Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett
The Holzapfel Mushroom Bait

From the the May 1912 issue of National Sportsman comes this seldom seen ad for the Holzapfel Mushroom Bait. It illustrates the many problems encountered in research.


The address is 132 W. Carr St. In Jackson, Michigan, Carr Street runs north and south and there are no numbers that would correspond to 132. After much effort it was discovered that there were two Carr Streets in Jackson in 1912 and that they both ran north and south but were located on the east and west sides of town. After East Carr St was renamed, West Carr became just plain Carr St. Then in the 1920's the street numbering system for most of the streets was changed. The problem was then attacked by searching for people in the surrounding area named Holzapfel. We finally located and elderly gentleman in a nearby town with the same name who was the nephew of the bait maker. He suggested that we contact Mr Holzapfel's daughter, but he could not remember her married name. Eventually he came up with an address and we were able to contact the oldest daughter and were given a great interview. The best possible outcome arrived when she was able to locate the original photo seen here. John Holzapfel stands on the left of the stringer of bass and on the right stands his neighbor from across the street, Mr Wiford,  It turns out that Mr Wiford is the inventor of the Croaker Bass Bait! For a more complete story of these two fishermen and their lures, see the article THE JACKSON TWO in the December 1992 issue of the NFLCC Magazine.



-- Bill Sonnett

Friday Funhouse

Video of the Week
The Ballad of Little Miss Cutthroat.



Things I Would Buy If I Only Could Afford Them
Another McHarg shield bait from the same seller makes two in two weeks...and a pretty darn good tackle box find for one unsuspecting seller!


A Cat's Paw is a classic Michigan misc. bait.


Even Kent Frogs in not so great condition are lovely to look at.


This is a really cute brass Hardy fly reel.


Holy Moly is this Bellinger engraved fly reel beautiful!


This is a very cool Jamison Mascot in white.


For the saltwater collector, they don't come any nicer than these Squid Jigs in a dealer box.


Any Samuel Friend (or friend of Samuel) is welcome here.


A great Payne 205 is a wonderful find.


This is a super attractive Geiger creel.


I like this super crisp Bite-Em Bait and box combo.


How about this Heddon Lucky 13 in photo finish?


This Tuttle Devil Bug comes in a very rare box.


An Irish Castle Connell reel is just a super, super work of art.


This South Bend Whirl-Oreno is one of the weirdest but strangely hypnotic lures ever made.


This is the neatest skeleton fly reel in the box to ever have been sold by a Danish eBay user named Sir Greedy.


Chapmans are outstanding including this #2.



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

-- Dr. Todd

Thursday Review: Klaus Geschwinder's A Reel Life: Ari'T Hart Design (2009)

A Review of Klaus Geschwinder's A Reel Life: Ari'T Hart Design (2009)

Other then having featured them occasionally on the Friday Funhouse, I will admit to not having known a tremendous amount about Ari'T Hart, the Dutch fishing reel designer and manufacturer. That changed very quickly with the arrival last week of the new book A Reel Life: Ari'T Hart Design written by German collector Klaus Geschwinder (Roterstift, 2009 -- €19.99). It is as comprehensive of a study of Hart reels as will likely ever come to market.


Geschwinder has a world class collection of Hart reels which form the basis of this attractive full color 8" x 8" square book. It profiles over 100 various models created by Hart as well as a number of other fishing inventions. From the beginning, one thing becomes clear as you delve into these pages -- there is something unique and very aesthetic about these reels. They rarely remind you of another firm's products, in the way a Pflueger might resemble a Shakespeare or a Daiwa a Shimano. No, you won't soon mistake an Ari'T Hart reel after reading this book.

While many collectors and anglers will gravitate towards the more spectacular Hart models like the Traun or Rio Orbigo fly reels, my favorite reel in the book is the Hart I -- a simple model (by Hart standards) but functional and striking as well. It pretty much sums up for me the appeal of Ari'T Hart reels.

Like the reels, the book has a unique flavor as well. It is written in three languages (German/Dutch/English) at the same time -- a peculiar (and laudable) German tradition well known to anyone who's ever bought a book from Taschen. The color photography is superb and the layout reflects an author who is a designer himself. The models are explained in brevity with technical specifications.


An easy to overlook but fun part of the book is the section on other tackle inventions/items made by Hart. ATH made a fly tying vise that is absolutely a work of art. I would love to track one of these down one day.

