80 Years Collecting and Using Fishing Gear… Now What?

80 Years Collecting and Using Fishing Gear… Now What?

By Tom A. Woodruff

It all started in 1937 with a corn cob bobber used to fish off a sand bar in Long Crick in “Naturally” Louisa County, Iowa. Yes we always called a creek a crick there. Long crick and that darn corn cob bobber caused me some 80 years later to grow a barn full of mostly fishing gear.

Where and how does all this collecting start – and end? How does one get hooked on this fishing hobby? No doubt you and your significant other have discussed this many times as you got older and the barn or garage was filling up. Maybe you even had some kitchen-creep too.

And then comes the time when you have to end a collection of such memories when your kids live on such planets as Seattle and New York with little interest in the real world. You are faced with a serious dilemma.

First, it might be interesting and a familiar story to join me in the journey of how collections start. A story that started for me in Long crick, enhanced later by fifty years fishing with an old friend portaging into lakes in the farthest north provinces of Canada – an experience each fall we sandwiched in between hay baling and harvest. During all those years the collections and associated memories grew.

My Collection Story
In 1937 when I was six years old, Dad bought a run-down 80 acre farm that Long Crick flooded every year. On a bend in this crick was a rather deep hole where monster fish were lurking. All fish seemed large at age six as they lurked under those murky waters just waiting to be caught. But how?

Living at the end of a half mile mud road without any money and no electric or modern plumbing presented a few financial and material challenges. Remember too it was following the Great Depression of the early thirties and money wasn’t spent on many store bought items. But, you never ever under estimate the fishing mind of country boys at that age. Never.
We just cut a corn cob in half for a bobber, cleaned out the soft center and strung some string through it that we had salvaged from a sugar or similar sack opening. Next we bent a piece of wire into a hook shape, sharpened one end with a file and tied the other looped end to the string. We were ready to go after cutting a 6’ long willow sapling for a pole. There was never an insurmountable challenge for us to try and catch fish on that deep bend in Long Crick.

Oh yes, the bait. No problem. Plenty of earth worms under boards in back of the barn by the moist manure pile. If there was a dry period slowing down the worm population, grasshoppers were always available. Nothing artificial in those days.
As I look back at those earliest fishing days some eighty years ago, I can honestly say that nothing, absolutely nothing, can compare to the sight and exhilaration of a bobber being pulled under. Some people count sheep to sleep – I visualize a bobber being pulled under.

My Collection
I’m not sure an old speed boat, fifty (50) antique outboard motors, over eighty (80) fishing poles/reels, dozens of old manuals and many books on fishing and associated gear is a record, but it sure filled up my space. Add in a dozen bulging tackle boxes with many of those lures some blow-dried hair guy was selling along with his wives cook book, and you have quite a collection. Some of them stand out.

My favorite lure – My absolute favorite item collected was a personally-made-for-me lure by Gerald Wiese in 1983 he called a Wiese Wiggler. Most people know the original design as a Lazy Ike which I understand Mr. Wiese sold including the patent to another company. In all my years fishing, this remains my favorite northern pike lure. That lure mounted on a wooden base along with the detailed description of its material will remain in my family forever. It’s beautiful.

Rods and reels – Many other fishing devices and special fishing rods and reels began to make their way into the collection. A special one is a hand held device without a rod I saw used on streams while serving several years in Germany in the early 1950’s. While it remains a great tool to have, I could never master the wrist action required. But it sure doesn’t occupy valuable space when portaging into a secret lake.

The antique motor collection – It started with an old 1926 Caille motor found in a junk pile in the mid-fifties. Many hours were spent in my garage bringing that relic back from an obvious hard life. New parts were not available so many had to be improvised. When that baby finally started, after priming with a 10:1 gas/oil mixture through the piston chamber pet-cocks, man did that baby turn the air blue. So much so that I penned the poem titled 30:1 shared later in this story.

Favorite motors collected – Of all 50 or so collected, high on my personal use and collection list were a number of Martin motors. One is a 1948- 4.9 hp we overhauled in 1963 and put to use for years in lake Odessa. Not only was that National Pressure Cooker manufacturer built motor beautiful it would idle down to the lowest trolling speed. I believe Martin was the forerunner of the popper valve but the inventor was given his walking papers for not ever agreeing to a detached auxiliary gas tank. Another 1948 Martin in my collection is so elegant to the eye I could never force myself to put it in the water.

A not so reliable motor that served us well on our small portaging boat hauled to Canada for years was a borrowed friend’s 1940 vintage air cooled Clinton. This one has a personal history associated with our near drowning when caught out in some very high waves in north Ontario. When my old friend later sold it at his farm sale, I bought it strictly for sentimental reasons.

Boat Collections – Like most beginning fisherman, you convince your wife that a hot deal is available is worth the investment – and will be the last one you’ll ever buy. Sure. That promise was broken later by owning at least five more after we luckily found our kids all had good teeth. My collection of boats finally ended my boat bucket list by buying a stunningly shaped speed boat. Today it sits quietly and gracefully, never used, in my barn awaiting the final museum destination. Age and memory problems came along before that final speed trip down a lake could be made in the fast lane.

Do you sense a pattern here? Fisherman get attached to their equipment. Getting rid of a collection with such memories is darn hard.

Memories such as the following poem was inspired by early local Louisa fishing on Lake Odessa, Canadian fishing for 50 years and from recently living on the Oregon coast religiously attending fisherman poetry nights. This poem clearly comes as no surprise to you readers that fisherman have vivid imaginations from long hours on the water. Especially blessed (or culturally deprived) are those who can put them to any kind of verse and be willing to share them.

Now What?
The future of my collection has finally been partially solved and is recommended to readers. Find an established local museum or heritage center who will take some of your collection for a special display. Few Iowa County or communities do much for the sportsman. And don’t hesitate to donate a few bucks to see that it happens.

Our local Louisa county Heritage museum operated by the Louisa County Historical Society (LCHS) is located in Wapello and is in the middle of one of the finest sportsman areas in Iowa. You name it – trapping, coon hunting, fishing, deer hunting, pheasants, quail, rabbits, turtles. Clamming, etc. Many old fishing/sportsman organizations had their private shacks all over the place.

We must remember Louisa County has not only excellent wildlife habitat but it has boundless streams and lakes. Mucho water over 5% of its 500 square miles due to its Iowa drainage area and low lying location along the Mississippi river. My unofficial opinion is that it has more accessible waterway and timbered sites per resident than any other in Iowa.

It is also a county proudly named after a lady named Louisa, who took justice into her own hands to avenge the killing of her brother. This fact is perhaps another great sportsman tale about guns used in the right way as determined by a Louisa jury in those justifiable vigilante days.

The LCHS wisely decided this aspect of our important local history was lacking and very important to historically remember. They decided to build a Sportsman museum in their building in Wapello that will share ALL local aspects of a local sportsman’s life. Many volunteers and donors are now involved in building that addition and donating their favorite artifacts and memories. Allow me to describe it as “COOL”.
A trip to my barn in Johnson County was made by a group of LCHS volunteers. Four truck loads later, a small part of my collection was stored in their museum awaiting a new inside sportsman theme including a re-created shack and display area. We were all so excited during the loading up of all that gear several members got carried away and engaged in an antique hula hoop contest. Another valuable lesson was learned and demonstrated that day about the effects of sharing a variety of fishing gear – it makes you feel young again!

Later this year we hope to share with this magazine and the news media details and pictures of our available Sportsman’s display called “THE GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURE”. It will make another great contribution to our multi-cultural community. We’re excited about preserving the time honored tradition and memories of Sportsman everywhere.