News of the Week: 28 September 2009

A maestro is also a bamboo rod maker...a feature on the Ambassadeur reel...finding an angling life on the Channel Islands...how to become a Lure Doctor...new lures make fish hungry...7'8" man is tallest angler...Malaysians net monsters...bungling tackle thieves...Van Dam wins 5th angler of the year award...a celebration of Tycoon Tackle rods...one man needs a fishing rod and a bassoon...comedian Billy Connolly is an avid angler...it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!

The Big Lead: Joseph Scheer, the "fishin' fiddler" concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, now makes Bamboo Fly Rods.


Collector's Weekly features the Ambassadeur Reel.

Tackle Day at Lake Isabella near Cincinnati is October 10th.

In the Channel Islands--the only British territory occupied by the Nazis in WWII--an Alderney angler seeks a new angling life.


Hoe to become a Lure Doctor.

How the next generation of lures induce fish to eat.



A 7'8" Rochester man is perhaps the tallest angler on earth.

In Malaysia, the problem is in netting the monster.

Bungling thieves botch a robbery in a British tackle shop.

Basszone gives us the top six lures of 2009.

This is no fluke: the giants are in.


Kevin van Dam wins his 5th Angler of the Year title.

Eviction looms for a pier bait shop owner in Flagler Beach.

Remembering the Tycoon Tackle fishing rod.

This is an Arkansas fish story.


Why one man needs a fishing rod and a bassoon, stat.

Catching muskie on ultra lite gear.


The virtues of the simple fish reel.


ABU is back with the hot new 706 reel.

Finishing With a Flourish: Brilliant British stand up comedian Billy Connolly is also a dedicated angler.



-- Dr. Todd

A Thousand Words

A Thousand Words

How do you not like a fishing image with a boat named "My Pal?" Courtesy Doug Jobe (naturally).



-- Dr. Todd

Dealer Display Cards, Part 11

Dealer Display Cards, Part 11

This week Colby Sorrels has sent in another nifty one, this one for the great Jensen Frog Legs Kicker lure. This would be a great one to find!



-- Dr. Todd

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett

Right in the middle of pages featuring fishing tackle in the May 1914 issue of The Outers Book is this advertisement for what appear to be a typical tackle box of the day. But wait, this is not a tackle box but and early cooler designed to transport the days catch home in good condition. I have never seen this advertisement anywhere else and wonder if anyone out there has ever seen one of these. An even better question would be: If you have seen one did you have any idea what the darn thing was?




-- Bill Sonnett

Friday Funhouse

The Video of the Week
Airfare to remote fishing destination? $750. New fishing gear? $600. Guide and boat? $450. Getting your prize fish stolen from the net by a sea lion? Priceless.


Sea Lion Steals Man's Fish - Watch more Funny Videos

Things I Would Buy If I Could Only Afford Them
Marty Keane's Classic Rods and Rodmakers is a true classic itself.


This is a fabulous Julius vom Hofe German Silver fly reel.


This Moonlight Ladybug Wiggler is a fine old lure.


This Swedish Tournament Record Flyer 3000 with leather case is a gorgeous reel.


A Hardy Bros. Wallis-Tournament reel is one of the most expensive reels you'll come across.


This Jim Pfeffer Sunfish has attracted a lot of talk on Joe's Board.


The Florida Shiner in the box is a true classic bait.


While the Thoren Minnow Chaser isn't exactly reel, it is very desirable, especially in the box.


This is a really pretty Pflueger Monarch.


A Fenwick FS88C continues the glass revolution.


Holy Hula Poppers, Batman!


This is a nifty British metal bait--the Humphries Lightning spinner.


Isn't Bar Perch just a lovely color?


Don't know much about Endicott-Wilson reels, but it looks like an interesting story.


This Heddon Big Hedd is in a flashy and bizarre color.


Fly Rod Lures are great, but especially when -- like this CCBC Fly Rod Dingbat-- they come in the box.


This Geo. Lawrence leather tackle box is pretty darn awesome.


Arbogast Sunfish are truly works of arts.


Instant Collection Alert: 4 Alaskan Salmon Plugs.


Gotta love this Bud Stewart spearing decoy!


I have never seen a CCBC Husky Musky in Rainbow Fire!



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

-- Dr. Todd

A Review of Adrien Delbasty's Collector's Guide to Louisiana Lures, Vol. 3

A Review of Adrien Delbasty's Collector's Guide to Louisiana Lures, Vol. 3

I just received in the mail the third volume in Adrien Delbasty's continuing efforts to chronicle the history of fishing tackle made in Louisiana. The Collector's Guide to Louisiana Lures, Vol. 3 (Self-Published, 2009), unlike the earlier Vol. 2 Update, is a full book in itself, coming in at 103 pages plus about 34 pages of updates to earlier companies.

This volume chronicles a lot of more recent tackle firms, including some recently minted ones. It's a refreshing change of course from traditional tackle histories and as times goes by, will certainly be very welcome. I have constantly counseled that the best time to write the history of a tackle firm is while it is still in existence.

43 new resesllers and manufacturers are covered. Most interesting to me was to read the section on the famed E.H. Peckinpaugh, the legendary Tennessee firm that moved to Louisiana in 1969 when it was purchased by Jim's Bait Co. Peck's lures continued to be manufactured for three decades afterward. At the last Cincinnati Tackle Show, I purchased several large carded weighted Peck's flies with the Louisiana address.

