The Friday Funhouse

The Video of the Week

This is a nifty vintage bonefishing video courtesy of the IGFA.



12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

A relatively recent Jim Schaaf fly rod catalog goes to show that even contemporary tackle has collector interest.


This is a really nifty old Abbey & Imbrie reel.


Who wouldn't love this great Thos. J. Conroy ball-handled New York reel?


Arnold Palmer reels in the box are always going to attract the golfing crowd.


Wow, this Heddon Lucky 13 in Blue Scale is awesome!


A George Lawrence creel is a wonderful find.


This Live Action Frog store display has to be one of a kind.


A gorgeous Kent Frog transitional model is amazing.


A Heddon Salesman's Sample Case is also quite rare.


HOLY SCHNIKEYS! This H.L. Leonard salmon reel is a super rare model.


I do like these early Chubb fly rods.



Saltwater lure collectors will like this Stan Gibbs Cast-A-Lure in the box.



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

-- Dr. Todd

Review of the March 2012 NFLCC Gazette & ORCA Reel News

Review of the March 2012 NFLCC Gazette & ORCA Reel News

The mail recently brought the latest issues of two of my favorite publications. The first is the NFLCC Gazette (Vol. 34, No. 130--March, 2012). It contains a lot of superb articles, including the cover story by Fred Sweeney on the Creek Chub/Shur-Strike Salesman's Sample Case. It is wonderful to get more background on this legendary find.

Colby Sorrells offers up one of the most popular lures ever made, the Johnson Silver Minnow. With tens of millions of lures sold, it's one of the great successes in the history of fishing.

Steve Scarborough gives us a nice article on a rod-and-reel combo I'd not seen before. Bob Dennis opines on Carolina Lure Collecting, Darwin "The Bomber Man" Stewart writes up a biography of Jack Wendling, Bob Hornstra's nifty article on the Patterson (NJ) Rod and Gun Store, and Lee Bontrager gives us a short piece on Alaska's Own Mary Ann.

Yet another fine issue. The Gazette is ably edited by Jim Fleming down in Music City and more information about the NFLCC can be found by Clicking Here.

Around the same time, we got the latest issue of ORCA's Reel News. This big issue featured a roster of great articles, beginning with Bob Millers' Decade-by-Decade look at Pflueger reels, this time on the "dismal thirties."

My own contribution this month was a detailed article on the fishing reels of the Holiday Sport Stores, a neat post-war company. We also had regular contributions including More Reel Stuff by the great Stu Lawson, who gave us some obscure B&M reels, Mike Cacioppo with the third installment of his great series on Penn (on left-handed models), Jim Schottenham's Reel Auction Report, and Ben Wright's Spinning Lines column on an interesting combo reel.

Another home run of an issue!

If you are not an ORCA member--and by now I'm just going to hold my breath until you are--you can join us by Clicking Here. The Reel News is lovingly edited by Richard K. Lodge.

-- Dr. Todd

The Fishing Themed Magazine Cover, Part II

I got such a nice response to last week's article on fishing-themed magazine covers, I decided to put up another dozen of my favorites. It includes my all-time favorite fishing magazine cover (saved for last, naturally).


1917 Parisian magazine with risque angling cover.


Lovely 1910s Cosmopolitan magazine cover.


A Saturday Evening Post fishing cover.


Another Saturday Evening Post fishing cover.


Argosy was a popular magazine that often featured fishing articles and covers.


Child Life gives us a nifty 1920s angling cover.


Even obscure magazines, like Bangor's Good Stories, could have wonderful angling covers.


St. Nicholas was an old and established magazine.


This 1950s Screen Fun cover came from a pin-up or girly magazine.


Hygeia was a 1950s physical fitness and health magazine.


Rugged was an obscure 1960s men's magazine.


This Hearst magazine cover is my all-time favorite angling cover.

-- Dr. Todd

Voices from the Past: Japanese Tackle Threatens Canadian Manufacturer (1950)

Ken Kerr sent in the following clipping from the March 30, 1950 Toronto Globe & Mail. It refers to the impact of the burgeoning post-war Japanese tackle trade on the Canadian tackle market. I've written often and at length on Japanese imported tackle and its effects on American companies, but it was fascinating to see that our northern neighbors were also hit hard by the flood of inexpensive tackle.