What is missing are two things. First, a detailed history of the Ari'T Hart firm, from which I can surmise underwent some major changes, is largely missing. A few pages spent outlining the development of the company would certainly have been very helpful. Second, these reels beg to be taken apart. A few pages of internal photographs of the reels would definitely have been a great addition to the book. I guess I'll have to buy one and crack it open myself.

The beauty and importance of ATH reels can not be denied and the book as a whole is an excellent example of how to chronicle and display the work of a maker of this importance. With its reasonable cost A Reel Life should be a part of every reel collector or fishing historian's library. The softcover is limited to just 999 copies and with a price of €19.99 (approximately $29.95 in US Dollars) and a reasonable shipping cost, it will definitely sell out in the immediate future. With copies already selling for $300+ on eBay, you might want to get yours now.

The book is available directly from the author's web site.

-- Dr. Todd

E.R. Hewitt's Line Grease by John Etchieson

My friend John Etchieson posted this fabulous piece on Joe's Board, and since I liked it so much I asked him whether I could run this on my blog and he kindly agreed. It's a great piece of fishing history.

E.R. Hewitt's Line Grease
by John Etchieson


The historical significance of this very early wooden container of line dressing that was invented and patented by an incredible man who is considered to be a legend in the early history of fly fishing and in the late 1800s American and International Tournament Casting Competitions - Edward Ringwood Hewitt (1866 - 1957).


In researching the history of this early wooden container of "Line Grease", I have now accumulated more than 10 pages of typed notes for my book together with various pictures and copies of the many Patents that are related to E R Hewitt.



I have learned quite a bit about Hewitt's historically prominent family ties, Peter Cooper was his grandfather and Abram Stevens Hewitt was his father. 
I have also learned about his family's very close business and social connections with such famous people as J P Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Abraham Lincoln, Buffalo Bill Cody, Teddy Roosevelt and so many other very wealthy and prominent figures from American history.


And, I also know what the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame had to say about him when he was inducted in 1999: 


"E. R. Hewitt was one of the most extraordinary individuals New York has
ever known. He was a chemist, inventor, innovator and a truly great fisherman.
His keen interest in trout fishing led him to purchase four and a
half miles on the Neversink River in 1918 where he created a hatchery
and laboratory. Soon after, Hewitt was recognized as a leading authority
on stream management and improvement. As an author, he penned several
books on angling. As an inventor, he held numerous patents, including
the felt soled wading shoe, a fishing line grease, an opaque leader, an
interchangeable fly reel and a bi-visible trout fly. His innovations make
him one of the greatest contributors in the history of fly fishing."


Hewitt is shown here at age 80 in his Laboratory on the third floor of his mansion on Gramercy Park in New York from LIFE MAGAZINE - 1946
.

What I do not know yet and would very much like to learn in particular from someone here on Joe's Board is this:

Was this "Hewitt Line Grease" ever even sold commercially, or was it just invented by Hewitt for his own use and for that of his very wealthy friends, whose names read like a "Whose Who" of America's most famous Industrialist and Politicians?


The street address that is given on the label shown above was Hewitt's private residence (a 35 room mansion located on Gramercy Park, in New York) where he maintained both his laboratory and workshop (Hewitt was an inventor with more than 40 Patents, including the Mack truck, to his credit) but I cannot find even a single sporting goods, fishing tackle, or hardware store AD or catalog listing for this Hewitt Line Grease in any of my pre 1910 catalogs or magazines.

Can anyone help shed some light on whether or not this particular item was ever even actually sold to the general public, and if so, when and by what firm? 

Thanks for reading my posting and for helping me to find an answer to my question.

NOTE: There were multiple follow-ups to John's original post which have now disappeared. Two particularly interesting ones are as follows:

Bill Peck wrote: "On page 26 of "Hewitts Handbook of Fly Fishing" he describes the dry floatant and says that it is available for 30 cents per box. First printing of the book is 1933."

