The Fishing Themed Advertisement: Hunter Whiskey (1951)

This wonderful ad commemorates one of the most important men in fishing history -- Bache Hamilton Brown, the "Father of Spinfishing in America." It was unusual for a company not related to the tackle industry to single out an individual, but Brown was so important in bringing spinning to America that his impact cannot be overestimated. It's a beautiful ad and a great memorial to an influential man!



-- Dr. Todd

The American Snelled Hook, Part VI: A Lazy Ike Snell

Joseph Kautzky, the namesake of the famed Lazy Ike, was a gunsmith by trade. Based out of Fort Dodge, Iowa, sometime around 1920 the company became known as Joe Kautzky & Sons and began to expand into the general sporting goods field. Below are two hook packets dating to before World War II featuring the Kautzky name and logo, "where sportsmen serve sportsmen."





These packets would have been sold around the time (1938) that Newel Daniels began to hand carve wooden lures which were sold through the Kautzky shop. This would, of course, become the Lazy Ike, and after 1945 when it began to be made out of plastic, the lure would come to dominate all the free time of the Kautzky family had and the sporting goods, and snelled hooks and hook packets, disappeared into history.

They are a nice reminder that before the Lazy Ike, Joseph Kautzky sold a full line of tackle.

-- Dr. Todd

Voices from the Past: Nottingham Style Fishing (1895)

I was reading something recently that referenced "Nottingham" style fishing. I had to look it up, and found a really nice description in The North Punjab Fishing Club Anglers' Handbook by G.H. Lacy and Dr. E. Cretin (3rd Edition-1895) of all places. Here is their description of the unique Nottingham float, which predates today's "slip bobbers" by over a hundred years.

If however a float is used while fishing with atta, or, indeed, in any kind of bottom fishing for Mahseer, the "Nottingham style" of fishing is recommended. Doubtless few fishermen in India know exactly what this means.



I will endeavour to describe it. The peculiarities of the float used in this style of fishing are as follows:—It is curved, or bow-shaped, instead of being straight. The bottom ring js at right angles with, instead of being in the same line with the wooden shaft. A quill cap is not used but a ring is fastened just at the shoulder of the cork body of the float, projecting from it through which the line can pass freely. The float can therefore travel up and down the line, and is not fixed at any particular spot.

A diagram of this float is given marginally, which will make the above clear. On your gut cast at the " depth" you wish to fish, a small piece of gut or fine wire about a quarter of an inch long is knotted crossways, and above the float. The result is that the line can run down through the float to this point, the float remaining stationary. The great advantage of this is that on the line being withdrawn from the water, the float falls, or slides down on to the shot (which should be bigger than the bottom ring of the float), and at this point forms an additional weight near the bait, by means of which very long casts can be made. When, after making your casts, the bait and float reach the water, give out your line freely; the weight of the shot and bait, with a little assistance from the rod, will pull the gut through the loops or rings on the float until it is checked by the small cross piece of gut or wire at the required depth.

You can by this means fish very deep, say ten feet or more, more easily than by the ordinary way, and you can cast further, both of which are special advantages in Indian waters, whether tanks or rivers! Another advantage is that you strike the fish direct, and have not got to half• pull the float out of the water, thus causing a disturbance, as is done in the ordinary way. The above style of float fishing is recommended for every kind of Indian bottom fishing except for Labeos, and if any one cares to try it he will find it a great advantage, that is, if he cares to use a float while fishing with atta, worm, etc., as a bait.

-- Dr. Todd

Hollywood Goes Fishing: Miss America 1958

The following post is for my friend Bob Halver, author of the Collector's Guide to Airex/Bache Brown & Lionel Fishing Tackle. It is a 1957 press photo published in The Fishing Tackle Trade News for Nov-Dec 1957 of Marilyn Van Derbur of Denver, Colorado -- Miss America for 1958. This amazing woman went on to write a moving and critically claimed book about the abuse she suffered as a child entitled Miss America By Day. Here she poses with an "Airex pastel colored fishing outfit [with Airex Bache Brown reel], specifically designed for lady anglers."



-- Dr. Todd

The Friday Funhouse

The Video of the Week

This video called "Damsels in Distress" is just incredible.



12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

You're not going to find a rarer or cooler reel this week than this one-off big game reel.



This 3-hook Heddon minnow in the box is sweet.



This Sagarra Super Surf spinning reel from Spain is awesome.



This 1904 Outdoor Life is crazy rare.



This 1919 Pflueger catalog is incredibly rare.



This Vom Hofe #491 is a great find.



Holy cow. This Expert #200 is incredible.



A Wyers & Frere spinner is attracting all kinds of attention!



A South Bend #905 underwater minnow is an incredible find.



The New Winner by Sears is a great old trade minnow.



Instant Collection Alert: 12 Bug-N-Bass lures.



This lure may not be in the best shape, but damn are those hand painted gill marks sweet!



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

-- Dr. Todd

The Fishing Themed Advertisement: Kellogg's Corn Flakes (1942)

This is one of the most complicated fishing ads I've seen. A three-panel ad is rare, but especially one that features big game charter boat fishing. It's for Kellogg's Corn Flakes and ran in a number of magazines in the summer of 1942.



-- Dr. Todd

Yawn...Another Day, Another Snow Emergency

Yawn ... another day, another paralyzing ice storm. A thousand square miles are under a Level 2 snow emergency (no non-critical people on the roads). No big deal. Last three weeks have seen the kids home at least part of the day for snow/ice ten times. The new normal.

