The Friday Funhouse

The Video of the Week

Controversy erupts over veracity of reports that a huge marlin sank a fishing boat off Panama.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only i Could Afford Them

I am unfamiliar with this neat Carufel Canadian-made fly reel.



I am a sucker for a Musky Vamp.



This Horton Meek #2 with the tournament handle is superb.



A pair of Geen's patent hand painted lures is an incredible find!



No one did decoys better than Oscar Peterson.



This Otto Zwarg line spool is ultra rare.



These Heddon Lucky 13 Spooks continue to amaze.



No one made a better reel than Stan Bogdan.



This Heddon Surface Minnow box is dirty, but man is it RARE.



While the longer lengths are usually a turn off to collectors, anything that Everett Garrison made is great.



A gaggle Pfeffers of is a nice start to a collection.



Surf casters LOVE their black Harnell rods.



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

-- Dr. Todd

An Angling Miscellany with Gary L. Miller

This is not a story about the missing link. It’s a story about not missing your lynx. Too cute? Ok, let’s get serious. Man spears lynx.

This is a true story that took place back in February of 1955.

A Traverse City man, Perry Ransom, and three of his buddies went up into the Algoma country north of the Canadian Soo to do some ice fishing on Ontario’s Trout Lake. The fishing was slow and they only had four trout between them so Perry decided to call it a day. He started off for camp ahead of the others carrying the ice spud.

Along the trail he passed near a rocky ledge and suddenly a Canadian Lynx sprang at him from the outcropping. Instinctively Perry raised the spud defensively and the sharp chisel edge caught the big cat right behind the ear and killed it instantly. The lynx was a female measuring 55 inches long but weighing only 18 pounds.

A lynx that long and weighing so little must surely have been starving to death and ole Perry must have looked like a banquette to her. Fortunately for him he was an ace with the spud.

Ransom was an accomplished outdoorsman, taking many deer and spearing lots of big pike over the years. His luck held and he lived a long and fruitful life passing away in 1972 at the age of 80. Proof once again that God does not deduct from one’s lifespan time spent fishing or in this case spuding lynx.

-- Gary L. Miller

Lost Patents: The Everlasting Creel (1937)

I'm going to start spotlighting a piece of patented fishing tackle that is a bit out of the ordinary over the coming months. The item for this month is a combined metal creel and tackle box -- and a really neat one at that!

It was invented by a pair of Tioga county, Pennsylvania anglers named William E. Smith and Irving J. Focht of Wellsboro. They applied for a patent on July 24, 1936 and it was granted as Patent #2,098,636 on November 9, 1937.





The inventors described their creation to The Pennsylvania Angler in the May 1938 edition. W.E. Smith noted:

Some of the features of this model creel are as follows: in the first place it makes it unnecessary for the stream fisherman to wear a hunting or fishing coat to carry along the anglers equipment which often as we know, especially in hot weather, is not only too hot, cumbersome and burdensome but also prevents ease in casting and walking.

Further this creel, as one whom we contacted stated, is 'everlasting'--he suggested we call it the Everlasting Creel--it will outwear a number of the present reed or willow baskets.

The 'accessibility' of your tackle in this basket over any form of outer garment is greatly superior. The tackle compartment is water-tight or water-proof, and a safe place for valuable fly-books, etc.

We also claim sanitation--we both know how smelly the old fish basket becomes after being in use a short time--this creel can be washed out in a jiffy and kept clean and sanitary. The fish compartment is designed to permit a maximum of ventilation, and drainage from the ferns and moss that the average fisherman uses to keep the trout cool.

Last but not least, the creel will weigh but only a few ounces more than the present reed or willow basket and the fisherman can keep all his tackle in this creel so when going fishing he has but two things to think about--of his rod and basket. You may, no doubt, be able to think of many things I have stated here that this creel may afford the fisherman but the above is some of what I consider the most important; a built-in bait box with an individual lid is incorporated on the left side, which can be utilized for small gadgets by the fly fisherman, or can be removed in a split-second entirely, leaving this space for other paraphernalia—the compartments are removable and adjustable, so he can take them all out or move them around to suit his personal needs."





It's a nifty design and an attractive creel, but I wonder how many of these were sold over the years. I'm betting not too many, and with World War II around the corner and the spin revolution after World War II, I am betting the Everlasting Creel had a short life.

-- Dr. Todd

Ben Wright's Spinning Reel Report for January 2013

JANUARY 2013

NEW YEAR STARTS WITH FRIGID COLD WEATHER BUT EBAY STAYS HOT     !!!!

FEATURED REEL:
Was an early Langley Spinlite R810 NIB w/cloth bag, had 30 bids/9 bidders B/4 selling @$202.50 holy cow !!




