Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle

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A video about fishing across America in the 1940s.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

For every thousand EVH reels, you see only a few boxes.

This is a nice Fred Thomas fly rod.

Man, this Bagley is SOOOOOO rare!

Love this Heddon Musky Vamp.

This Big Hedd in Bass is awesome.

This early CCBC Pikie is getting VERY popular.

A Montague fly reel is always a fun find.

Pflueger Kent Frogs are the coolest lures ever.

A Julius vom Hofe #2 fly reel is breaking the bank.

A Heddon 150 in Goldfish is awesome.

The DAM Everready is stylish.

A Tropical Floater in the box is great.

-- Dr. Todd

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"Hey There, Crazy Eyes .. "

The Kool Penguin may be the most sheik, but nothing beats Lucky Strike for crazy-eyed women anglers. This 1951 advertisement for Lucky Strike has our heroine declare, "When fishing I just trust to luck, It seem to work for me, perhaps because I also trust L.S./M.F.T."

The theme is classic; Daisy Mae with her cane pole and can of worms has out fished the city slicker with the fly rod and creel. She's just too happy about it. Something's up. Was there something in the tobacco? Maybe Daisy Mae's been growing something else besides carrots in the ol' pea patch.

-- Dr. Todd

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FEBRUARY 2014

MORE BITTER COLD, MORE SNOW, MORE WIND WITH MORE COOL REELS AND DEALS ON THE BAY !!!!

Featured Reels:
Cargem 2-Pesci first version exc- @ 620.00
Neat Garcia lighted wall clock 26" X 101/4" X 41/2"
mitchell/Abu reels exc @ 800.03

Abu:
222 first version e-wb @ 189.05
444 6th version? nib @ 371.56
505 SCF nib @ 286.75
Record 600 e-wb @ 189.09
888 e-wb @ 588.45
Cardinals:
3 first version exc- @ 219.68
33 first version nib @ 162.50
C5 ewb @ 152.50
55 SS clear plastic side plate exc @ 321.99
57 e+wb @ 237.41

Airex/ Feurer Bro's
Spinster kit exc w/display box @ 59.00
combo w/Standard reel exc- and 6'6" glass lite rod @75.00
Vic green some wear @ 51.55
FB Larchmont like new @ 34.00

Dam Quick:
550 ewb @ 31.00
550 nib @ 150.01 wow

English:
Herters Rolls by JW Young nib @ 105.94
Ilingworth no 3 finish wear @ 305.00
JW Young Ambidex exc @ 79.99

French:
Bam 310 nib @ 65.50
Centaure Carbie green some wear @ 122.50
" 600 e+wb @ 152.50
Crack 200 e+wb @ 81.00
Two GMS Morfaux 1 exc- 1 missing crank both @ 114.49

Heddon:
215 nib @ 67.00
270 spin pal mpu exc- @ 71.00

Italian:
Alcedo 2C/S marked 2C/S on medallion nib @ 122.50
Holliday 30 first version ewb @ 316.53 wow
Orvis 100A nib @ 100.00
Ted Williams Zangi nib @ 105.59

Japan:
Tina-Mite micron copy exc @ 88.00

Mitchell:
300 Box marked 300X nib @ 393.88
320 w/clear plastic side plate exc @ 162.50
508 ewb @ 303.98
524 exc+ @ 81.00

Ocean City:
350 yellow exc+ @ 86.55

Shakespeare:
2052 second version e+wb @ 87.00
2068 R/H retrieve nib w/pouch @ 99.99
2499 exc+ @ 86.00

Spanish:
Aimsa Tru-Sal exc- @ 152.50
Sagarra Super mpu exc @ 380.00

Zebco Cardinals:
3 3rd version nib @ 296.25
6 " " " @ 135.20

Other Reels:
Fin Nor no 3 exc w/box & case @ 251.28
La Salle by Tamco gold exc @ 179.25 wow
Rado paint wear @ 127.50
Taggart model 10 exc @ 102.50
Van Staal vs100n nib @ 577.89
Wright and Mcgill EC8 CF exc @ 127.00
last was a rare swedish Victory exc- @ only 250.21

A few reel deals:
Alcedo Atlantic ewb @ 100.99
Two Flo-Line by Lou Meyer both ewb 1@56.00 1@87.00
early Heddon Spin Pal e-wb @ 26.75
and a Langley spin-lite deluxe 850 exc+ @ 17.26
already some great reels for next month
sure wish spring would get here !!!
Ben

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Well, another year, another set of great photos! We are proud to host the Harold Dickert / Joe’s Old Lure Photo Contest. Here are the winners and a note from your host, Harold:
The turnout was lighter than previous years as far as number of entries but the quality was outstanding.

