My recent article about my father elicited a lot of really nice feedback, including some great images of fathers-and-sons fishing. Here is one of my favorites, from my old friend Kurt Munden. Kurt recently sent me a packet of materials on a classic tackle company that I will write up one day soon, but in the meantime here are a pair of nifty images from his childhood.
From the pages of the May 1939 issue of Sports Afield comes this ad for an all metal canoe. I knew that Grumman had popularized the aluminum canoe immediately after World War ll, using all that aircraft aluminum that was no longer needed for war production.
I bought mine in 1959 and it looks as good today as when I bought it. I've seen ads for Grumman aluminum canoes appearing as early as 1947, but I had no idea that a metal canoe was made as early as 1939. The fact that it was made from "Dowmetal" got me to wondering what exactly "Dowmetal" was. Google is a wonderful tool, folks. Seems "Dowmetal" was an alloy made by Dow Chemical that consisted of at least 85% magnesium along with some other metals. I hope those other metals did their job as you will remember from high school chemistry class that magnesium and water produce hydrogen (boom!).
It would be interesting to know how many of these were actually sold and if any are still around. "Dowmetal" is suppose to be lighter than aluminum so there must have been some drawbacks to mass production and sales as my friends who delight in antique canoes had never heard of this one.
Today we review a new e-book by Dr. Richard Rounds of Brandon, Manitoba entitled Manitoba Fishing Tackle: 1920 to 1980 (Self-Published, 2010).
The product of nearly ten years worth of research, this work contains much information that has never before been seen in print. Take for example the popular Canadian Bait Manufacturing "Royal Brand Baits" of Winnipeg, Canada. Founded as early as 1919, this company produced fishing lures and reels alike, including a fluted spinner that I've been trying to pin down history wise for some time. They made a full line of wooden lures that have surely been almost impossible to ID before the arrival of this book.
While CBM may have been the largest Manitoba tackle maker, it was far from the only one. Other companies such as Platt Lures, Jasper Lures, Rain-Bo Lures, Mid-Canada Tackle, Charron Lures, Sokolowski Lures, Kaluzniak Trout Jigs, Expert Fishing Company, and S&W all made tackle, and there is even a chapter on Manitoba Folk Art baits. All companies are covered in as much detail as possible.
There is a great deal to like about the book. The author is a fine writer and solid researcher and there is abundant new information in here that makes the purchase price well worth it to both Canadian and American collectors alike.
The major criticism, of course, will be the choice to make a CD-Rom rather than a traditional book. I'm sure price considerations came into play, but the author writes in the introduction also that "The decision to produce a CD rather than a book was made to allow for easy updates in the future." There will likely be a whole host of "mom-and-pop" Manitoba makers that will come to light in the following months and years as a result of Dr. Rounds' research.
The book is 88 Pages and in full color with quality images. Overall, this is an excellent book and a solid start (along with the Hex book) on unravelling Canadian-made fishing tackle. It is available from the author at the Manitoba Lures Web Site and costs $25.00 postage paid.
Last week, Gary Deppe posted a boxed lure on Joe's Board marked "Ruff-Nek Lures, tied by Larry Koller, Middletown, New York." I thought I'd spend a little time expositing on the history of this fascinating gentleman, who started his career as a Catskill fly tier.
Larry Koller in the mid-1950s with a black bear he bagged with a .308.
Larry Koller (1912-1967) was a Brooklyn-born writer who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s as one of the most prominent outdoor writers in America. Having moved to Orange County, New York in 1919, he took to the woods like the proverbial fish to water, and by the mid-1930s was a popular local guide as well as a budding gunsmith. His expertise was so great that he was hired by the Middletown Times Herald as an outdoor writer, his first experience in the field. He wrote a regular column for the paper until the start of World War II. We'll have some of his early writings from these columns in forthcoming Voices from the Past features.
In the middle-to-late 1930s (I believe around 1936 or so), Koller opened up a sporting goods store in Middletown. It was from here that Koller sold hand-tied flies and bass bugs under the Ruff-Nek name. When World War II started, he closed the sporting goods store and went to work in New Haven, Connecticut as a barrel department foreman, which honed his gunsmithing skills to the point that from this period he would become a renowned American gunsmith and gun designer.
