Sporting Classics -- Fly-rod Lures

In the 1960s -- while still in college -- I took up fly fishing.  Somehow I though it was a more intellectual approach to fishing.  Maybe it is, but over the years I've discovered my personal favorite way to fish is trolling lures from a canoe.  

A few years back I gave my daughter most my fly fishing gear.  Now, I need to tell her just valuable all that stuff is.  She has my old Hardy Bros. rod and reel as well as hundreds of small accouterments and flies I collected over a thirty-five year span.

This week I was cleaning out some old tackle boxes that belonged to my dad and me when I came across a bunch of old fly-rod baits and lures that I never got around to giving to my daughter.  I began looking up some of these on Ebay, and I learned that they are every bit as collectible as other lures.

Many small bass plugs in the one to two inch range where made by Heddon, South Bend, Creek Chub, Paw Paw and other manufacturers.  If you're lucky enough to have some in the original boxes you'll find they are worth a small fortune.

I've always been a big fan of Fred Arbogast's Hula Poppers, so it was no surprise that these two fly-rod lures have been in my tackle box for the past 50 years.

I've never been a big fan of Helin flatfish lures.  Over the years I've probably spent more time untangling 'em than fishing with 'em, but here are a few that I've been dragging along since the 1960s.

When it gets right down to fly-rod baits that work best for trout you can't beat hair and feathered sculpins, frogs, mice and other baitfish imitations.  I've caught some dandy German Browns on the Owens River by dapping these in the grass along a cut-bank.

I've also had a fair amount of success with streamers, especially on a sinking fly line trolled behind a canoe.

Also for trolling "old timers" often added spinners and other attractor blades to work with flies and streamers.

All of these fly-rod baits have been popular with angler's since the nineteenth century when Julius Vom Hofe was making his #4 Trout Reel.

Size matters!  

Especially when it come to fishing collectibles.  Small is better because it's always easier to display small collectibles as they require less space in a showcase or on a wall.

Happy Hunting!!!

Sporting Classics -- Kingfisher Lines

Kingfisher Silk Lines display c 1915

Elisha J. Martin of Rockville, Connecticut was the original creator of the now famous Kingfisher brand of silk fishing lines.

In 1882, he was in the business of making braided eye-glass cords.  After making a few braided fishing lines for his friends he began his silk fishing line business in 1884.

Following the death of E. J. Martin in 1899, the business name was changed to E. J. Martin's Sons when his three sons took over the firm.

The E. J. Martin's Sons firm continued in business until it was eventually sold to the Horton Manufacturing Company of Bristol, Connecticut in 1919.

The E. J. Martin's Sons' specialties were raw and finished silk lines, variegated waterproof lines, mottled P. & S. lines, oiled silk lines, Potomac bass lines, extra quality trout lines, Italian trout and bass lines, bait casting lines, slickest casting lines, Italian casting lines, extra strength waterproof lines, enameled oil silk fly lines, russet enamel lines, mist color enamel lines, and highest quality enamel lines.

Throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s the Horton Manufacturing Company marketed Kingfisher fishing line along with their famous Bristol Steel Rods, and Meek Fishing Reels.

See previous posts to learn more about the Horton Manufacturing Company:

A sample page from the 1920 Bristol Steel Rods catalog

Sporting Classics -- Horton Mfg Co.
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/11/sporting-classics-horton-mfg-co.html

1920s examples of Kingfisher Line and synthetic leader

Sporting Collectibles -- Fisherman's Paraphernalia
http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2015/11/sporting-collectibles-fishermans.html

At some point during the 1930s depression years the Horton Manufacturing Company separated from the Kingfisher Brand, and by the 1950s they were selling Bristol Fishing Lines.

From 1906 into the late 1950s the Edward K. Tryon of Philadelphia was marketing Kingfisher brand of silk fishing lines along with a huge variety of other "Kingfisher" fishing tackle.

The Edw K. Tryon Company of Philadelphia held a Kingfisher trademark from before 1934 through at least 1945.  My research has failed to find any legal agreement between the Edw K. Tryon Co. and either E.J. Martin's Sons or the Horton Mfg. Co.

The following are some sample pages from the 1939 Edward K. Tryon catalog:

Kingfisher Bass Flies

Kingfisher Silk Casting Lines

Kingfisher Fishing Reels

Kingfisher Cohantic Enameled Silk Fish Lines

Kingfisher Trout Flies

Kingfisher Trout Flies

Coming soon... 1913 booklet, "A FEW TIPS ON CASTING, FISHING AND THE SELECTION OF LINES" published by E. J. MARTIN'S SONS makers of THE "KINGFISHER" LINE