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Antique Fishing Tackle
René Huard’s passion for collecting antique fishing can be attributed to "fond memories" fishing the upper Niagara river with his father J. P. Huard. His Dad fished with Heddon plugs...so, Rene collects Heddon plugs and many other wooden/glass eyed fishing plugs from the golden age of innovation, circa 1875- 1930. Split Cane fly Rods, Fishing Reels, pre-1900 Metal Lures, Trout Creels, Wooden Handled Nets, and early Sporting Advertising & Art are all on Rene’s collectible WANTED list.
James Heddon's Sons
James Heddon company of Dowagiac, Michigan printed its first fishing tackle catalog in 1903, and you can still buy a Heddon fishing plug today under the Pradco trademark. No other fishing tackle manufacturer has endured and prospered for as long as this small Mom and Pop enterprise, that went from manufacturing ‘Bee Hives’ to ‘Crazy Crawlers’. Amongst vintage fishing tackle collecting enthusiasts, Heddon is the ‘Rolls Royce’ of antique tackle, a name personifying the highest quality.
Why do we collect Heddon tackle? I do because I learned to fish with my Dad’s Heddon plugs. These old lures can still be sourced today, especially in the 1940 to 1960’s vintage, and usually for a reasonable price. Because of the quality in materials and manufacturing standards, they are often found in pretty good condition, an enduring reminder that the ‘on the box advertising’ rings true “Heddon Made, Well Made.” Do you have any old Heddon tackle in your basement, garage or boat house?
Creek Chub Bait Company
Often referred to as C.C.B.Co., the Garret, Indiana based tackle manufacturer was founded in 1906 by partners Carl Heinzerling, Goerge Schulthess and Henry Dills.. There are those fisherman who swear a molded plastic Pikie Minnow today, will still out fish the other, bubble packed competition off the rack. What I know is collectors love the old wooden plugs with glass eyes that Creek Chub manufactured both in Garret, IN, and by licence to A.L.& W. in Toronto, ON. Through tireless innovation and commitment to quality control, C.C.B.Co., have bequeathed and enduring legacy and a myriad of lure models and “special order’ colors for crazy collectors like me to find. Have you found any old Creek Chub lures in your Grandpa’s tackle box recently?
Canadian Tackle Companies
There are two names that leap to the forefront in the minds of antique lure collectors who are seeking true Canadian content in their collections, Peterborough, Ontario’s, “Lucky Strike” and Brockville, ON, based “Hex”. Both companies were founded early, pre-1945, and survived through the war years, Lucky Strike is still a viable concern today. Those who appreciate the finest plugs made by, Heddon or C.C.B.Co, in the 1920s will find the same uncompromising commitment to innovation and quality control in the 1930’s and 40’s vintage of Hex and Lucky Strike. Many of these Canadian manufactured lures were, to say the least ‘influenced’ by Heddon and C.C.B.Co., nonetheless, the success that Lucky Strike and Hex achieved can be quantifiably measured by collectible interest, which has never been higher. If you have Candanian antique tackle you would like to see preserved for the heritage of fishing, call me!
Top Five Tackle & Miscelaneous
Serious fishing tackle collectors refer to the “Top Five”, tackle companies as Heddon, Creek Chub, Shakespeare, South Bend and Pflueger. You can quickly add Moonlight and Paw Paw as close and in the running. A host of other smaller companies like Jamison, Keeling, Rush, Outing, Decker, Chippewa Bait, Winchester and so many more all have their place in the big picture as valued innovators and close contenders for top honors among the seemingly peerless. We can get into the realm of ultra rare American and English metal lures, Kentucky Bluegrass Reels, Cage reels, Split cane fly rods……and, well you get the picture, it just goes on and on, but for now we’ll just say, it’s all WANTED!
René is a member of several fishing tackle collecting fraternities, including the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club ( N.F.L.C.C.), and as a board member of the Canadian Antique Fishing Tackle Association (C.A.F.T.A.), he was involved in promoting Antique Tackle Shows. In addition to being a Featured Appraiser of Vintage Fishing Tackle at the Spring Fishing Show (International Center Toronto, Ontario), René was published in Outdoor Canada Magazine in 2000, and garnered a Silver Magazine Award for the article “The Legendary Lures”.
Take advantage of René's Antique Fishing Tackle Identification Service. If he becomes the buyer of your antique tackle, he will refund the identification fee.
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