After World War II, Koller's fame spread widely as both a fishing and hunting writer. As outdoor editor of the popular magazine Argosy, he had a unique finger on the pulse of the sporting nation. He began publishing books (his hunting books far outnumber his fishing ones), and some of his most popular titles include Treasury of Hunting, Larry Koller's Complete Guide to Handguns and Shots at Whiteails. The latter is still in print today, forty years after its first publication. He founded Guns and Hunting magazine in 1957 and lived to see it become a successful publication.
He wrote a number of fishing books, too, and these include Treasury of Angling and The Complete Book of Tackle, among others.
Koller was a prominent Catskill fly tier even at a relatively young age. For example, when he was 24, the August 19, 1936 Middletown Times Herald noted that at the State sportsmen's exhibit that year "Larry Koller who featured last night with a varied demonstration of fly tying and bass-bug making will return Thursday and Friday." It is not known when he began tying commercially, but the earliest advertisement I could find is dated 1937, although it referenced the lure as available in 1936.
Gary Deppe's Ruff Nek lure was clearly the Bug pattern, as there were two styles of bass bugs made by Koller (Bug and Minnow). Each was available in ten patterns.
They were .75 each, which was not cheap for the time (that same year Pflueger offered the Pal-O-Mine wooden, glass eyed lure for .75). Koller also noted it "accounted for nearly all catches of large bass on the fly rod" in the region the previous year.
There is an interesting mystery tied to Larry Koller. Bill Stuart asks:
"What relation was Larry Koller to J. J. Koller of Goshen, NY (it says on his box that the lures were designed by Larry Koller, who later moved to Florida)? J.J. Koller continued to sell some of his hair baits in the Goshen box with Goshen marked out and a Miami, Florida address written in hand in pencil under the crossed out Goshen address.
Well, I don't have a definitive answer. I believe, however, that John J. Koller of Goshen, New York was Larry Koller's brother. My current theory is that when Larry shuttered the sporting goods store in 1941 to take over as barrel foreman at Winchester, his brother (who was living in Goshen in the time) began selling his excess stock for him. He had the address changed to his Goshen home, and when the war ended and J.J. moved to Florida, he took what remaining stock he had and sold it in the same boxes, crossing out the old address and adding a new Miami one. Koller's sister Mrs. Frances Craig also lived in Miami at the time.
Regardless, Larry Koller was a great outdoor writer and, for a brief time, a prominent local tackle maker. His Ruff Nek lures are rare as hen's teeth, and the owner of one, like Gary Deppe, is lucky indeed. I believe they date from 1936-1941.
The following article, broken up into two parts (this week and next here on the blog) details an analysis of ca. 1937 fly rods by a very underrated writer named Edmund Ware Smith. For a time, Smith was the angling editor the The National Sportsman, where this article appeared in March, 1937. I find it fascinating as he not only fished almost every available fly rod of the day, but knew many of the men who built them. Here is his analysis, taken up as responds to a letter from a California friend asking for advice about choosing an all-purpose fly rod:
Fishing and Fishermen
by Edmund Ware Smith
Memory and Anticipation
The rod I sent my California friend was a Heddon No. 35 New Peerless, 9 1/2 ft., weight approximately 6 1/2 ounces. Cost, $35. I wanted him to have a good rod, and he got it. And by reason of his letter, I am minded to tell of other good rods, as I have known them by actual casting contact.
The Heddon No. 35 is too heavy to be ideal for average trout-fly fishing for average men. But it approaches that mythical mark of "all-purpose." I simply mean that it behaves well on average water for trout, is at its best on heavy fish in heavy water and against hard winds, or in casting fly-rod lures for bass--bugs, small spinners, etc.--and may, at the heaviest extreme, be used for grilse and salmon.
But best weights and dimensions for your early fly fishing are 8 1/2 feet length, and about 4 3/4 ounces weight--and, of course, as inexpensive as you can buy with a reasonable guarantee of good service, good action, good balance. To my mind, and with a careful eye to all of these considerations, including price, the Heddon Blue Waters No. 10 is a good buy at $12. You have a good range in weights and lengths; actions run from sub-medium to stiff. I favor stiff action. Use a heavier line, which will cast much better in wind--and in general, having what is known as "direction," it will give you better accuracy than you can get with the lighter line.
Prices and Qualities
Up to a certain point, prices follow quality in an upward trend. That "point" is reached when refinements in action, bamboo selection, balance, and workmanship cease--and just plain "dolling up" begins. What earthly use to a fly rod is a hand-checkered Circassian walnut grip? None! If someone tried to pin me down to the price-point at which casting and lasting qualities cease, and luxury begins, I'd be perfectly willing to say "between twenty-five and thirty dollars," and start arguing if necessary.
