Monday, September 30, 2013

News of the Week: Sep. 30, 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: Legendary ice decoy carver James "Judd" Nelson has passed away.



Snake River sturgeon are ingesting used tackle, so don't throw it out.



A memorial to Bass fishing icon Richard Corder.



A little on rod guide basics.




TMF Sport Shop closes after 35 years.



Now is the time to go for the back-country "slam" in Florida.

Meet fly fishing icon Jerry Darkes at Horizon Books in Traverse City.

A specialty lure fits the bill.

Finishing with a Flourish: Tackle icon EBSCO/Pradco is a good community citizen, donates land to local school district.

-- Dr. Todd

Sunday, September 29, 2013

1000 Words


This wonderful image of a trout caught from a canoe in Ontario, Canada dates from 1917. It's a classic fish photo.



-- Dr. Todd

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Letterheadings with Jim Jordan: Shoff Fishing Tackle (1932)




This weeks feature is an advertising envelope from Shoff Fishing Tackle Co. The envelope is postmarked Evansville Ind. Oct. 10 ,1932. It is self addressed and has pencil notations of # 706 ,707 and 15 cents. Perhaps it was sent by a Shoff Representative back the company.The envelope shows a small illustration of one of the companies large line of flies.



Clarence Henry Shoff was born April 30, 1894 in Kent ,Washington. After graduating from high school, Clarence attended Washington State College for one year. After leaving college, Shoff worked at the Navy Yard as a ship joiner. When the United States entered the first World War, Clarence enlisted in the Naval Aviation Service.

In 1922 Shoff began manufacturing fishing tackle in Kent, Washington. His Company was known for selling high quality fly making materials and flies. Early on Shoff traveled throughout Washington and California fishing and selling his flies at fishing camps and along river banks. Shoff was known to make custom flies to order for individual anglers as well as for other tackle dealers. In 1934 Shoff received a patent for a method of making a fish bait and the product thereof. This patent was essentially a blueprint for Shoff's Hair Mouse.

As the company grew Shoff's wares were sold by large Hardware and Sporting Goods houses and through catalog sales. Some of Shoff's mice have turned up on cards marked Western Auto and Sears Roebuck .

Sometime around 1950 Clarence Shoff partnered with Dick Snyder to make fibre glass fishing rod blanks in the back of Shoff's Kent, Washington Sporting goods store. They were said to be the first to make fibreglass fishing rod blanks. This partnership was the start of the famed Lamiglas Company. Lamiglas played an important role in modern fishing rod history and at one time employed such rod making icons Don Green and Gary Loomis. Green formed Grizzly rods which later became Fenwick. After leaving Fenwick Green created Sage. Gary Loomis started Loomis composites/ G. Loomis.

Best regards,

Jim Jordan

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Friday Funhouse


The Video of the Week

This is a cool old movie of a Newfoundland tuna trip.



12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

The Holy Grail of Bronson reel is the great Reel-o-Mine.



A Merit bait casting reel is a strange one indeed.



This is a great Shakespeare Style B reel.



This Meek & Milam #3 is beyond great.



Kent Frogs are always great.



The Baby Catskill is one of the iconic Leonard rods.



Love this Heddon Surface Minnow.



The Aussie Seamartin is a hot reel.



A Winchester Quadruple in the box is always going to bring top dollar.



Better get your Detroit Minnow Tubes before the new book on Glass Minnow Tubes and Bait Holders blows the roof off these babies in about six weeks.



These South Bend Truck Orenos are great.



This CCBC Open Mouth Shiner is a rare, rare lure.



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

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Ben Wright's Spinning Reel Report (September)

SEPTEMBER 2013

FALL BEGINS WITH REELS,REELS AND MORE SPINNING REELS  !!!

Featured Reels:
Abu 444 Tournament   w/two tier spool. reel was like new but spool had paint wear. wonder if the reel had the small extra gear ?  @ 924.95

Cargem mignon UL (33) exc w/pouch @ 247.49

Johnson Pink Princess 100AP nib @ 228.11

common Mitchell 408 nib @ 306.00

Zebco 33 CF 50th anniv. #0330 of 1000 like new with display case @ 250.50

Last was a reel listed as a French GMS Moraux but the photo's show an Italian made very rare Crebbia-Brevetto?
turns out that the reel for sale was the Crebbia in exc- condition and sold @ only 311.00

Reel Deals:
Abu Cardinal 57 nib @ 64.77
Alcedo Micron bent leg exc @ 55.98
Daiwa Mini-Spin w/special foot and screw exc @ 12.51
Graet Lakes Imperial w/rod exc @ 41.00