Layoffs Loom: Cheap Japanese Imports Hit Fishing Tackle Firm

Cobourg, March 29. The latest protest against cheap Japanese imports was sounded here today by Frank Edgar, owner of the Lucky Strike Bait Co.

Mr. Edgar said that between 15 and 20 employees will be laid off as a result of unrestricted importation of Japanese-made fishing tackle. His plant is the only company in Canada which manufactures brass barrel swivels and fishhooks used in artificial lures.

Edgar said that 1950 production will slump from 8,000 gross of swivels to about 5,200 as a result of Japanese competition. He said that the Japanese product is being dumped on the Canadian market at 50 cents a gross, as compared to his own price of $1.50 a gross.

He referred to Trade Minister Howe's admonition to Canadian manufacturers to make products which were being imported from the United States and draining dollar resources.

"I, for one, put in extra machinery, spent money on research and began making items previously imported from the United States," Mr. Edgar said. "Now I am faced with the spectacle of Japanese competition which is simply overwhelming because of the low prices asked for their goods."

His Cobourg plant was started in 1945 and employs 28. Another plant in Peterborough employs 40.

-- Dr. Todd

News of the Week: 16 April 2012

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!

Minnesota gets its first ever bass expo…the Scots ghillie who trained Ewan McGregor as his fly fishing padawan speaks…the next few months are the best for fishing…Chicago's Fishin' Buddies program introduces urban kids to angling…6 steps to successful fly fishing…a new eBook on fly fishing saltwater cuts…a tragic story of a fishing rod holder and a motorcycle fatality…another big Marlin…P.J. O'Rourke on his failed life as a country gentleman…it must be THE NEWS OF THE WEEK!

The Big Lead: Minnesota gets its first ever Bass Expo.


The Scots ghillie who tipped Ewan McGregor on fly fishing.



Why the next few months are the best for fishing.

Chicago's Fishin' Buddies program aims to introduce fishing to urban kids.



Six steps to successful fly fishing.

A new eBook on fly fishing saltwater cuts.

Tragic story of fishing rod holders and the accidental death of a motorcycle rider in Australia.

Cottage Grove man catches 379 pound marlin.



Finishing with a Flourish: The great P.J. O'Rourke on his failed life as a Country Gentleman.



-- Dr. Todd

1000 Words

1000 Words

Today in Hollywood Goes Fishing we feature the lovely Jane Russell--of The Outlaw and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes fame--posing for a publicity still ca. 1942. Miss Russell was an icon of the screen best remembered today for her commercials for Playtex's "Cross-Your-Heart" bra, which astoundingly is still one of the best selling models nearly four decades after its release.



-- Dr. Todd

Deconstructing Old Ads: A Different Sort of Rod (1947)

A Different Sort of Rod

Recently at the Greater Milwaukee Antique Tackle Show I purchased sizable bundle of metal casting rods that were sold as a group in the silent auction. I really only wanted one rod in the group, a seamless hollow steel casting rod that bore the Pfleuger name but was obviously made for them by True Temper. I was well pleased with the Pfleuger rod as it will partner well with a Shakespeare Marhoff reel for some vintage tackle fishing next summer. The rest of the bundle appeared to be a lot of mismatched and frankly worthless junk. There was however one rod in the group that struck me as something different. I could see the South Bend name cast in the reel seat of the handle but the decal was missing from the base of the rod. The rod was a bright aluminum color almost like stainless steel. I could make out a slight “step-down” taper and assumed it was seamless tubular steel. Upon closer inspection when I arrived home it felt a little light so I took out a magnet and sure enough it did not stick to the rod.

I have spent a good deal of time pondering this unusual rod. What is it made of and is it indeed hollow? The rod is also is topped off by one of the more unusual handle and reel seat arrangements I've seen. I called on South Bend researcher Marie Munson and asked her if she was familiar with this rod. After searching through her catalogs she told me that the 1951 catalog contained a listing for a rod that sounded like it might be the one in question. Using this as a guide, I started searching for advertisements from that period. After a lot of looking over a two week period I came across two ads in the spring of 1947 for the rod which it turns out is called the "411 South Bender". The advertisement reproduced here is from the March,1947 issue of Sports Afield.  Unfortunately it only tells us that the rod is made from a “new, tough metal alloy” and that the rod tip weights only 3 oz.


