Here's a few reels I purchased that came out of an estate on Long Island. I don't know much about the Penn's other than the 16/0 is an early one with no part numbers, and the 12/0 and 9/0 are 1st generation reels. The 16/0 is NIB. The 12/0 is in excellent condition. The OC 616 is in excellent condition, and the box is mint. Enjoy!
Cheers,
John
A few more pic's.
All that I can say, now that I have caught my breath, is WOW!
Holy moley! There's estate sales then there's that. Stunning!
12/0 was $50 up thru 1942, so it is pre war
16/0 was $100 late 30's thru 1955, so tough to put a date on it. Non numbered would mean 1940's.
Either way I'd put a value of $1,500 on just the boxed 16/0
The boxed pre war 12/0 could easily be valued about the same amount with correct catalog and lube tube.
Thanks for sharing your estate sale score !!
Ted
Man, what a beautiful collection of reels. Excuse me for noticing the line but that is really nice too. There is even a seized loop on the Ocean City. Wish we could see how it is tied.
-steve
Quote from: Maxed Out on October 12, 2018, 03:58:38 AM
12/0 was $50 up thru 1942, so it is pre war
16/0 was $100 late 30's thru 1955, so tough to put a date on it. Non numbered would mean 1940's.
Either way I'd put a value of $1,500 on just the boxed 16/0
The boxed pre war 12/0 could easily be valued about the same amount with correct catalog and lube tube.
Thanks for sharing your estate sale score !!
Ted
12/0 is a 5 oclock handle doesn't that make it 1930s ?? John Taylor
WOW, that's beyond amazing!
..............Lou
Gee Wiz, every fisho`s dream, lucky man, & in such good order, cheers Don.
Fabulous :o
Beautiful reels!
:o :o :o
Here are the contents of the boxes. The first two pictures are from the 16/0 and the second two pictures are of the 12/0. I would guess the catalogs will help date both reels.
The tackle from this estate was quite extensive, and represented a complete history of big game fishing, starting in the 30's and ending in the 60's. The tackle included early reels by Kovalovsky through the later Penn and Ocean City reels. And the rods ranged from early wood and cane rods by Gurrieri, John Herschel, and Kovalovsky, to later fiberglass rods by Lott Bros, featuring their famous crosswind fore-grip wrap. He also kept detailed records on his yacht, correspondence between him and Arthur Kovalovsky, pictures of his catches, etc., the files of which were part of the collection. There were also a mountain of line driers, gaffs, rod belts and harnesses, etc. He was very anal about changing out his linen line, and kept detailed notes regarding when he changed it out. And all his gear was impeccably maintained. There was even a beautiful plaque presented to him by the Nova Scotia Travel Bureau for catching the largest bluefin tuna in Nova Scotia waters in 1964 (760 pounds). Yes, a once in a lifetime and very humbling find!
Cheers,
John
And Steve, I appreciate you noticed that loop! I love that kind of stuff. That simple knot is part of big game history. Here is a closeup of it. Don't ask me to duplicate it! I can barely tie a granny knot!
Gorgeous!...thanks for sharing.
Sal
Quote from: Deepfins on October 12, 2018, 08:44:54 PM
And Steve, I appreciate you noticed that loop! I love that kind of stuff. That simple knot is part of big game history. Here is a closeup of it. Don't ask me to duplicate it! I can barely tie a granny knot!
Okay folks, let's guess at to the type of knot this is. I guess a Bimini. Dominick
OK...I'm OK...fell off my chair but I ain't too bruised up. Awesome! 8)
This is like striking GOLD, so awesome, congrats!!!
Quote from: Dominick on October 12, 2018, 09:22:44 PM
Okay folks.... I guess a Bimini. Dominick
And Guess you DO!!!!
It is a Double Overhand, 4 half hitches Huffnagle Knot!!!!
I'm heading over for some wine! ;D
Wayne
John, I would guess that the catalog that came with the 12/0 is worth $300+ all by itself.
Wow again !! The 1937 catalog is introductory year for the 12/0.....the complete package with box, catalog, lube, and wrench could easily be valued up to a couple grand in today's collector market.....congrats on the rare gems, all are home runs !!
