Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Art of the Lure with Elissa Ruddick: The Heddon Meadow Mouse


I never thought I’d ever hear myself say this, but … I LIKE MICE!  That’s right, you heard me, I like mice.  Not all mice of course, but who wouldn’t love this little fellow?  Appearing as one of the “New Ones!” in the 1929 Heddon Catalog, the 4000 series Meadow-Mouse was sure to be a big hit.  The catalog described them as such, “At last, a 'Mouse' that is a Mouse!  A 'true-to-nature Bait, even to bead-eyes, and flexible ears and tail.  Floats, and swims with lively, teasing motion.  Three natural colors, Brown, the true Field Mouse; Grey with White belly; and White with Red coloration.” 


These little wooden lures were 2-3/4” long, weighed 2/3 oz., packed one in a box and were listed as costing $1.00 each.  Furthermore, the catalog advertised them to be “A sure hooker under all conditions.” “Floats, Dives, Swims”


Ok, I’m not going to lie.  If I ever saw a real mouse floating, diving, swimming, or doing anything else in the water, I’d scream and probably hurt myself trying to get as far away as possible!






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

2 comments:

Bill Sonnett said...

I never see this lure without thinking of Bill Roberts telling me that he was fishing from a boat and working a shoreline with an early Heddon Swimming Mouse when a large cat sprang from a bush and nailed the bait at the edge of the water. Pretty funny until they realized that the cat was hooked. I still laugh when I think about two guys on their knees holding a very uncooperative tom cat down in a landing net trying to unhook it with pliers. I told him " Now that's what I call catfishing"

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