Old Pal Tom Cat ewb @ 13.50
odd ball johnny walker CF some paint wear @ .99c
Karmann 41 exc- @ 1.85
Ted Williams 410 exc+ @ 21.00
waltco ny-o-lite marron/white nib @ 20.50
Zebco Cardinal 557 exc @ 29.99

Abu:
Garcia Suveran S4000M exc+ w/black-Gold box @305.00
 "            "            "        NIB     @386.00
  "            "           "         "         @ 465.00 holy cow !!
Cardinal 157 nib @ 140.66
Record 444  first version exc- @ 230.05
888 slight wear @ 216.37
record 600 nib @ 171.71
on Joe's board was a Cardinal 554 Korea like new that sold @ 130.00 why ??

Airex:
Apache ewb @ 46.99
Aristrocrat kit # 711 w/metal box mastereel and line all exc+
@ 76.55
Feurer bro's FB430 e+wb @ 52.00

Daiwa:
SS 1 exc @ 71.00
SS 5000 exc @ 81.00
Mini Mite exc @ 122.49

English:
Allcock Duplex w/double line pick-ups exc @ 338.50
Illingworth no 5 MPU e-wb @ only 386.73

French:
GMC Morfaux exc- @ 105.53
Mepps Baby Vamp second version ewb @ 148.17

Heddon:
200 SCF ewb @ 32.05
230 spin pal nib @ 61.00

Italian:
Alcedo Micron Deluxe exc- @ 229.99
Rare Alcedo Anteus like new only 295.00
Cargem:
  rare Florida slight wear @ only 270.79
  44/M SS clear plastic sideplate exc @ 257.95
Zangi:
   Holliday 40 first version ewb @ 168.37
    Orvis 75A exc+ @ 223.50
    Orvis 50A FB light wear @ 305.00
    Pelican 50 gray exc+ @ 215.57

Mitchell:
Common 300 nib @ 100.00
      "       304 nib @ 56.00
300A nib @ 76.50
306 nib @ 188.88
308 nib @ 81.00
524 missing decal @ 130.00

Ocean City:
310 exc @ 30.99
350 yellow exc+ @ 32.50
        same         @26.01
        same          @ 53.02
         same         @ 31.00
350 Red body   exc- @ 44.99

Penn:
Green 710 nib @ 189.76 wow
716 ewb @ 172.49
650SS nib @ 188.00
750SS nib @ 152.00

Zebco:
Rare 601 CF slight wear @ 154.01

Snow is around the corner !!
Ben

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Dr. George Parker Holden on Theodore Gordon


Dr. George Parker Holden was one of the leading voices on both fly fishing and on bamboo rod making. His book The Idyll of the Split Bamboo is considered a major classic in the field of rod making, and his 1919 book Streamcraft is one of the best fly fishing books of its era.

Holden knew Ted Gordon and wrote of him on occasion. The first instance we have of this is in article from Forest & Stream dated September 1916 on the Neversink River in New York. In it he wrote:

We were camping in the vicinity of the late home of the lamented Theodore Gordon, sage of the Neversink, super-angler and ardent nature student. It was the privilege of the writer to meet Mr. Gordon along the stream that he loved, the summer before his death, when he mentioned in the course of casual conversation that he was tying some flies for a gentleman in Nova Scotia after specimens of native insects much had been sent him. It was also my pleasure to make the acquaintance during the past winter of Dr. Edward Breck, at an interesting lecture that he delivered in the interests of the Naval Defense League. The Neversink country being mentioned, Dr. Breck inquired if I had ever met Gordon. I then recalled the incident of "the Nova Scotia gentleman." "Yes," said Breck, "I am that fellow."

The beautiful Neversink is a stream not enough appreciated by our Eastern anglers, but those who do realize its charm will be glad to learn while no one may fill Theodore Gordon's unique place as a writer beloved of all gentle anglers, that flies tied in the exquisite Gordon fashion are still obtainable from Gordon's friend and neighbor, Mr. H. B. Christian, of Neversink, who was intimately acquainted with Gordon and his work. We know of one of the Christian flies that caught nineteen goodly trout and remained in excellent working order; they certainly are tied to stay. In the July number of this magazine Dr. Breck says of the Nova Scotia trout: "I don't think our uneducated trout take much to the dry fly, but I use it mostly here, all the same, for, though the wet fly gets five where the dry lures one, the use of the dry is far more fascinating. The best luck I have had with some flies made for me by that finest of all anglers, the late Theodore Gordon. These were tied by Gordon from insects, well preserved, that I sent him from here, and were beautifully wrought."