Ted
WOW!! once in several lifetimes find.
I'm guessing bimini too
Many thanks!
Here are the two Kovalovsky's from the estate; an Esquire Cradle reel and a C-Type. If you go to my website at www.kovalovskyreels.com, you will see pictures of a complete breakdown of the C-Type. It was a simple and near bullet-proof design, yet still cost twice what a 16/0 Penn did. The Esquire sold for 4 times what a 16/0 Penn did! The C-Type reel showed more use than any of his other reels, and his line changing records showed him fishing with it into the 60's. It was his go-to reel. Much to Penn's credit, they built a good, dependable reel at a price the average Joe could afford. In the right hands, a Penn reel could catch nearly anything that swam in the ocean.
Cheers,
John
Quote from: Deepfins on October 12, 2018, 08:44:54 PM
And Steve, I appreciate you noticed that loop! I love that kind of stuff. That simple knot is part of big game history. Here is a closeup of it. Don't ask me to duplicate it! I can barely tie a granny knot!
Dang. The reels just get better.
Maybe not a bimini but something else. I am going to take a wild guess and say they separated the three strands, then wrapped each strand up the main line using a locking hitch..... if that makes any sense. Knot to be a distraction from some world class reels.
-steve
I also believe the strands have been separated and re-wrapped. That wrapping will usually have three strands, but it sure doesn't look as three, I think two but might be wrong.
Sal
Quote from: Dominick on October 12, 2018, 09:22:44 PM
Quote from: Deepfins on October 12, 2018, 08:44:54 PM
And Steve, I appreciate you noticed that loop! I love that kind of stuff. That simple knot is part of big game history. Here is a closeup of it. Don't ask me to duplicate it! I can barely tie a granny knot!
Okay folks, let's guess at to the type of knot this is. I guess a Bimini. Dominick
Not sure what knot that is. I dont believe it's Bimini... Jeff
WOW ! www.kovalovskyreels.com This is your website ? I've spent countless amounts of time repeatedly looking ( Lusting ) through the pics of those reels... Jeff
Simply amazing what you have found. I know there was a premium price paid for this history.
There's some fabulous reels,,, :D great job man ;D
No doubt an amazing sale.
So much in one place.
The 1937 Penn catalog is a very rare publication in any condition. Yours looks fine, possibly the best I have ever seen. There are two editions of the 1937 catalog, not sure which one you have, they are both rare. The second edition has the 100 yard Newport- Model 31 in it.
The Ocean City 16/0 is also a rare breed, especially with the fighting handle and the box. I only know of one other 16/0 with the handle. I have a 12/0 with that handle, which makes three.
There are no words for the Kovalovsky. He and his son are my favorite makers.
Sales like this become historical.
Quote from: Penn Chronology on October 14, 2018, 05:34:23 AM
No doubt an amazing sale.
There are no words for the Kovalovsky. He and his son are my favorite makers.
I am a pigeon among eagles when it comes to this stuff. That said, I to find the reels produced by the Kovalovsky's to be my favorite of any made.
When it comes to making reels I find them to be a place where art, mechanical design & craftsmanship come brilliantly blended together in a very unique manner that says, clearly, the is the benchmark, from the hands & mind of a gifted individual who was the very best at his craft ... Jeff
Incredible find brother. A center piece for sure..
Just when I thought it was safe to clean the drool off my computer... WOW, bro, you hit the mother load.
That cradle Kovalovsky is the bees knees. Simply amazing craftsmanship!
Thanks for showing us your treasures,
Dom
Quote from: Maxed Out on October 12, 2018, 03:58:38 AM16/0 was $100 late 30's thru 1955, so tough to put a date on it. Non numbered would mean 1940's.
Just to show you that reels "hold their value", since no one has done so, let me offer you $100 for the 16/0 . . . LOL !
Incredible reels in amazing condition - Great find !
Tight Lines !
Again, thanks everyone!