WHATS HOT:
Abu:
444A first version exc @ 146.01
Record 700 second version ewb @ 233.50
 Cardinals:
3 champagne first version ewb @ 569.74
33 CDL re-issue nib @ 504.00
57 ewb @ 149.00

Airex:
Vic gray exc- @ 51.00

Bronson:
Buddy 800 ewb @ 67.61

Daiwa:
8100A ewx @ 109.99

Dam Quick:
Microlite nib @ 152.50
110N nib @ 142.50
550N nib @ 81.00

English:
J W Young Ambidex no. 4 nib @ 112.50

Garcia:
Spinette nib @ 93.00

Fennch:
Centaure Pacific nib @ 140.17
Luxor 3 L-A ewb @ 177.50

German:
Silent Spin-Flyte ewb @113.50
Rare Triplex Sol A broken foot @ 659.19



Heddon   Daisy/Heddon  Whats going on with these ???
205R nib @ 67.66
205R nib @ 105.63
222 nib @ 36.98
222 nib @ 81.00
222 nib @ 178.50
266 nib @ 51.00
spin pal nib @ 71.00
spin pal 220 ewb @ 67.66

Italian:
JDL paint wear @110.00
Cargem:
 Marvil 17 nib @ 149.00
 mignon 33 cut-a way SS like new @ 306.07
junior 418 nib @ 127.50
   Zangi:
3V exc- @ 263.99

 Japanese:
Thunderbird exc @ 62.00



Penn:
700 3rd version ewb @ 92.00
712 nib @ 205.00
720Z nib @ 76.99
722 first version ewb @ 110.00

Shakespeare:
2052 second version nib @ 128.00
2062     "          "        "  @ 42.01

Zebco:
1970 exc @ 277.70
cardinal 6X nib @ 157.50

WHATS NOT ??
French:
Fraser mer saumon ewb @ 67.66
Mepps Super Meca orange exc @ 78.00
Centaure River exc @ 20.50

Italian:
Alcedo Micron bent leg ewb @ 62.00
rare Orvis 50A MPU like new @ 84.05 note-some one had emailed the seller to tell him that the reel was missing the bail and thats what he posted until I told him that his reel was original with the MPU. someone got a great deal!!!


Orvis 150 exc @ 36.10
Langley Spinator 870A exc @ 36.10

Penn:
430 CF nib @ 66.98
Black 710 exc- @ 59.00

Shakespeare:
Pres 11 2910 exc @ 20.50

Last was a neat unmarked pivot foot reel exc+ that sold @
197.50
Ben

News of the Week: January 28, 2013

Don't have time to read 50+ fishing and tackle collecting blogs and web sites? Well, let us do it for you! Follow all of the latest news, articles, and stories on our Whitefishpress Twitter account! Hint: You don't need to be a member...just bookmark the Twitter Feed Page or click on latest links to the right!
THE MONDAY 10: The Ten Fishing Stories of the Week You Need to Know

The Big Lead: Incredibly knowledgable (and nice) collector Jim Schottenham, and Lang's Auctions, gets a nice profile in the Wall Street Journal.



Sad news for Iowa -- Pure Fishing distribution moves to Kansas.



Calvin in Cornwall buys a tackle shop.

From the woods, the storm was pretty.

Fisherman rewarded for help with project.

Ice fishing in Finnish Lapland.



Have bamboo rod builders created a unified system of measurement?

This Canadian family is hooked on the fly-fishing business.



Recalling fond memories on Union Lake.

Finishing with a Flourish: The Prince of Wales visits Harrison Rods of Liverpool.



-- Dr. Todd

1000 Words

I like this posed shot of a fly rod and reel (and flies) and a pair of nice whitefish.



-- Dr. Todd

Abe Saint and the "Go Deeper" River Runt

At one of the first NFLCC shows I attended in 1985, I saw something that caught my eye. It was a #9400 floating River Runt Spook with a deep diving lip on it. The thought crossed my mind at the time that this was a combination that I had not seen before. Some years later I attempted to collect all the River Runt Spook variations in one color. Try as I might, I never saw another 9400 with a deep diving lip in any color. Fast forward more than 25 years and it finally dawned on me what I had been looking at......

The following ad appeared in the July,1950 issue of Fur Fish Game. Beside this ad for the "Heddon Go Deeper River Runt" is an article by Robert Page Lincoln giving a brief history of the invention and success of this new diving lip. He thought it important enough to include a shortened version of this account in his 1952 book Black Bass Fishing which culminated his lifetime of writing about Bass fishing.
 


