In the News ... Duane Peterson of Northland Tackle

Some new names are inducted into the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame … including Duane Peterson. He is one of the more underrated figures in modern tackle history, having founded Northland Tackle Co. in 1975 in Minnesota. Northland is an interesting company that innovated a lot of cool tackle over the years, but I always think fondly about them because as a precocious little kid in 1979 I used to write him letters asking him questions about tackle. He always responded. Now, I wrote a hundred letters to every tackle company I could find an address for, usually asking for catalogs and sending along a few questions. It’s surprising how few took the time to write back. So the fact Duane took the time to write a snot-nosed little kid is cool in my book.



Anyway, congrats to Duane for this honor (he was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2012). And thanks for writing back to a little kid!

— Dr. Todd

16 Year Old Boats 580 Pound Swordfish Boated off Tasmania

We don’t always get news from waters made famous by Zane Grey, but the wires brought news of a huge swordfish (580 pounds) caught off Tasmania. And it was caught by a sixteen year old! Not a bad catch for a teenager … considering it may be a record for those waters.



— Dr. Todd

In the News: One Big Catfish

Man, talk about your big catfish! Ever since River Monsters made the Wells Catfish a sensation, we’ve been seeing monster catches, like this one (a stone is 14 pounds).

This is truly a monster freshwater fish and I can’t imagine what catching one would be like.



— Dr. Todd

In the News: Fishing Rod Holder Causes Bomb Scare

Ah the modern world … so much technology, how can anything go wrong? We have things down like clockwork.

Until someone leaves behind their fishing rod, that is. A lost pack rod (likely fell off the back of a bicycle) caused a real mess when it was mistaken for a pipe bomb in Humboldt County. It shut down traffic for upwards of an hour, before the explosives experts arrived and determined it was … a fishing rod.



Better make sure that pack rod is stowed next time or you might be seeing it live on local news next to the bomb squad!

— Dr. Todd

In The News: Remembering Ted Williams, Fisherman

Sports Illustrated used to run a lot of fishing stories. Nearly all of them were good. Some of them, like the one they chose as one of the sixty best pieces to ever run in this august magazine, are great. The article in question is called “Going Fishing with the Kid” and it focuses on the insanely competitive Ted Williams, star of the Boston Red Sox and an acclaimed angler. He was also, and I say this with all due respect, a world class jerk. Part of the reason he succeeded so greatly at both his passions is that he was unfiltered, and although you can find a lot of people who say they liked him, you won’t find anyone who will tell you that he wasn’t a jerk a lot of the time.

Read this outstanding article and learn about Ted Williams obsession with angling.



— Dr. Todd

In the News: George Leonard Herter

I’m on record as saying how much I have been influenced by Herter’s of Waseca, Minnesota, the erstwhile catalog company that went out of business in 1981. Which is why this excellent article by Doug Smith brought back so much nostalgia that I started writing an article on Herter I have meant to pen for some time. George Leonard Herter was not always the crackpot he’s made out to be today, and was a very well read and surprisingly accurate historian of fishing for much of his life. For those who don’t know about him, or want to bring back some fond memories, this is a fine article to read.



— Dr. Todd

In the News: Mustad of Norway

Last year I was able to procure a copy of Mustad’s official history, and it was enlightening to read about the background of this iconic tackle company. It’s a really great book and I wish it was widely available (I had to use Norwegian connections to obtain a copy directly from the firm). This article on Mustad hit the Miami Herald, it reminded me just how huge this firm it is. It’s a good read.

— Dr. Todd

In the News: A Self-Propelled Ice House

This week in the news, we get a super charming video of a Wisconsin ice shack to envy. Good old American ingenuity at work here, folks! This is really worth checking out (thanks John Kring for the heads up).



— Dr. Todd

In the News: Fishing Laws that Work

This huge steelhead — 28 pounds — was caught in Idaho recently. It was released due to changes in the law due the fact the steelhead is considered a threatened species in Idaho. It’s a huge fish no doubt, but what’s interesting about this story is that the fish, which was about 7 years old, would have broken the previous record by almost 8 pounds. That’s pretty amazing, and proof that protection of species will have a significantly positive effect on a fish species. This steelhead is a breeding machine, making millions of fry which have the potential to pass on these super genes to future generations.



It’s great to see when protective laws have tangible positive effects, such as this.

— Dr. Todd

In the News: The Passing of Cotton Cordell

We mentioned this last week, but it’s worth revisiting again. Carl “Cotton” Cordell passed away last week at the age of 86. Cotton was a legendary figure in the tackle world, and one of the most fascinating characters in an era of interesting tackle men and women.

I hadn’t spoken with Cotton in a couple years, but the last time we talked was very memorable. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was running behind for a meeting, and didn’t have much time. But Cotton started spinning a story about how he tried to bribe some of the Gemini astronauts to brings a few of his baits into space on one of their missions, so he could advertise Cotton Cordell as the only tackle company that was “out of this world.” I listened in rapt attention and before I knew it, two hours had passed.