I can't tell you exactly, but I have owned approximately thirty-five different fly rods of twelve different makers: Cross (for several years now owned by South Bend), South Bend, Heddon, TrueTemper, Edwards (owned for three years by Horton), Horton, Leonard, Montague, Horrocks-lbbotson, Thomas, Payne, and Lyon & Coulson.
It is not only difficult, but dangerous, to compare the products of all these makers. Yet it is not wholly pointless. I mean, a cautious analysis may serve to aid you in buying, for you may say to yourself: "I want a rod in this or that price and quality class." But be it remembered, your correspondent is just one individual, and any individual has his eccentricities. Definition: An eccentricity is a preference without sound reason. Or, degustibus non est disputandum, which is to say there is (sometimes) no accounting for taste.
Thus, having established an "out," even while burning my bridges behind me, I may say that the quality, price, balance, and all-around perfection of the Leonard, Thomas, Cross, Payne, and Edwards rods are high. Their prices in best grades are equaled only by their strutting value. In fact, when I was very young and very foolish, my whole bearing and vocabulary was wont to change the moment I began casting with a rod by any of the above makers, especially Leonard and Thomas. But mark you! And mark you carefully! If while using any of the above rods in top grades, some envious soul says: "Hah! You're paying for a name!" your prompt and witheringly valid comeback is this: "You're damn right I am--and it's a name worth paying for!"
NEXT WEEK: Part 2: A break-down of various makers.
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13-year old girl catches 58 pound striper...anglers still rejoicing over EPA decision not to ban lead...owner of Fle-Fly Tackle passes on...Roger Hellen has an official brown trout world record...kiwis are trout mad...Danish tourist helplessly watches Aussie drown while retrieving fallen fishing rod...bullheads anyone?...insect hatch ruins streamer test...pleasures of perch...mentoring young anglers...tackle giant lays off 24...a review of the new book Black River Dreams...it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!
The Big Lead: 13 year old girl much, much, much better angler than you: catches 58 pound striper.
Why many anglers are rejoicing over the EPA's decision not to ban lead tackle.
For the next few weeks, we get some great photos from Terry Oxley's photo book. This third and final one is a neat historic picture. Take it away, Terry:
This is me with my first musky. I was fishing with a jointed pikie minnow and I still remember vividly the bend in the Trout River where I caught it. Fifty years ago this past summer! You can tell the era by the name on our fishing boat. The "S" is covered up. I remember my Dad and I staying out way after dark hoping to see satellites passing overhead. The boat was built by one of my uncles, and the fishing pole/reel was a hand-me-down from his wife. It is an old Pflueger Supreme reel, which I still have. The pole has turned up missing the past two summers. I'm hoping I put it someplace safe between here and WI.
It is the norm in most "Outdoor" magazines to have an editorial each issue, generally dealing with conservation or a related topic. During periods of War these often take a patriotic bent. Today's submission is not exactly an ad but an editorial from the July 1918 issue of Field & Stream. This was a time when fighting in World War I was at its fiercest. Unless you are of a certain age you will not remember that hostilities ended "on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" which for many years was remembered as "Armistice Day." As grade school children we stood at 11 am on this day facing France with our hands over our hearts. In 1954 this was changed to "Veteran's day" to include the veterans of all wars.
Today we stop to remember those who who fought and those who died for the many freedoms we enjoy here in America. I thought I'd share a poem written by Philadelphian George Henry Boker, a popular mid-century writer better known for his stage work but who penned a number of pieces in the Civil War. This one, A Battle Hymn, is my favorite of these patriotic pieces.
A BATTLE HYMN
by George Henry Boker
God, to thee we humbly bow,
With hand unarmed and naked brow;
Musket, lance and sheathed sword
At thy feet we lay, 0 Lord!
Gone is all the soldier's boast
In the valor of the host:
Kneeling here, wc do our most.
Of ourselves we nothing know:
Thou, and thou alone canst show,
By the favor of thy hand,
Who has drawn the guilty brand.
If our foemen have the right,
Show thy judgment in our sight
Through the fortunes of the fight!
If our cause be pure and just,
Nerve our courage with thy trust:
Scatter, in thy bitter wrath,
All who cross the nation's path:
May the baffled traitors fly,
As the vapors from the sky
When thy raging winds are high!