Steve Starrantino wrote: "John I share the same enthusiasm on Hewitt as you do. I have collected his books, catalogs, bottles (some Dean now owns) and other goodies for 20 years. I have two Farlow of London pamphlets that advertise his Cast Soaker (look at the picture Dean sent. It has the Farlow label on it)and his Line Grease. The line grease sold through Farlow was in a metal tin not a wooden one. I have never seen the wooden one. William Mills sold some of his series of fly patterns and his "no flash" gut leaders. That I know for a fact. I do not have a catalog form Mills handy from the 30's or 40's to see if he sold other items through them. The leaders were also sold through Farlow as well as his Jungle Fly Preparation". It is advertised in the Pamphlet but I have never seen it. I also have hooks in a paper wrapper that is marked Hewitt hooks from Farlow. I also do believe strongly that he sold most of these items out of his Gramercy residence since there are two catalogs he published with the home address on it. Hope this helps."

Many thanks to my good friend John! Anyone with any information that might help John place this all in better context can contact him at JohnSEtch AT aol DOT com.

-- Dr. Todd

History of Samuel Allcock & Co. (1888)

The following history of the venerable British firm of Samuel Allcock was published in the 1888 edition of Wyman's commercial encyclopædia of leading manufacturers of Great Britain. Allcock was one of the largest -- if not the largest -- makers of fish hooks in the world and branched out to produce materials for all kinds of angling. Samuel Allcock was a bit of a crank, as well, as I illustrated in a chapter in my History of the Fish Hook in America, Vol. 1.

Samuel Allcock & Co., Fish-Hook and Fishing Tackle Manufacturers
Standard Works, Redditch
Telegraphic Address: Allcock, Redditch.

No house in this trade has entered into it in such a comprehensive way as the above Firm or infused into it such a progressive spirit and invincible determination to succeed, with the gratifying result that they stand in the van of this industry. For 
more than thirty years Mr. Samuel Allcock, the son of the founder, has 
been at the head of it. Not only do the Firm possess extensive Works 
at Redditch, where hand labour of the most skilled kind, combined 
with long experience and great judgment is employed, but to ensure the very best material for the gut of the hooks they carry on a silkworm factory at Murcia in Spain. Probably no other industry requires such a multiplicity of minute details as fishing-tackle making; to turn out a first-class fishing-rod it has to pass through some dozen sets of skilled operatives, and so with the baits and floats.

Comparatively little machinery is used, but it is the deft fingers and fertile brains of the operatives that are in constant requisition, and it is partly this fact that gives this special industry an impregnable position in this country; for, in spite of the most hostile tariffs the world over, Redditch sends its manufactures into every market, and in yearly increasing quantities; and to keep abreast of the times and still more firmly and wisely to maintain that enviable position, this Firm at once adopt all kinds of improvements, and have a special staff of intelligent employes whose business it is to study not only the different requirements of the varied markets, but to humour the tastes and fancies of the various fishes in the dress-up and appearance of the flies. Salmon, above all fish, are the most wary and fastidious, and require such a perfect presentment of nature, that the distant markets of Africa and the East Indies have to be searched to please him, and fly-making to be elevated to a fine art.


The different parts of the fishing-rod are composed of ash, hickory, greenheart, washaba, bamboo, and certain woods from China and the East Indies, but the best of all is the Dorset English ash, and it is a singular fact that although these woods are grown extensively in the United States, and the industry protected by a high tariff, they cannot rival in quality the best English goods, or keep them out of the market. The manufactures carried on at these Works consist of all kinds of floats, reels, swivels, landing-rings, gaff-hooks, gut-finishing, fly-dressing, and baits, to which there is no limit in change and ideas, comprising a spoon bait, an odd epicurean fish fancy, flexible fish, and the big "Paragon" baits for dolphins; flies, beetles, and other insects, and even lady-birds and frogs are utilised to tempt the appetites of the gourmands of the seas and rivers. The flies especially are of the most elaborate and enticing appearance, and it is no wonder young and old fall victims to the lure. No lesc than 1,700 different kinds and sizes of hooks are made, and are arranged in such order in the storerooms that at a minute's notice any given size required can be produced. Owing to the numberless articles required the stocks kept are very great, and are a picture of order, neatness, and regularity.


Messrs. S. Allcock & Co. are well-known and successful exhibitors, and were among the first to send contributions to those fishery exhibitions which attracted so much attention, and they carried off gold medals at Paris, Berlin, Wurzburg, Norwich, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, South Adelaide, Calcutta, and the highest awards at all the other exhibitions at which they were contributors, and we had the pleasure to inspect a superb case of fishing tackle previously to its departure for the Exhibition at Melbourne in the present year, 1888, and which case will be placed in Group V., Class 38, and will be numbered 725 in the Catalogue, and the contents of it will worthily maintain their present prestige and position in the trade.