First Place goes to John Etchieson with his wonderfully interesting and educational display of pre-1900 fishing line titled “1800’s Historic Fish Line Packages” Many of us didn’t even know these existed.

Second Place belongs to Elissa Rudick for her photo titled “Happy, Happy, Happy!”

Third Place was won by Stuart Strange for "Mostly Heddon"

Honorable Mentions go to…

The "Fishing Photographer" Doug Bucha for his entry “Old Glory”

and to Roy Larry Fonk for his picture “Classics.”

Congratulations to all the winners and Thanks to all the participants.

I hope you all enjoyed the contest!

-- Harold Dickert

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The Video of the Week

Fly fishing guide April Vokey makes an appearance on the Steve Harvey show.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This seems to be a very rare French Djinn Nylon spinning reel.

Talk about your instant collection alert: five CCBC baits in Goldfish shore.

This South Bend Fly Oreno is pretty much the toughest item to show up in months.

Definitely love this T.H. Chubb trout reel.

This Heddon in Bar Perch is pretty awesome.

I am a sucker for these Victorian fishing paintings.

A Heddon Black Sucker #1300 is always a welcome find.

This Seattle-made Lenz reel is really cool.

Wow! This Heddon #110 is pretty great.

The Dummy Double is fantastic.

A CCBC Special Order Saltwater Spin Darter is cool.

I do like this Mitchell 358 in the box.

-- Dr. Todd

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What's cooler than a penguin fly fishing? A penguin fly fishing while smoking a cigarette, that's what. This is the classiest damn penguin you're ever going to find. Look at how suave he is, with his bamboo fly rod and rattan grip fishing net. It's like fly fishing in a tuxedo! He sure is … what's the word … cool.

You, too, could feel cool as a penguin smoking while fly fishing if you only spent $.15 for a pack of Kools back in 1935. "Frankly, haven't you gotten into a smoking rut? Wouldn't your old throat like a cool and pleasant change?" the ad copy asked. Because everyone knows the best way to get rid of that nagging, persistent cough is to change cigarette brands. So ditch that Lucky Strike crap -- Lucky Strike Means Fishless Tobacco -- and get with the penguin.

Catch that mild menthol flavor (and some fish) and if you save the Kool coupons, you can even get "Beautiful Premiums" like a Ladies' Traveling Case -- all for smoking just 800 packs.

How Kool is that? Oh, and don't worry about that cough, it will go away ...

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There is not a great deal I can tell you about matchbooks that you don't already know. They seemed to be everywhere when I was growing up and now you seldom see them. One thing I can tell you - these little works of art are a lot of fun to collect.

The first commercially printed matchcover was produced around 1893 or 1894. The Pabst Brewing Company put in an order for 10 million matchbooks in 1902 and launched this industry. The purist collectors of these little beauties call them matchcovers rather than matchbooks. A search on e-bay under either heading will provide a nice selection.

I like the colorful and artful books/covers - as you can see. There are some neat "good girl" covers. There are many sports stores, resorts, etc which are all interesting. Some of the old lures and fishing gear are featured and are harder to find. I recently found a Daredevle book (pictured) and was excited to see it featured Lou Eppinger's store in Detroit, Michigan.

You can find some of your favorite fishing camps as well. Get hooked on paper and collect a few.

-- Michael Koller

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There was a time, in the period 1910 to around 1925, that the leading sporting journals in America fell over themselves trying to promote the latest and greatest fishing fad, even if that fad itself did little to help the angler catch fish. Some of the greatest writers of the era took part in this; they would receive free lures, rods, and reels and then write about them in the magazine. Dixie Carroll, Larry St. John, Sheridan R. Jones, and others all took part in this game (which, if my email inbox is any example, still goes on as I am constantly bombarded by companies who want me to imbed links to their wares in my bog articles).

This is why the article below, from the May 1918 issue of Outdoor Life, is so refreshing. In it, the magazine calls shenanigans on the idea that space would be devoted to shilling goods for companies. I wonder if this "shot across the bow" forced the other magazines to follow suit, for by the mid-1930s a fishing writer could hardly mention the tackle they were using by name in an article.