There is much to like about this book. I always enjoy supporting labors of love such as this, and it's clear Adrien--who is also a lure maker--has a deep and abiding passion for the subject. Taken as a whole, it would be hard to imagine anyone doing a more comprehensive study of Louisiana lures than he has. Wherever possible, Delbasty has interviewed the people involved, which makes this a neat piece of oral history as well.

The book comes in a 3-ring binder on heavy stock white paper with all but a few pages in black-and-white. While others may decry the lack of color, the prohibitive cost of color printing likely made this decision. Since the book was self-published, many of the things that I would normally comment on in a review -- structure, layout, grammar -- don't necessarily apply in cases like this.

The bottom line is this: the book is interesting and contains lots of information that you simply will not find anywhere else. I often hear from people who bemoan the lack of a tackle guide for x, y, and z (you can fill in the gaps because I've heard it all, from Alabama to West Virginia). Louisiana lure fans are one of the lucky ones, for Adrien Delbasty has taken on the largely thankless task of chronicling their tackle history. Even those of us who don't collect Cajun tackle should support him in this endeavor.

The book costs $40 and is available directly from the author at louisianalures@yahoo.com.

-- Dr. Todd

The Ozark Rod Makers School by Dave Bollinger

The Ozark Rod Makers School

by Dave Bollinger


I just returned from Mountain Home, Arkansas and want to say a good word about my experience at the Ozark Mountain Rod School. Over the course of five and a half days I made a 7 ft., 4 wt. rod from "scratch."


Bollinger covered with dust after planing a rod.
We flamed and split the bamboo culm, roughed the strips out, planed them by hand to precise tapers and then glued up the sections, wrapped guides and installed handles and reel seats and varnished two coats. There were four of us in the class and we all came out with beautiful split bamboo fly rods.

Harry Boyd and Bob Nunley's expertise was simply incredible. Their good humor and excellent teaching capabilities guided us through the week on to the completion of our rods. I cannot express how well this class was run and the excellence of the information imparted by Harry and Bob.


Harry Boyd checking guide placement.

Bob Nunley inspecting a rod.
If anyone is interested in learning how to make a fine split bamboo fly rod, they should contact the Ozark Mountain Rod School. By the way, the fishing in the White and Norfork Rivers is about the best I have ever seen. Big rainbows, browns and cuthoats. Catch one and hold on!


Here is a view of the four completed rods. The other students were Bob Gustafson, Dan Boeh and Ron Klatt. My rod is at the bottom of the four. All of them are beautiful split bamboo fly rods. Really special.




Thanks for the great article, Dave! Really neat stuff. If anyone would like more information on Harry and Bob's Ozark Rod Making School, Click Here.

-- Dr. Todd

Voices from the Past: Fishing by Moonlight (1901)

Today we feature a poet by Charles Davis Pratt about a distracted pair of anglers and a moonlit night. Quite a charming little piece, if you ask me, and we might even forgive them for not catching fish. After all, the fishing IS better over at Long Pond.

Fishing by Moonlight (1901)

by

Charles Davis Platt

WE went a-fishing t'other night, 

Two of us in a boat;
The air was cool, the moon shone bright, 

In sooth, it was a lovely sight, 

As we sat side by side, a-float,

Two of us in a boat.

We flung our lines and watched a-while.
But soon forgot to look 

For fish, and the moon began to smile

To see us fishing in such style;
Said the moon, "They'll never hook
A fish, unless they look."

The waters rippled all around,
The fish came swimming by; 

They saw our lines together wound—

Said they, "What is that gentle sound ?
Is that a fishing-smack ? O fie!"
And they went swimming by.

We didn't catch a fish that night,
But over on Long Pond 

They caught a-plenty by the light

Of the same moon that shone so bright
On us two happy lovers fond
Who fished upon Green Pond.

And if you ask me to explain
Why, over on Long Pond,
They caught a-plenty, while in vain
We threw our lines, we lovers twain—
'Tis simply this, that down beyond
It's better fishing on Long Pond.

-- Dr. Todd

News of the Week: 21 September 2009

Crafty old man shatters club angling record...Lang's is auctioning toys?....tarpon time...more on the Kurita bass...squid = tuna....reaching down a shark's throat...gar fishing (again and again)...the bass and blues are blowing in...Eddie Bauer returns to its roots...kids movie features tackle shop owner...more on the Derby...a man lands a vintage rod-and-reel...it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!

The Big Lead: Crafty old man shatters club fishing record with his secret bait.

A new Lang's Auction this Sept. 19...of toys?

It's almost tarpon time.


A Tadworth thief steals tackle, trousers.

A new fishing tackle shop in Filey and Hunmanby will be serving local anglers.


Everybody's writing about the Manibu Kurita bass...

First you get the squid, then you get the tunny...


Aussie angler and tackle shop owner wins big tourney.


Rescuers reach down a shark's throat.


Want a challenge? How about fishing for gar?

The East Hampton Star sees the bass and the blues blow in.


Eddie Bauer to return to roots with new line of hunting and angling clothes.

One to scatch off your list: catching a musky.

Central character in new kids movie "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" is the son of a fishing tackle shop owner.


The BBC goes fishing for prehistoric quarry.


Jim Casada has finished his magnum opus: Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Martha's Vineyard Times updates us on the Derby.


Finishing With a Flourish: One man hooks and lands a vintage rod-and-reel.



-- Dr. Todd