-- Dr. Todd

News of the Week: 11 October 2009

A celebration of Adirondack legend Fran Betters...10 year old better angler than you...bamboo enthusiast Pete Jorgensen passes...Big Macks are back...tackle shop burglas are on the loose...Long Island fishing is a blast...two handed fly rods...U of Wisconsin inventors win contest with fishing device...new state record musky for Michigan...Gus Harvey is now an IGFA hall-of-famer...an invasive species alert...a new bass movie...rare tropical species caught in Britain...breast cancer survivors get free fly fishing lessons...it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!

The Big Lead: A celebration of the life of the late Fran Betters.


10-year old much, much better angler than you: catches 52 pound halibut.


Noted bamboo rod enthusiast Pete Jorgensen passes away.

Don't store your tackle for the winter just yet...

Ah yes, the Big Macks are indeed whoppers.


Tackle shop burglars are still on the loose.

Fall fishing on Long Island.


Here are some new gadgets for the angler in your life.

The truth about two-handed fly rods.


A fishing inventions wins U of Wisconsin inventors contest.

The closing of black sea bass fishery stirs controversy.

Why ripping lures can work in shallow water.

ESPN launches Fishing America with a profile of a football coach who is also a bass angler.


One writer reports the big one got away. Again.

A surf fishing workshop.

Clark County, Washington anglers don't like the single, barbless hook rules.

All hail the Headington Shark!!


Guy Harvey will be inducted into the IGFA Hall-of-Fame.

A 33.8 pound striped bass makes one lady angler ecstatic.


Anglers land 750-pound Mako Shark.

A giant billfish gives three anglers the ride of their life.


10-year old boy better angler than you; lands 30-inch Northern.


Invasive Species Alert: the is wreaking havoc Australian Swamp Stonecrop.

A new Michigan state record musky has been caught in Torch Lake.


When it comes to fishing, not everything that counts can be counted.


BASS Anglers make their big screen bow in the premier of Bass: The Movie.

A rare tropical fish is caught in Britain for the first time.


Finishing With a Flourish: Women recovering from breast cancer can now get fly angling lessons.

-- Dr. Todd

Dealer Display Cards, Part 13

Dealer Display Cards, Part 13

Here is one my favorite later dealer display cards--the Snagless Sally from Hildebrandt. Gotta love the slogan: "the Southern Vampire is your Golden Promise for takin' em all." This is from a 1959 dealer catalog.



-- Dr. Todd

A Thousand Words

A Thousand Words

This old timer is putting together a fly rod on board his wooden boat...courtesy Doug Jobe.



-- Dr. Todd

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett

Deconstructing Old Ads with Bill Sonnett
Hanson's Irresistible

Dixie Carroll was a tireless promoter of fishing, fishing tackle and Dixie Carroll. As Editor of the National Sportsman he promoted any product that paid to advertise in the magazine. He even used his own portrait as the cover of the April 1917 issue of the National Sportsman. His salesmanship efforts reached new heights however with the publication Fishing Tackle and Kits in 1919. Along with a little fishing advice, the book is 333 pages of lauding various products that (who would have guessed it) also advertised in his magazine.

Without knowing it, Dixie did a great service to future fishing tackle collectors . When lure collecting was in its infancy there were no reference books to help us identify old lures. My personal guide during those years was Dixie's book. It contained about ten full-page, beautifully photographed plates, illustrating many rods, reels and lures of the day. It also included informative write-ups on each.

One of the lures that intrigued me was "Hanson's Irresistible". It is the first lure on the plate shown here. I had no idea how rare this lure would prove to be. For a long time the example of this bait shown in Carl Luckeys early editions was the only example known to many collectors. Very few of these baits have shown up since that time. I should have surmised an item featured in Dixie's book, would have been advertised in National Sportsman. At the NFLCC National this year I was fortunate to pick up a copy of the June 1917 issue and there was the ad for this illusive bait.


By the way, never missing a promotional opportunity, the magazine's inside cover again featured the large, color portrait of Dixie--the same one that had been the cover of the previous month's issue. This time it was to promote his new book Lake and Stream Game Fishing for which the portrait would also serve as the dust cover.



-- Bill Sonnett