Ol’ Cotton could spin a story.

He lived a long and interesting life and he will be missed.

You can read his obituary in the Advocate by clicking here and an appreciation from the great Ken Duke by clicking here. You can read my biography of Cotton in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture by clicking here.

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Batson and Gary Loomis Merge

In a move that will shake up the fishing rod industry, Gary Loomis and North Fork Composites will enter into an exclusive partnership with Batson Enterprises.



Loomis, of course, is a legend in the rod industry. After selling to Shimano he restarted his rod company in 2010. Batson has been in the rod industry for 20 years, so this combination should shake things up a bit for the fishing world!

It will be interesting to watch the ripple effects of this merger.

— Dr. Todd

In the News: The Record Setting Lure

BASS Pro and tackle collector Bernie Schultz writes some great stuff for Bassmaster, but few have been as good as this article on the “Record Setting Lure.”



Bernie goes into detail about one of the great fishing lures of all time, the legendary Musky Haskell Minnow that broke all sorts of records when it went to market.

It’s a nice read and a great example of how tackle sometimes can break into the mainstream.

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Karl White’s Tackle Museum

Karl White has finally decided what to do with his collection … apparently he is going to open a Museum of Fishing Tackle in Branson, Missouri. You can read more about his decision, and background, by clicking here.

This is Karl’s third attempt at finding a home for his collection. It is our sincere wish that the third time be a charm for him!

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Fishing in Kyrgszstan

I am not a man who enjoys reading modern travelogues. Maybe this is because I read over 1500 travel accounts while writing my dissertation on British travelers in the Ottoman Empire, but it probably has more to do with the fact that the entire travelogue industry is one big ego-stroking “look where I’ve been” bore fest.

There are exceptions.

This nifty monologue on fishing in Kyrgszstan is both interesting and engaging. It also has a fascinating video that shows the countryside well.



It’s not overly long, is on a subject few have written about, and is engaging and interesting. A rarity in this day and age!

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Can a New “Acoustic” Rod Grip Help You Catch Fish?

Inventor Robert Bebout has developed a new fishing idea. Not your regular tackle idea, but one that ties the angler to the fish by a musical note … wait, what? An 81-year old former veteran, Bebout developed the acoustic rod grip despite not being a rod builder himself.

The idea is that the fishing line can transfer energy from the end where the fish bites to the end where the angler holds the rod. The Acoustic Rod Grip allows the angler, according to Bebout, to feel the fish. He got the idea from a guitar playing friend of his, and uses graphite as the acoustic medium for his grips.

It’s an interesting idea and I would imagine that for live bait fishermen it would have great utility. Plus, it’s interesting to think of your rod as a musical instrument!

— Dr. Todd

In the News: A Local Fly Shop Celebrates 20 Years

It’s always nice when a local tackle shop celebrates an anniversary. Here in Cincinnati, Delamere & Hopkins just celebrated its 20th anniversary as a high end fly shop — no small feat in this day and age.

Founded in 1994 in the wave following the movie A River Runs Through It, the company has grown slowly over the years and now employs 13 people. It’s a nice success story and I’m very happy for them, as I well remember when they opened (I was living in Cincinnati for two years before moving aways for the Ph.D. program and moving back after it was over). So I’ve been with them from the very beginning.



It’s a short interview but telling. Congrats to Delamere and Hopkins!

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Combating the Asian Carp

Invasive species are a major problem facing our fishing waters in the 21st century. This is why new developments, like the one detailed in this article by Discover magazine on electric shocking of Asian Carp in rivers.



It will take lots of work and innovative ideas to deal with invasive carp, snakeheads, etc. and it’s great that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is developing new ideas to save our waters.

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Chip O’Brien, Fly Fishing Writer

I’m often asked by strangers about how they can break into the outdoor writing world. I always tell them the same thing: write a lot. Like, all the time. Learn how to research and write. But even good writers and researchers have trouble finding paying work.

The story of fly fishing writer Chip O’Brien is very telling. O’Brien got his first break in the early 1990s writing about something he knew well, the McCloud River. That one article helped spiral into a career that has culminated in over 500 articles over two decades.



I feel for budding writers today; it’s a brutal world out there and very few paying jobs for writers. But perseverance still matters, and with some luck you can make a name for yourself in the fishing world.
— Dr. Todd

In the News: The Salmon Cannon

The story of the Salmon Cannon has been making the rounds of late. For those who don’t know, scientists created a tube that shoots salmon 30 feet or more to help them on their spawning runs.

It’s an interesting (if surreal) story that’s been picked up by a lot of media, none as funny as the following clip from the great John Oliver:



It’s always interesting when fisheries biology makes national news!

— Dr. Todd

In the News: Lew's Fishing Tackle New Factory

Sometimes we have difficulty garnering good news these days, so when I found this article about Lew’s Fishing Tackle breaking ground on a new $3.5 million factory, it made my day. Turns out that building fishing reels in America might be … a good idea! At least it would appear that way, from the success that Lew’s is having now. Very cool story!

— Dr. Todd