Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle

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APRIL 2014

A GREAT MONTH FOR THE COLLECTOR AND THATS NO APRIL FOOLS !!!

WAIT TILL YOU SEE SOME OF THESE SELLING PRICES-------

Abu:
222 first version re-paint @ 182.50
222 second version e+wb @ 277.91
444 tournament reel paint wear on two tier spool @ 929.04 sure hope it has the extra gear !!!
999 exc- @ 380.75
Cardinals:
3 second version exc- @ 267.00
66X ewb @213.14

Airex:
Vic green some wear @ only 32.05
Feurer Bro's Larchmont nib @ 127.87

Ashaway- surf slip cast exc- @ 75.99

Cut-A-Way salesman samples:
Lews speed spin S1 exc @ 203.51 wow
    "        "        "    S3 exc @ 123.51
Mitchell 300 FB exc- @ 152.50
Olympic no model exc @ 67.99

Dam-Quick:
model 94 ewb @ 62.98

English:
early Hardy Altex MK1 w/turned -up ducks foot exc- @ 2,153.73 holy cow!
Hardy Altex no 3 mk 5 nib @ 500.00
Palace superb missing sticker decal @ 92.04

French:
Centaure Pacific 5 nib @ 305.00 are you kidding me !!
      "             "      "    exc- @ 152.50
Crack Contact 400 "PINK" exc- @ 960.77 wow
Fil'o exc+ @ 207.53
South Bend Sup Matic 707 nib @ 72.55

Italian:
Alcedo Oceanic slight wear @ 299.13
Cormoran exc- @ 347.13
Ofmer-
Wright and McGill ECH nib @ 75.00
Zangi---
Jolly first version exc only @ 61.00
Pelican 50 green exc @ 222.01
Orvis 100 second version nib @ 137.99

Mitchell "CAP"
first version slight wear w/box @ 1,877.58 wow
second version slight wear w/box @ 621.00
third version slight wear @ 260.77
     "       "          '         "      " 99.89

Mitchell:
second version w/wood handle knob exc+ started @ 1,500.00 with two bids both declined !
third version e-wb @ 406.51
pre 300 fb ewb @ 355.00
300 with yellow garcia sticker nib @ 271.99
301DL nib @ 826.11
306 box marked X ewb @ only 31.00
Garcia 402 salt water nib @ 324.99
     "       408 nib @ 286.01 wow
410 special ewb @ 170.63
440 ALC nib @ 174.80
Browning 910 exc @ 182.20
Books Two Mitchell Collectors Reference Guide by Dennis Roberts #34 @ 253.50 #496 @ 193.61

Johnson:
Century 100B CF nib @ 102.50
Pink Princess e-wb @ 179.95
Revelation Century R100B/V1605 CF exc @ 210.00 wow

Penn:
716 e+wb @ 190.50
722 nib @ 105.50
720 like new w/722 box @ 102.50

Precision spinnreel nib @ 125.50

Rogue 150 like new @ 123.65

Zebco:
202 CF salesman RED color @ 150.00
Cardinals--
4 second version exc+ w/extra spool @ only 67.66
6 first version ewb @ 108.48
7    "        "          "      " 101.98

Last----------- Mullock's auction from UK 4-5 14
Illingworth no 2 w/enclosed gears exc- @ only 268.85
Carswell Modified Illingworth exc- @ only 126.02
Hardy Exalta e+wb @ 168.02
Two Illingworth     NO 1 both exc with case NOT SOLD !!

wonder what next month will bring
Ben

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Celebrity fishing is always an interesting thing; people tend to have divergent opinions. Some use it as an opportunity to deride celebrity culture, which I think is a shame. Here we have New York Knicks guard Carmelo Anthony catching a big shark, which he posted to his Instagram account. I'm sure some people will use this as an opportunity to attack him in an effort to make themselves feel good. But I think it's awesome when people use their celebrity to promote this sport which we love. So kudos to Carmelo and his friends and family and I hope they continue to enjoy their fishing!

-- Dr. Todd

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What could be more beautiful than a rainbow in the sky after a summer rain? A 1907 Heddon Rainbow Surface Minnow, that’s what! The 300 series of Surface Minnow appeared as new in the 1905 catalog and continued to be in the Heddon product line until 1929. As with most any other series of a lure, it took on body shape changes along the way, but it must have been a popular lure that caught fish to have been produced as many years as it was. The rainbow paint pattern was also listed as new in the 1905 catalog and the color is indicated by the numeral 1 at the end of the product code. The rainbow color pattern that Heddon used on this 1907 era 300 is stunning, and what makes this particular lure even more beautiful today, is its varnish patina and crazing.