The Square Deal

OUTDOOR LIFE has always stood for the Square Deal. It has been fooled, just like each one of us has, at times; and when something has “been slipped over" on us in the 'shape of an erroneous account of a. gun's merits, an extravagant statement of what a certain fishing lure has done, or a delusive story of a guide or a hunting country, then, more than ever, have we realized the grave responsibilities that rest with the sporting magazine publisher. For if he publish such misleading matter (which generally comes from a writer who has received a gun from the manufacturer free on condition that he boost it in the press, a piece of fishing tackle on the same consideration, a hunting trip to be paid for in publicity, or some other article or service in exchange for his literary influence) the publisher is a direct accomplice—not always wilfully, of course — of the author of the story who would dishonor the publication he writes for merely to pay off a personal debt to his gun maker, guide, etc.

We believe in the praise of the really praiseworthy by the traditional Sir Hubert — but the parasite imitators must go, and to this end we have decided, in the mutual interests of our patrons and reader — in the furtherance of the Square Deal, in short — on a censor policy as drastic and far reaching as that of Uncle Sam in his dealings with those whose actions are open to reasonable suspicion. The indefensible and pernicious abuse of publicity from which we have suffered in common with all other publishers is, at least in our case, going to be eliminated, cost what it may.

The keystone of OUTDOOR LIFE'S foundation is the Square Deal to everybody and it is going to be kept conscientiously clean. As before stated, we believe in giving praise where praise is due—and conversely, we believe in conservative criticism of actual short-comings. But exaggerations of either will find no place in our pages. Truth needs no embellishment and tolerates no suppression or modulation. So perfectly demonstrable facts alone will be admitted to our columns. As a radical departure from obtaining and universal custom this may work some apparent hardships on advertisers — and some very discouraging ones on the irresponsible space filling writers — but what you see hereafter in OUTDOOR LIFE you may believe without hesitation. For it will be true!

To that end we shall hereafter decline to publish any reading matter wholly devoted to the laudatory description of any outing accessory, commodity or service. Our paid advertising space is the proper and legitimate vehicle to carry that. Reading matter (wherein merely incidental reference to the things above mentioned will be permitted, subject to editorial limitation) will not contain any names or addresses of manufacturers, owners or vendors, except where such information is given in answer to a question asked, or where such manufacturer's or owner's name is linked with, or forms a part of the name of the article. It will be our pleasure to impart such information on special request by private letter or in our “Answers to Correspondents" department. we reserving the right to express therein our personal views, confining same strictly to answers of direct questions asked. Conservative praise or censure of a guide or hunting country will be permitted in authors' articles descriptive of an actual outing, subject always to editorial revision.

Our position and policy are clear. We play no favorites and will countenance no menace to the purity — and incidentally the quantity — of our reading pages, feeling confident of our ability to give our advertising patrons full quid pro quo in their legitimate department. In this we are assured of the full and cordial co-operation of all dependable users of publicity, and we are even more assured of the spontaneous approbation of our readers who will acclaim our efforts to give them a cleaner, better and more powerful reflex of their pleasures afield and astream—one fearless, unbiased and dependable in all things as becomes an exponent of the clean, pure and invigorating life outdoors.

Entirely too much good money and too much valuable time has been wasted in following up the recommendations of the mercenary trade spongers as to good guns. rods, fishing and hunting locations, etc. We are going to put an end to this insofar as we can. Outdoor Life will be a medium of information, not misinformation peddled out by donation hucksters for the undoing of the overtrustful. The great guild of real sportsmen, knowing itself to be honest and clean in action and statement, has heretofore taken entirely too much on trust. We aim to remedy this by presenting to our friends only that which is worthy of their trust. 0f the outcome we have no manner of doubt. American sportsmen are a discriminating class and demand the best of everything, getting it always ultimately. We aim to give them that, and will confidently abide by their verdict.

The Square Deal for ours—and theirs.

-- Dr. Todd

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Here's a cool photo I wish I could have showed Billy Crowley before he passed on. It's a photo of a 1949 Trade Show booth for Ol' Skipper baits. I love these old trade show photos ...

-- Dr. Todd

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The Video of the Week

This sailfish decides it wants to get in the boat.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This CCBC fly rod bait in the box is pretty cool.