My best guess as to the material that the rod is made from is beryllium-copper which immediately after World War II was thought to be the next miracle material for a lot of things including fishing rods. At least one other company offered beryllium-copper rods in an aluminum colored finish and that would explain the color of my rod. The following ad from the Warren Products Corp. appeared in the same magazine. It is one of the few companies to advertise beryllium-copper rods. Beryllium-copper did make a wonderfully light, strong fishing rod with nice action. The Champion Products Company offered its' telescoping beryllium-copper “Handle Rod” well into the early 1960s and the material was well suited to that design. However beryllium-copper's life as a general rod material was cut short almost before it got started by the advent of fiberglass. It wasn't that fiberglass was that much superior to beryllium-copper, but it was much cheaper to produce and could more easily be made into rod blanks with widely differing actions..


Getting back to my "411South Bender" metal rod. Its unusual handle design uses the ferrule at the base of the rod blank as the locking devise to secure the reel, the rod itself being drawn back through the handle by turning a metal collar that threads onto the handle. This arrangement does not allow for the standard offset reel seat which was almost universal at that time. Somewhat the same effect was achieved by tilting the handle downward at the front edge of the reel seat. Marie was kind enough to send me a copy of the 1951 South Bend catalog. It is there that I learned that handle is euphemistically called "semi-offset" and that the rod is indeed solid metal despite being as thick as the average solid glass rod. All in all, a pretty unique arrangement that can best be understood looking at the following pictures.
 


-- Bill Sonnett

The Friday Funhouse

Video of the Week

River Monsters star Jeremy Wade shows Kim Kardashian his exotic fish on the Today Show. Insert your own "Kardashian touching a big pulsating eel" joke here.

12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This is a nifty old Punch Ocean surf spinning reel.


A framed Michael Rogan salmon fly ca. 1870 is a great find.



Surf casters never get over their first love--a Penn 706 .



A Terry Clock reel is always a great find.


Goodness! This A&I reel oil in original wood packaging has to be one of the rarest items you'll run across on eBay this year.



This Mitchell 508 is just the neatest.



Look out for these Shakespeare Alpha 1982.


A Heddon Diving Wiggler in the tall box is really awesome.



This is an incredible Allcock fly reel in the box!



A Winchester Multi-Wobbler in the box will always be the belle of the ball.


An UMCO Possum Belly is the ultimate bass angler's tackle box.



This Moonlight Jointed Pikaroon is a lovely lure.



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

-- Dr. Todd

Lang's Auction April 21 and 22

Lang's Auction April 21 and 22

Well, it's that time of year again -- the Spring Lang's Auction! Per usual, the fine folks at Lang's have put together another great collection for the tackle collector. I am always amazed at the great stuff they manage to collect, and this auction is no different. It definitely has something for everyone.

I'm going to highlight my 10 favorite items from the upcoming auction. And we begin with a big one!

Words can't really describe how neat this Jack Charlton reel is. Even though it's only about 15 years old, it is the height of reel making. Just an unbelievable reel.


I just don't think you can find a nicer example of a rare and historic reel than this John Pepper Jr. automatic fly reel. It's incredible.


The only known Gayle No. 11 will make your jaw drop. It's just beautiful!


I love this 7' Walt Carpenter trout rod.


There are some exceptional vintage flies, but none strikes my fancy like this Ted Gordon original.


An incredible Shakespeare Point of Purchase display sign would look great in my den.


Arthur Taylor passed away in 2010. He was a world class painter, as evidenced by this classic work:


Well, you'll not find a rarer item in the auction than this Baby Haskell Minnow.


Seen a few of these around of late, but none as nice as this one.


A color collection of 21 Tulsa Stunters is pretty awesome.



Lang's auction catalog is available for browsing on-line, and you can access it by Clicking Here. The auction takes place on April 21 and April 22--check it out and make your bids!

-- Dr. Todd