A month later, Holden wrote a letter to Forest & Stream entitled "Note on the Gordon and Blue Grannom Flies" in which he elaborated on Gordon's influence on fly tying. Holden wrote:

In the Neversink article in September Forest and Stream mention is made of the late Theodore Gordon and of his skill as a fly tier. The accompanying photograph of flies tied in the Gordon-style by H.B. Christian of Neversink, N.Y. may interest your readers.

The fly, first made up commercially by a well-known New York tackle house, generally known as the "Gordon," was called a Golden Spinner by Gordon himself. It was never as successful on Neversink waters as the Blue Quill Gordon, shown at the left in the illustration. This fly has a quill body wound with gold wire, the effect being of a bluish body with a fine brown ribbing; the wings are wood duck and the hackle and tail of a graysh blue. The fly shown at the right is a Whitchurch Dun.



Concerning the "Blue Granite" fly noted in the same article, it is doubtless the American or Blue Grannom. Now for a pretty piece of piscatorial observation retarding the same. I have since learned that Mr. Will L. Hall, a skilful and enthusiastic angler of Brooklyn, once remained an extra week on the Neversink for the particular purpose of studying this fly, with the result that he found it to hatch out only in shallow water, and that while over the water in dense flight for a season it was very little on the water, for which reasons he regards the artificial as of very little value.

-- George Parker Holden, Yonkers, N.Y.


Later in his book Streamcraft, Holden wrote again on Gordon when he noted"

"When the late Theodore Gordon first began to use the dry fly he wrote to Mr. Halford to learn how it was tied, in response to which he received some of the Halford flies and a long letter on the subject. Gordon's experience was that the particular patterns which he received from England gave service on American streams much inferior to native creations in imitation of certain "American bugs;"…It was the writer's privilege to meet the Sage of the Neversink, super-angler, and ardent nature student the Summer before his death, alongside the stream that he loved. In the course of casual conversation he mentioned that he was tying some flies for a gentleman in Nova Scotia, after specimens of native insects which had been sent him. Some two years later it was also my pleasure to make the acquaintance of Dr. (now Lieutenant-Commander) Edward Breck, the veteran woodsman and author of The Way of the Woods, at an interesting lecture that he gave in the interest of the Naval Defense League. .

It's always interesting to see what one legendary fly angler had to say about another, so Holden's perceptions of Ted Gordon are exceptionally interesting and informative.

-- Dr. Todd

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Voices from the Past: J.F. Atwood (1917)




The following article was published in the June 1917 Hunter-Trader-Trapper magazine. It's a great look at the state of bait casting at that time.

BAIT CASTING RODS AND REELS

by

J.F. Atwood


Bait Casting is really a modern method of taking fish and as it has evolved into an art, even to some degree approaching that saintly method, fly fishing, one must be careful about claiming complete knowledge of the tools of the trade. Bass comes to the tongue in answer to the result obtained ordinarily, but not infrequently there floats before the mind's eye scenes in which the fighting musky and the tugging pike play the leading roles. In short today most bass, large and small mouth, muskellunge and pike, are caught by use of a free running reel and a casting rod.

All up-to-date shops that make any pretense of stocking fishermen's supplies, carry a selection of casting rods and reels and it is to aid the prospective purchaser or the beginner that this article is intended.

Many rods and reels are apparently made to sell rather than to use. It behooves the beginner or purchaser to study and familiarize himself with the advertised rods and reels offered to the sportsmen before attempting the selection. The quality being thus assured it is now up to the purchaser to be able to select the rod and reel most appropriate to the purpose for which it is intended.

Rods are offered at all prices, in all lengths of known and unknown makes. Some rods at a moderate price are real serviceable tools, while others are mere sticks apparently set up without thought by the maker that they were to be used to catch fish and were planned and builded according to no theory, at least, so far as evidenced by their usefulness.

A rod may be of wood or steel but it should have life, action and be so modeled and finished as to be a comfit and a pleasure to cast with. A trolling rod may be heavier and longer than a rod to cast a lure without inconvenience. In fact it is infinitely more pleasure to land a fish upon a long flexible rod and the fish is more easily played and held as it will be able to get the slack so necessary to have in order to throw the hook. The rod having more spring aids in tiring a large fish. It matters not so much if the fish be ordinary, as bait casters have a habit of starting him and keeping him coming until he is beached or in the boat.

