my shock down the hill should appear,
But a Skeeter bass boat filled with reindeer!
And a portly old fisherman, so lively and quick,
I saw it was the angler we knew as St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his reindeer disembarked,
And he whistled, and shouted, their names he did hark:
"Now, Bagley! now, Paw Paw! now, Norman and Zebco!
On, Arnold! on Rebel! on Jamison and Nebco!
To the top of the steps! to the end of the dock!
Then on to the shore, my grazing herd flock!"
As dry flies that before the stiffest breeze fly,
When they meet with the wind and blow in the sky,
So along the dock the bounders they flew,
Followed by the boat full of tackle, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the shore
Their prancing and pawing and reindeer like roar.
As I drew in my breath, and was turning around,
Up the steps St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in B.A.S.S. gear from head to foot,
And his Ranger Boats cap was blackened with soot;
A bundle of rods he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a trout bum just opening his pack.
But his eyes, they twinkled, his smile was so merry!
His hooks were all sharp, his reels were so cherry!
His Orvis fly rod was as lithe as a bow,
And his hand tied streamer whiter than snow;
A piece of his leader he held tight in his teeth,
And the rest of his line lay coiled like a wreath;
St. Nick the Angler adjusted his belly,
And it flubbered around like a worm made of jelly.
But despite his big girth he could handle a rod
And he had taken his share, in spite of his bod
He slipped in the house with nary a word
As I stared in disbelief at his grazing deer herd.
St. Nick got to work, and with a nod of his face
He gave his approval of my piscatorial cache
He spoke not a word, and went straight to his work,
Filling the stockings with baits made to jerk,
Arbogasts, Helins, Spoonplugs and Skinners
Bass Pro, Cabelas, and multi-blade spinners
The stockings were soon just bursting with treasure
And he threw in a Winston, just for good measure
Then laying his finger aside of his head,
He gave me a nod, and down the steps he fled;
Into his boat he jumped, with its promo decals
And he puttered off out of sight to fish with his pals
But I heard him exclaim, as he trolled out of sight,
"Good fishing to all, and to all anglers, a good-night!"
Merry Christmas!
-- Dr. Todd
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
The Annual Christmas Music Post (2013)
It's Christmas Eve again, and DJ Creek Chub is in the house with your Christmas music list. Every Christmas Eve for five years we've been listing our favorite Christmas songs. This year the theme is "underrated Christmas Songs." For those interested, here is 2012; Here is 2010: and here Here is 2009.
Dancin' with Santa by the Trashmen (of Surfin' Bird fame).
The Waitresses with "Christmas Wrapping." This one is so 1980s it hurts.
The Wilson Sisters sing "Hey Santa." This one is as 1990s as they get.
A 1960s classic: The O'Jays sing "Christmas Just Ain't Christmas"
An all-time classic: Leon Redbone sings "Christmas on Christmas Island"
A camp song that's recently become popular: Lou Monte's Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey.
One the all-time greats, still doesn't get the respect it deserves: Frank Sinatra's Christmas Waltz.
A newer classic: Darlene Love's "All Alone on Christmas."
A hipster Christmas tune: Guster's Tiny Tree Christmas.
Mrs. Santa Claus by Nat King Cole.
Rock out with the Kinks and Father Christmas.
And finally, a new song by Mikey Wax with a beat by a former member of Wings: A Happy New Year.
Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!
-- Dr. Todd
Monday, December 23, 2013
News of the Week: December 23, 2013
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: Biggest salmon in 75 years caught in Scotland.
New Jersey heroes on the water.
Remembering the old days of tackle retailing.
50 Irish sea-trout waters are outlined.
A very cool story about a childhood fishing rod.
Man invents the Sinkerlock.
Famed Sudbury tackle shop goes out of business.
Cops break up fight in People's Park between a man wielding a machete, one with a pole hook, and another with a fishing rod.
Olympian Johnny Spillane is now a fly shop owner.
Finishing with a Flourish: All I want for Christmas is a fishing rod.
-- Dr. Todd
Sunday, December 22, 2013
1000 Words
This week in 1000 Words: Hollywood Goes Fishing we get a great shot of comedian Junior Samples (with lovely co-star Gunilla Hutton) from the set of the popular TV show Hee Haw circa 1970. Junior was a world class angler; note his Skyline rod hat!
-- Dr. Todd
Friday, December 20, 2013
The Friday Funhouse
The Video of the Week
This is a cool video of Bing Crosby fishing from the 1930s.
12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford It
This is a pretty cool Pelican line spool in the box.
This is a scarce #2 Winchester fluted spinner.
This Winston bamboo fly rod is pretty incredible.
This Shakespeare Tournament #1740 is one of my favorite reels.
This Black Sucker #1300 is awesome.
A hand carved Northern pike mount is pretty darn cool.
You don't see many of these A&I Jennings Torpedoes around.
A WInchester wobbler in the box will always attract attention.
Love this authenticated Carrie Stevens streamer.
A Heddon Blue scale Baby Vamp is very rare.
A CCBC Injured Minnow in a non-catalog color is incredible, too.
The original artwork from the 1929 Chicago Sportsmen's Show is a great find.
As always, have a great weekend, and be good to each other, and yourself.
-- Dr. Todd