I’ll bet the lure was pretty enough when new in 1907, but it has aged wonderfully, as has the wooden box and paperwork. Heddon made several changes to the Rainbow coloration in later years, and the patterns are all wonderful, but there’s just something about this one that mesmerizes me. I could stare at this lure all day long. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I’d much rather look at these old lures than any painting Picasso ever painted!

If you have any questions/comments, Elissa Ruddick can be reached at elissaruddick AT aol DOT com.

-- Elissa Ruddick

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The Video of the Week

This is one superb pike from the north.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This Heddon Musky Vamp in the box is superb.

Musky Dan is on fire again.

Pflueger 2800s are always a great find.

This Paragon Minnow from Gregory of Scotland is incredible!

This Johnson Princess 100AP is pretty great.

A South Bend dealer display card is awesome.

Wyers Freres made some really cool baits.

Perez made some super cool reels.

A Pflueger Kent Frog is really great even in so-so condition.

Everyone loves W.D. Chapman baits.

Whopee! It's a Biff Bait.

This Paw Paw injured minnow is the best.

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

-- Dr. Todd

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The following ad for the New York Herald Tribune ran in 1934 and had the most wonderful opening line: As a rule, men who enjoy fishing are kindly disposed to their fellowmen ...
It was men like this, the copy said, who read the Herald Tribune, which was for some years New York's second paper behind the Gray Lady. Considered the classic suburban paper, it is no wonder they sought out the middle class angler -- and created this memorable ad.

-- Dr. Todd

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BLACK LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY: A NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC TOOL

I first saw the black light photography method used by Frank Cristao a few months ago. It got me thinking about some other ways that it might be used by collectors. It could be a useful tool when either buying or selling lures on the internet. Example: As the photograph of the solid black South Bend Vacuum bait shows, the repainted area under black light photography stands out.

As you can see, this method even works on lures that do not glow in the dark.

A good example/use would be when a buyer is unsure of a lure that he is interested in, he could ask the seller to take some black light photographs of it and send them to him. The reverse would be true in that a seller could show a lure he was trying to sell, was not touched up. This method could save a lot of time and hard feelings. Black light photography seems to work with any good digital camera. It’s a lot of fun. Maybe some other uses can be found? Let me know.

Your Fishing Photographer: Doug Bucha

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Not everyone is an NBA fan, so let me give you the 30 second recap: the Indiana Pacers have had an incredible season, gaining the #1 seed in the East over the defending champion Miami Heat (whether you follow sports or not, you know Lebron James). The problem is, the Pacers suffered a late season swoon, ending the season on a sour note, and then to top it off lost Game 1 of their first round playoff series to the #8 seeded Atlanta Hawks 101-83.

What does this have to with anything? Well, to recover from the disappointment of Game 1, and the crushing expectations placed on him, star guard Paul George went fishing. And the world freaked out.

Cue the idiotic web sites like the almost universally detested Bleacher Report mocking George for fishing during his down time after what had to be a difficult loss. You know who else has found fishing to be a regenerative and contemplative past time? Pretty much every American president:

Did Franklin D. Roosevelt allow the Nazis to overrun Europe because he was too distracted fishing? Find out by clicking this special Bleacher Report exposé "Top 10 World Crises Caused By FDR's Angling Addiction!"

Oh, and fishing has been the preferred past time of many world champion athletes:

Babe Ruth keeping his body in perfect condition with some fishing. Had he not fished, he might have hit far more than his paltry 714 lifetime home runs. It would not be hyperbolic to say that fishing RUINED BABE RUTH'S CAREER!

Ted Williams and Sam Snead were noted anglers who often packed their tackle on the road; fishing REALLY hurt their careers. Snead only won 82 PGA events including 7 majors, and Williams only had a lifetime on-base percentage of .482. If they hadn't been such GLORY BOYS wasting their time fishing, they might have made something of themselves!

Hey, if Presidents Roosevelt or Hoover felt that fishing helped them to recover from the stress of keeping the world economy from completely imploding and causing universal economic collapse, I think it just might be OK for Paul George to partake in a little fishing to recover from a basketball game. But that would require us to think of professional athletes as human beings, rather than some mythical creation from the mind of the Gregggggg Easterbrooks of the world who, upon losing, skip eating and sleeping to breakdown film or shoot an extra 1000 jumpers following a loss such as this.

The Pacers (and Paul George) may very well right the ship and go on a long playoff run. They may also tank and lose to the Hawks in the first round. The only thing that is safe to say is that neither scenario will be remotely impacted by Paul George fishing between games.

-- Dr. Todd

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This week in Hollywood Goes Fishing we feature a photo of Robert Ryan deep sea fishing as Shirley Booth looks on. This photo was from the set of the 1954 film About Mrs. Leslie, which is basically a film about how a millionaire (Ryan) hires a comely woman (Booth) to be his "vacation companion" but tells her nothing about his life.

