That was then….
It was May of 1962 and 10 year old rivereddy was waiting his turn in the barber’s chair. He found a copy of Popular Mechanics Magazine with an Indy car on the cover. The byline read, “Is Indycar in a Rut?” The cover art showed a front engine “Offy” roadster being chased by two rear engine Brabhams. Shocked at the thought he picked up the copy intending to read the article. Then he saw a teaser for another…. “The Lures Fish Can’t Resist, Fishing’s Deadly Dozen.” The article gave a brief history of each and how to fish it. Thus began his quest to possess each and every one…
Eppinger Dardevle Johnson Silver Minnow
South Bend Bass Oreno L & S Mirrolure
Heddon River Runt Abu Reflex Spinner
Arbogast Jitterbug Arbogast Hawaiian Wiggler #2
Kautsky Lazy Ike Helin Flatfish
Creek Chub Pikie Minnow Original Bomber
This is now…
55+ years later… I can’t find my car keys or check book, but can rattle off the names of those lures faster than you and down a cold one. I did manage to accumulate the 12 and all was right with the world. (Right, until another article in the August issue of “Life” magazine ignited an angling revolution with a piece on a fellow named Lauri Rapala.) I used them regularly until they, and all of my other fishing tackle, were stolen from the back of my truck sometime in the mid 70s. About 5 years ago I decided to again seek these lures out with the intent of putting together a memory box. The challenge has been finding the lures in the same size and color as the originals. Some, like daredevles, were easy finds - others like the bass-o-reno or the pikie are still unaccounted for since the original colors and wooden bodies are rather scarce or expensive collector’s pieces.
Anybody else got a fish story?
Fish on,
rivereddy