Rods are made and sold of noibwood, greenheart, bethabara, lancewood, bamboo, an steel. The first named solid woods are not as serviceable nor useful as bamboo and are now almost entirely off the market, except in sea rods. These woods do not have the backbone or resilience of bamboo and. therefore, must be heavier and thus actionless to give the strength for real work. Some experimental chaps have made rods out of osage orange, ash, hickory and yew, but all these woods are apt to split and set quickly. The choice, therefore, narrows to the commonly advertised and used bamboo and steel rods.

Two pieces is the limit for split bamboo rods and, were it not for the inconvenience in carrying, a one piece rod is the real thine;. The Heddon type rods of long tip and short butt are the most practical of the two piece rods and the Whaling one piece rods are models of their kind. Five feet is short enough for any rod and the length depends somewhat upon the character of the fishing and the personal whims of the caster. For bank fishing and wading a five or fiver and one-half foot rod is best when the baits used are the regular plugs and lures. The lighter the lure and longer and lighter the rod is a good axiom. Action is necessity and the rod should be selected dependable upon the lure to cast. Tournament rods have a lot of action and are six feet in length on the average. Because of the number playing this game and through it the cultivation of the light tackle idea, there is a steady and growing demand for lighter rods. For a general purpose rod one as high as your eyes will generally fit. Pay as much for your rod as you can afford.



Steel rod manufacturers are making good actionable and serviceable rods that are built and have balance. The Bristol is a type that is high class and gives a good account whenever a strong and rugged tool is required. Steel is not bamboo for action nor is bamboo steel for strength.

For bait casting nothing but a good quality quadruple multiplier should be considered. Fair reels may be purchased from two dollars up but the lowest one should pay and expect the reel to give good service is five dollars and as much should be added to this as the pocketbook and war prices will permit.

The material best suited for reels is German silver. The frame should be strong and securely adjusted. It should be built so that it could be easily torn down for cleaning models of their kind. Five feet is short enough for any rod and the length depends somewhat upon the character of the fishing and the personal whim of the caster. For bank fishing and wading a five or five and one-half foot rod is best when the baits used are the regular plugs and lures. The lighter the lure the longer and lighter the rod is a good axiom. Action is a necessity and the rod should be selected dependable upon the lure to be cast. Tournament rods have a lot of action and are six feet in length on the average. Because of the number playing this game and through it the cultivation of the light tackle idea, there is a steady and growing demand for lighter rods. For a general purpose rod one as high as your eyes will generally fit. Pay as much for your rod as you can afford.



Steel rod manufacturers are making good actionable and serviceable rods that are built and have balance. The Bristol is a type that is high class and gives a good account whenever a strong and rugged tool is required. Steel is not bamboo for action nor is bamboo steel for strength.

For bait casting nothing but a good quality quadruple multiplier should be considered. Fair reels may be purchased from two dollars up but the lowest one should pay and expect the reel to give good service is five dollars and as much should be added to this as the pocketbook and war prices will permit.

The material best suited for reels is German silver. The frame should be strong and securely adjusted. It should be built so that it could be easily torn down for cleaning and the oil caps should be adjustable. The bearings should be tool steel and most high grade reels have jewels to prevent wear of the pinions. Jewels are not a necessity to free running as is shown in the Meek reels used by many fishermen and tournament casters. The click and drag are luxuries to the reel and not real component parts but when they are features they should be substantial.

A reel to give good service should spin freely. Accuracy helps catch fish and unless the spool responds readily accuracy is impossible. When testing reels to make a purchase ask the salesman to run a yard or two of wrapping cord on each reel. Hold the reel in the left hand and slowly start the spool. Test each spool in this manner and the aualitv will show. The start of the spool reflects or telegraphs the amount of friction overcome. A reel that will start easily will spin creel.

A general purpose bait casting reel should be large enough to hold not less than eighty yards of silk line. It may be necessary to put on a core or backing line, if it is then the casting will be made easier because of the increase of the diameter of the spindle of the spool. A long barreled spool casts easier. Standard reels such as Takeapart, Tripart, Meek and Bluegrass, South Bend Anti-Backlash and Shakespeare reels are examples of good general purpose reels.

Many reels on the market have spooling and anti-backlash features. When built as a part of the reel these additions are practical and useful to the beginner or the night caster. The South Bend Anti-Backlash reel is a practical reel of this type and has an adjustable anti-backlash device that may be adjusted to any desired tension or thrown off entirely after the owner has become proficient. The Gyratory reel is a recent addition to the market and has many good points that merits a trial.