God of mercy, some must fall
In thy holy cause. Not all
Hope to sing the victor's lay,
When the sword is laid away.
Brief will be the prayers then said;
Falling at thy altar dead,
Take the sacrifice, instead.
Now, O God! once more we rise,
Marching on beneath thy eyes;
And we draw the sacred sword
In thy name and at thy word.
May our spirits clearly see
Thee, through all that is to be,
In defeat or victory.
There is of course a much more famous Battle Hymn, which just so happens to be my favorite all-time song (which I sang numerous times in my decade long career as a choir singer). Here's the Mormon Tabernacle Choir giving a more or less definitive interpretation of this song.
Now that you've heard the song, listen to this soliloquy by equally incomparable actor Orson Wells about Julia Howe, the writer of the greatest song in American history.
We should never take our liberties and freedom for granted, especially today.
Here is a disclaimer: I do not in any way work for Lang's, although I consider many of the people that work there to be friends. Additionally, I am suffering from a horrible bout of flu so if this comes off as rambling, I apologize ahead of time.
That being said, there has been a lot of buzz about the Lang's Auction that was held this past weekend, and I thought I'd weigh in with my two cents.
Back when Lang's went to the current format, there was of course a lot of controversy, especially since it meant both the end of "live" bidding as well as the move towards a digital catalog (instead of a bound one).
First, although we may lament that there is not a live auction and an accompanying show, we have to be realistic about life. We can't go back in time. Instead, Live Auctioneers and an on-line auction is what we have. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THIS. Many other auction houses have closed their doors, and we as tackle collectors are fortunate to have a world class auction such as Lang's.
And my experience with the new format (not really new, but over two years old) has been that it is easy to use, with very few glitches. In fact, in many ways it runs more smoothly than a regular auction, in my mind. I think it allows far more people to participate, and potentially get the items they want.
Every auction there are people who have different experiences, who for one reason or another do not get the item they want. This is the nature of the beast. In at least a dozen instances on eBay, I have bid far beyond what the eBay auction ended at and did not win the auction. Why? Who knows? I've also been at live auctions where the auctioneer has ignored my pleading bid and hammered an item that I badly wanted, too. The point is that auctions, whether traditional or on-line, are run by human beings, and human beings make mistakes. We all want a perfect bidding experience, but that is a pipe dream.
What I cannot abide, however, is the idea that some how, some way the system is rigged. Frankly, anyone with any knowledge of back-end databases would know that such thoughts are ridiculous. The sheer audacity to believe that an entire system is rigged just to keep someone from winning a $400 auction is amazing.
Let me put it to you another way: Lang's Auctions are as honest as any auctioneer in any field in America. As Lang's owners Debbie Ganung has recently noted:
I can say unequivocally that Lang’s is an honest auction, and will continue to be so for as long as John and I own it. We work extremely hard to produce the best tackle auctions in the world and to provide exceptional customer service...Every bid is recorded through Live Auctioneers, including the exact time it was received, the IP address of the computer used, and every bid placed by Lang’s technicians on behalf of phone and absentee bidders. There is no way possible to manipulate the online bids. When you see the bidding starting at your high bid, it means there was another absentee bid one increment below yours. In that case, the bidding would start at your high bid, overbidding the underbidder’s absentee bid. Example: your absentee bid is $400. There is another absentee bid of $375. The bidding will open at $400.
Were there glitches in the on-line auctions? Not in any of the dozen auctions I bid on, but this does not mean they did not happen. I did watch one reel record a 52,000 bid but that very well have been a fault in my interface. Some people have posted that they were high bidder until the end, when the auction sailed past their bid and closed quickly. In cases like this, if you wanted the item(s) I suggest bidding what you're willing to pay to get it in the first place.
If there is an item you absolutely have to have, and fear the internet may go down, you should make a phone bid.. Failing that, leave an absentee bid--which is recorded and viewable in your Live Auctioneers profile. But I strongly suggest a phone bid for those items you desperately want as it gives you the best chance to get it.
The bottom line is this. The vast majority of users have had an easy and pleasant bidding experience with the new system. As for problems, if you've had one, pick up the phone and call Lang's! They answer questions all the time, and will very likely explain to you in no time what happened.
We all need to relax and remember this is fun. And there are little things more fun than having Lang's auction on live in the background as I watch football.
