Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2024 - 21

" Elwood Fries was a painter from Nazareth,
Pennsylvania. But, he decided to make a few of
his own fishing lures. And, they're all unique.
They're what collectors call folk art, because
they were manufactured in small numbers, "
said Ott.
" You may be interested in Ward Bond out
of Brodhead. He manufactured what looked
like a Lazy Ike, but he had a unique paint job
on them. If you were to see some of them,
there's no question that this is a Bond lure, "
said Ott.
" The other Pennsylvania lure that comes to
mind is the Pocono Minnow. A lot is still to be
learned about the Pocono Minnow. Some say
the earliest ones were made by Shipley out of
Philadelphia, " said Ott.
" The Cedar Bait Company, Allentown,
made lures, including one that looked similar
to the Pocono Minnow, " said Ott.
While many fishing related items were
made in Pennsylvania, some had significant
ties to specific regions. " There were two early
fly reels manufactured by Meisselbach in
Newark, New Jersey, in the early 1900s for
a tackle shop in New York owned by William Mills and
Son, which are essential to collectors interested in old
Pennsylvania tackle. Mills had many clients who fished the
famous Pocono Mountains streams, so he stamped two
different styles of fly reels. One was the " Cresco " and the
other the " Brodhead, " and he shipped them to Pocono area
tackle shops suggesting anglers buy them, because that's
what they should be using on those streams, " said Ott.
Ott goes to flea markets twice a week, and he fly fishes
in local streams. Every summer, he and his wife head
to Cody, Wyoming, for a month of fishing places like
Yellowstone, Shoshone and other prime area waters.
" I used to be able to go to a flea market and pick up an
entire tackle box with a pile of old lures for ten dollars.
Now you go, and some people overcharge, because they
really don't know the value. Occasionally, I still find a
good deal, " said Ott.
If anyone is interested in collecting old fishing lures, Ott
recommends joining the National Fishing Lure Collectors
Club (NFLCC). " I'm a life member. The NFLCC says their
goal is to foster an awareness of fishing tackle collecting as
a hobby and to assist members
in the location, identification
and trading of vintage fishing
related equipment, " said Ott.
" If you find your
NFLCC:
grandfather's old tackle box
and want information about
fishing-related items, e-mail
me at fishlott@frontiernet.net.
I'm always interested in adding
to my collection, " said Ott.
Ott shows an original large Pocono Minnow next to a box of smaller
Pocono Minnows made specifically for fly fishing. Much is to be
learned yet about the production of the Pocono Minnow.
nflcc.org
January/February 2024
21
A lure made and offered by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission
celebrating 125 years in 1991.
Elwood Fries' handcrafted fishing plugs are considered folk art
because of their limited production.
http://nflcc.org
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2024

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