-- Dr. Todd

Harold Dickert's Annual Joe's Old Lures Photo Contest!

It's that time of year again! It's time for the Harold Dickert Joe's Old Lures Photo Contest! You know the story ... read the rules below and have fun!

The Fishing Themed Advertisement: Calvert Whiskey (1935)

This week we feature a really cool whiskey ad, this time from Calvert whiskey. It's a nice composite advertisement, that's extremely well done, and was published over several months in 1935 in Collier's Magazine.



-- Dr. Todd

1000 Words

This is a pretty cool old photo of a circa 1910 tackle kit. I think it was used in one of Dixie Carroll's books.



-- Dr. Todd

The Friday Funhouse

The Video of the Week

It's so cold out fish are being flash frozen in mid-swim.



12 Things I Would Buy If Only I Could Afford Them

This Payne Model 95 fly rod is pretty cool.



Wow. This EVH Long Key is about as nice as they get.



This Oscar Peterson Brook Trout ice decoy is incredible.



The Thoren Minnow Chaser in the box is really great.



A South Bend 5-Hook Minnow in the box is a great find!



This 1919 South Bend Midget Minnow #901SF is a really rare lure.



This Abbey & Imbrie metal sign is awesome!



This Flood FLorida Shiner in the box is nearly mint.



A Fireplug CCBC #1500 Injured Minnow in the box? Yes please.



This Ambassadeur 6500 is going to make the ABU guys happy.



This is one Snake I am not afraid of.



Can't beat this Montague 4-Screw Gus Habich reel.



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

-- Dr. Todd

The Fishing Themed Advertisement: Paul Jones Whiskey (1954)

This episode of the Fishing Themed Advertisement is posted in honor of Jim Schottenham, doyen of all-things sidemount. It's a 1954 Paul Jones blended whiskey ad featuring a sidemount birdcage reel. It's the only ad I recall seeing that has such a reel in it, and it certainly looks like a Billinghurst Follett. Whomever did the ad certainly had access to some awesome tackle, as I'm sure Jim would agree!



-- Dr. Todd

Ben Wright's Spinning Reel Report: January 2014

NEW YEAR STARTS WITH RECORD COLD,SNOW AND HIGH WINDS !!!!

With more great reels on the Bay, but check out some of the high prices paid !!!

Featured reels:
Abu Cardinal 33 second version nib  @ 388.55
Abu Garcia  Abu-matic 152CF nib w/rough box @628.76 wow
Early 1930's Alvey sidecaster wood spool/bakelite back plate exc 20 offers high was 1,028.99 was declined !!
Merit by Stalder e+wb @ 515.00

Abu:
444A version? nib @ 249.92
Cardinals
   44X brown ewb @ 300.00
   54 nib @ 123.29
   152 light wear @ 72.05

Airex:
Vic black e+wb @ 126.00
Vic green exc- @ 56.00

Canada:
La Salle by Tampco ewb @ 133.53

Daiwa:
mini-spin w/rod in case exc @ 43.00
Dam Qiuck
 Finessa 280 nib @ only 35.00
 microlite 265 ewb @ 78.96
 550 nib @ 143.46 wow
 550N ewb @ 177.57 holy cow

English:
Allock Duplex ewb @ 204.41
early Mallock 31/4"? light wear @ only 46.00

French:
Centaure pacific exc @ 51.00
     "           "      slight wear @ 61.00
     "            "  5 some wear @ 162.50
     "            "  "   exc @ 202.59 why ?
Freino Pexor exc- @ 96.50
Mepps baby vamp second version exc @ 144.50

Italian:
Alcedo-
 Atlantic slight wear @ 200.00
 Jupitor exc @ 272.07
 Micron curved leg ewb @ 145.50
Nettuno AP exc- @ 99.99

Japan:
Arnold Palmer exc @ 10.49
neat Johnny Walker 715 SCF nib @ 41.00

Mitchell:
300DL nib @ 798.24
302 exc w/two piece black box @ 64.00
306 Balzer (Germany) exc @ 77.11
408 e+wb @ 175.00
5540RD exc @ 70.00

Ocean City:
350 yellow ewb @ 34.00
  "      "      exc+ @ 118.99 holy cow

Penn:
706 nib @ 209.72
710 green ewb @ 52.00
716Z nib @ 172.50

Zebco Cardinal:
3 second version ewb @ 178.45

A few other reels:
Dragon Fly nib @ only 21.01
Flo-Line by Lou Meyer e+wb @ 148.88
Langley R810 paint removed @ 52.01
     "      850 deluxe ewb @ 76.00
Ted William 930 by Shakespeare  nib @ 34.00
spin-champ CF ewb @ 63.00
Swiss Record Recordette 21 aqua nib @ 122.50
Wardens jet caster exc @ 108.50

sure hope it gets abit warmer outside !!!
Ben

News of the Week: January 27, 2014

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: Famous Scotiish tackle shop Gows closes after 150 years.



Lead-free tackle is back on the menu in Minnesota.



Montana tackle company is a big hit.



Tom Bedell (Pure FIshing) puts his 14.9 million dollar home up for sale.

Mel Dickie has been teaching rod making for 35 years.



A new fly fishing film was released.



Fly fishing on mars.

Sister Carol Ann Corley teaches fly tying to young students.



The Patriots didn't make the Super Bowl, but you can still go to Super Boo.

Finishing with a Flourish: Bassmaster Classic to have $20 million impact on Birmingham.

-- Dr. Todd