For some years Mr. Abe Saint of Tulsa Oklahoma had been making and installing a flat deep diving lip of his own design on River Runt Spooks for his personal use. It was a big improvement over the large scoop-shaped diving lip that Heddon had introduced on their Go Deeper River Runt Spooks in 1940. River Runts with Heddon's scoop-shaped lip tended to role over if drawn through the water too fast and would not run as deep as ones equipped with Abe Saint's lip. Word got around that Abe was taking fish with his deep running lures that other folks just could not reach. First he installed his lip on River Runts for his close friends. He then made them available to the general public through local sporting goods stores and by mail. His lip was designed so that installation simply required removing the lip from a River Runt Spook and replacing it using the existing screw holes. The original line tie also needed to be removed to accommodate the new lip. A new line tie was an integral part of the replacement lip.

Long time NFLCC collector Joe Nelson tells me that Abe Saint would visit his father's sporting goods store in Guthrie Oklahoma and install the lip on existing unsold stock of River Runts. The lures that Abe changed over himself were identified by the red paint that he applied to the screw heads after instillation. He also sold individual lips in small cellophane envelopes so fishermen could do the installation themselves.

Demand for Abe's lip got to be so great that he could not comfortably handle all the orders. Soon he sold Heddon the rights to his flat diving lip. They recognized that Abe's lip was superior to their own in every respect and admitted as much in their advertising.

1949 brought the introduction of the new, flat, deep diving lip on the Heddon Go Deeper River Runt Spooks, replacing the the older scoop lip which was discontinued. The new design was a big success, as really deep diving plugs were few and far between at that time.

The following photos illustrate the differences between the original Abe Saint lips and those produced by Heddon.
 


Here are the three River Runt diving lips laid out for comparison. On the left is Heddon's scoop-shaped lip used from 1940 through 1948. In the middle is Abe Saint's replacement lip. On the right is Heddon's version of the Abe Saint lip. It is slightly larger, has a somewhat modified line tie and is mounted in a slot in the nose of the bait.



Seen here is the Abe Saint diving lip mounted under the chin of a River Runt Spook, replacing the standard diving lip
 


Heddon's version of Abe Saint's lip is seen here. Notice it is mounted in a slot in the nose of the bait.



A comparison of the two lips shown above showing the different methods of mounting and the different line ties.



A somewhat corroded example of Abe Saint's replacement lip in what is left of its original cellophane wrapper

Good fishermen are always experimenting and occassionaly, like Ab Saint's diving lip, they hit the nail on the head.
 
Tight Lines,
 
Wild Bill

The Friday Funhouse

The Video of the Week

Joe Brooks is featured in this 1957 press newsreel for the Metropolitan Miami Fishing Tournament (see yesterday).



12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

A Pflueger Medalist 1495 1/2 in the box is a great find.



This Talbot Premier No. 2 is a great find.



An Elto Evinrude sign is a great piece for a man cave.



Who wouldn't love this Heddon 150 in rainbow?



I have never seen an eel spear like this one before.



A Winchester bait in the box is a nice find.



Almost as nice as finding Winchester hooks in the box.



This Heddon 185 spin cast reel in the box is breaking some records.



The Lectro-Matic electric rod and reel is interesting.



Even a Leo Wise box without the mouse is causing a furor.



George Grant tied some amazing flies.



You don't see a Stubcaster in the box very often.



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

-- Dr. Todd

Well Isn't This A Nice Big Pile of Bullshit

Just discovered that the ENTIRE FISHING FOR HISTORY BLOG has been lifted and copied word-for-word on to another site (with a shockingly similar name). Great. I've already filled out a DMCA complaint form asking for the site to be terminated, as every single word is a copyright violation. A sickening thought, and it makes you wonder the kind of miscreants who go around doing this (it's shockingly common). A huge bummer to be sure. -- Dr. Todd

The Miami Metropolitan Fishing Tournament

One of the legendary fishing events of the middle portion of the twentieth century was the Metropolitan Miami Fishing Tournament. Home to such famous anglers as Erl Roman (Miami outdoor writer and Miami University professor), Harold Lemaster (L&S Bait Co. owner), and Frank O'Brien (of Tycoon Tackle fame), the Metro was heavily advertised and very well attended. The Rod & Reel Club trophy was awarded to the heaviest sailfish. For many years, the legendary Joe Brooks was the director of the Miami Metropolitan Fishing Tournament, in addition to his duties as outdoor editor of the Miami Herald.

Here is a look at one way the Metro advertised their tournament. It's an envelope for the 1948 Metro sent on "Pisces Day" and featuring a lovely leaping billfish. Inside was the carded invitation to fish featuring a pin-up model and saltwater fishing rig.





It's a rather nice combo to find, and a neat piece of Florida and saltwater fishing history.

-- Dr. Todd