Many fishermen prefer a free spool reel and they are universally used by tournament casters. They are a distinct advantage when casting light lures and spinners and will add feet to ordinary cast. Some of the Meek and Blue Grass reels are now made free spool and are unexcelled.

After all in reels and rods it is the quality of material and workmanship that counts. Most reels and rods are built upon the same general plan and the real difference is the carefulness of the adjustment and perfectness of material and construction. James Heddon's Sons of Dowagiac, Michigan, are to enter into the production of reels in the near future and claim the same carefulness of manufacture for their reels as they use in making their rods and baits.

Buy as good a reel and rod as you can. A high grade bait casting outfit is a joy forever. If you have never learned the game start now and what can be done with a good rod and reel will startle you. After a short trial you will become convinced that even the fish enjoy it because of the way they swash the plug, spinner and chunk.

-- Dr. Todd

Monday, September 23, 2013

The News of the Week: September 22, 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: Antique tackle show lures in fishing fans.



Why antique tackle resembles art.

Going through your great-grandpa's tackle box.

Angler wins tug of war with big catfish.



Follow Fly Rod Crosby's steps in Maine.



Why Tenkara is an amazing form of fishing.



Sad news; DNR legend Mel Haugstad dies.

J. Michael Kelly's new book is on fishing and moose in the Adirondacks.

Forbes argues fly fishing can teach you a lot about management.



Finishing with a Flourish: Ken Wood's tackle collection is coming to market.



-- Dr. Todd

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Letterheadings: Marvel Hook Company (1915)




This 1915 Clinton, Iowa postmarked envelope is from the Marvel Hook Company. It has a nice fishing scene with two men in a boat one is reeling in a fish caught on a Marvel hook and the other standing at the ready with a landing net. It also shows a close up inset image of a Marvel Hook catching a fish. This close up image is almost identical to artwork used in early Japanese Novelty Company ads.



The Marvel Automatic fish hook was invented by Andrew A. Paysen. He was quite the inventor,  he held two separate lever type gaff hook patents. One granted in 1910 and the other in 1911. Paysen also received a patent for a gas engine in 1913.

The Marvel Fish hook was being heavily advertised from 1911-1913 by the Japanese Novelty Company and the Marvel Hook Company simultaneously .These two firms were based in Clinton, Iowa. According to early Andrew Paysen paperwork, the Japanese Novelty Company was the only one having license to manufacture the Marvel fish hook. It is unclear whether the Marvel Hook Company belonged to Andrew Paysen or if it was part of the Japanese Novelty Company.
   
Best Regards,
                 
Jim Jordan

Friday, September 20, 2013

The Friday Funhouse


The Video of the Week

An interesting attempt at recreating a vintage saltwater fishing show clip.



12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This is a super cool Pflueger underwater minnow in Burnt Sienna crackle back.



This Ed. vom Hofe #481 is a great reel.



This Frederick vom Hofe is a superb.



This Ambassadeur 5500C is beyond cool.



Wow. This Moonlight Bug is breaking all sorts of records.



Truck Orenos are pretty dang awesome.



This Six Pack of Evans Undertakers is a great find.



A pair of Pflueger 2800s is a buyer's delight.



A North Channel Minnow is unbelievable.



This Gobel Bait is gorgeous.



A Shakespeare Revolution is an all-time classic.



A Spinno Minno in the box in rainbow? Oh my.



This Garcia Conolon spinning rod is very popular



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

-- Dr. Todd

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The First Nylon Fishing Line in History


A question I'm often asked is when nylon fishing line was first used. It's been a matter of speculation for some time, but we know it was offered for sale as early as 1939.

Well, I can go one better today. I can actually show you the first fish ever caught using nylon line.

The outstanding publication The Sporting Goods Dealer ran a retrospective article in the July 1961 issue, showing what was happening in the sporting world 25 years before. They then ran the following article and picture.

Bobby Crandall, son of Julian T. Crandall, secretary-treasurer, Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., made news as the first angler ever to catch a fish on a line made of glass. Ashaway craftsmen had painstakingly fabricated the line from threads of fibrous glass. The youngster's catch was a land-locked salmon taken from Sebago Lake in Maine. (Today, Bobby Crandall is L.R. Crandall, secretary-treasurer of Ashaway; his father is president…and a great angler!)



There you have it. The first nylon line was made and used in June, 1936.

-- Dr. Todd