Ryan (1909-1973) was a solid actor and a genuinely tough guy (he was the Dartmouth College Heavyweight Champion his entire time he was in college). He usually played menacing heavies like his murderous character Montgomery from the criminally underrated 1947 film Crossfire. It does not look like he is very comfortable handling that Penn reel ...

-- Dr. Todd

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Many times I talk about a lure’s color, and I certainly will again and again, but today I will focus on the whole package; the lure, the box, and the box papers. Most collectors -- me included -- would prefer to have the complete combo whenever possible. Let’s face it, though, most of the time the boxes and paperwork were discarded when the lure was placed inside the tackle box and then used to catch fish. We do the same thing today, so it is very nice when we can find everything together, as it was over 100 years ago.

This Heddon No. 400 Bucktail Surface Minnow combo dates to 1908, and was short-lived in the product line, only lasting for two years. This makes it even tougher to find it as a complete combo. I love the lure, but I love the box and box paper even more! As I look at this combo, it makes me wonder who originally bought it and wonder why it was just stored away. More times than not, we will never know the stories behind the vintage fishing tackle that we collect, but we can dream, just like I dream about buying more of these for the $1.00 prepaid by mail price shown on the box paper! Wonder if I followed the suggestion on the bottom of the box paper of writing for the “Dowagiac” catalog, if I would get one? Well, I can sure dream, anyway …

If you have any questions/comments, Elissa Ruddick can be reached at elissaruddick AT aol DOT com.

-- Elissa Ruddick

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The Video of the Week

Angler is surprised by shark while kayak fishing.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This neat Kingfisher Underwater Minnow is a nice find.

Wow, this Heddon Magnum Torpedo is really attracting bidders.

This aluminum Edward vom Hofe is pretty cool.

Love this Leonard bamboo fly rod.

This is a great S.E. Bogdan reel!

People love these Leo Wise lures.

Musky Dan is having himself a good week with his hand-made lures.

Two patent date J.T. Buels are just a treat.

OH I love this Chippewa!

Can't beat this CCBC Baby Wiggler in the box!

A Meisselbach Ranger is a VERY rare reel!

Who wouldn't want a Welch & Graves minnow tube

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

-- Dr. Todd

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I love this ad for Ed Kutina's lodge in Effie, Minnesota (a city near the Canadian border with a population of 123 in 2010). Mostly I love his claim that "I will serve meals that surpass Minnesota's average and the best foods obtainable in our markets." At the time of this ad, run throughout the spring of 1934 in sporting magazines, this area of Minnesota was virtually unknown (decades later it would become protected as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area). The fishing would have been incredible.

-- Dr. Todd

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This article was first published in the Marshall Statesman for September 18, 1891. It is well worth the read …

-- Gary L. Miller

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I'm always interested in articles about local collectors, such as this one about upstate New York collector Ray Bartholomew.

I think what Ray is doing is outstanding. By allowing his collection to be displayed, he not only is educating the public, he is also making new collectors. Who wouldn't want to start collecting after seeing some of Ray's collection?

I hope more collectors will follow Ray's lead and get an educational display out there in front of the public!

-- Dr. Todd

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I love most every color of vintage fishing lure that was ever made, as they all have their own unique beauty. Like all lure collectors though, I suppose I do have a favorite color. Let me rephrase that, I do have a favorite color! For me, it is Heddon’s “Rainbow Fire,” a nickname given by collectors to describe a variation of Heddon’s Fancy Sienna Yellow, color code 7. I’m not sure who first started painting this variation, nor when, nor why, but I have to tell you, whoever came up with it, IS MY HERO!

First of all, the regular Fancy Sienna Yellow color is a fabulous color in its own right -- no improvement necessary -- but whoever thought of adding the rainbow colored vertical bars or stripes, which look like they are dripping down from the normal rainbow colored horizontal stripes toward the yellow bellies of the lures, was a genius! Maybe it was by accident, and the employee decided to just keep going. No matter how this color came about, I am completely infatuated by it. I don’t think I have the words to describe what this color combination does for me! Well, I can think of some, but I best keep those to myself… Can y’all tell how much I love this color? I don’t think Heddon made very many lures in this color, as this particular variation seems very tough to find. It’s a good thing I do like many other colors, because I wouldn’t qualify as a true lure collector with only two lures in my display case. Hey, don’t y’all think a 1969 Camaro Z28 would look cool painted in this color?

If you have any questions/comments, Elissa Ruddick can be reached at elissaruddick AT aol DOT com.

-- Elissa Ruddick

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The Video of the Week

Ever wonder how salmon egg bait is made?

12 Things I Would Buy If Only Could Afford Them

This is just an insanely great Heddon #700 in Green Crackleback.