Here are a few pictures of the old guy who fished the tackle. In the first picture he is fishing with the Kovalovsky cradle reel, with a custom Lott Bros tip, both of which were part of the collection. I love the old B&W pictures. Take careful note of the last picture, then read my next post.
So tell me this isn't one in a million. The attached picture was sent to me a couple months ago from a guy in Canada. He sent it along with some pictures of his grandfather's Kov' reel he wanted me to post on my website. The man in the picture is his grandfather. It had been some time since I saw the picture of his grandfather, but today when I was uploading pictures of his reel, I took another look at it. Something looked familiar. So I uploaded the one that I got of the guy on Long Island who had all the tackle. Well, I about p**ped my pants. It is the same tuna, same day, same time, same guy as in his picture. These two guys knew each other, and where together when these two pictures were taken!!! They fished together that day!! Gotta love it!! Anybody recognize where the pictures were taken?
Wow That is cool !!!! I love those old pictures to but these show reels much closer up than most ! That one of the guy who owned collection with the Kov cradle and Lott brothers rod will make that combo even more valuable. Great find John and your website was the best Kovalovsky move you will ever make !! Good for you ! John Taylor
Thanks for posting,those picture put it all in context. There's a small world story. What a tremendous collection.
Thanks John for sharing your find !!
In the picture with the OC 16/0 there is a linen line holder or is it how the linen line was cleaned or kept ?
Are there any more pictures showing more detail ?
Thanks
AC49
Yes, those were line driers, AC49. That particular one came with this collection. Somebody just started a thread on this site regarding these. They'd strip the linen off, rinse and dry it, then re-spool it. Sometimes they would reverse the line, when re-spooling. Attached is a large motorized one that also came with the collection. I am in the middle of restoring it.
John
Thanks John. Yes I saw the other thread.
Regards AC49
I must admit that the last two black and whites above looked familiar. They were taken at Wedgeport Nova Scotia. The guy in the black hat, and my avatar, is my grandfather who besides being a pioneering big game fisherman, was also twice NY state skeet shooting champion. Although I have never seen him I expect the other guy in John's photo and the source of this estate is Doc (name removed for family privacy) pronounced XXXXX, they were great life long friends always betting with the stakes being a new Stetson hat from Ambercrombie and Fitch when it was the American sporting goods store. Years ago on ebay I saw a red Kovalovsky warranty tag, for I think was reel #145 filled out in what I thought was in Doc's name out of Huntington NY. Attached is the Tycoon and 16/0 Kov in the old photo's next to a 1937 12/0 Penn (no front lugs) that probably preceeded the Kov, both now residing in my living room
John
That dryer with the motor is identical to the one that lived in my cellar as a kid that I referenced in the line dryer thread here. Sorry to say long lost. Bet it was from A&F NYC
Cuttyhunker thats awesome!
Ok, I've read this three times and head is still spinning processing this: the gear tied to the gent's pics with two guys on this site...which would have been awesome provenance from 80 years ago if the pics were 209's with flounder...what amazing stuff. Makes me want to put all my reels back in the boxes that I bought new...
Cutty, That's incredible man, thanks for sharing this amazing story!
You just can't make this stuff up! Unbelievable coincidence!
Here is another tidbit from the collection. Talk about rare catalogs, how about one from Mr. Kovalovsky, himself!
I uploaded copies of all the correspondence between this guy and Arthur K. on my website. Here are scans of three actual photos that Arthur mailed to him when he was trying to sell him reels. Also a scan of the reverse of the photos showing Arthur's typed notes, and additional notes the Doctor added.
That is pretty cool stuff there!
Thanks for sharing!
John
This is a terrific thread. The amount of documentation and equipment is incredible. It is as though the gentlemen intended for something like this to happen because they knew breaking open big game fishing would forever be a milestone in sporting history. It also implies that they had an appreciation of the sporting history that had come before them.
-steve
Steve,
What makes this one unusual is the gear was kept in the family all these years. My grandfather died in 1966. A jeweler pal of mine tells me that the heirs so often want to sell off the estate jewelry before the body is cold and grab the cash. The objects survive but the stories and nuances are lost forever. In an email to Johnny Deepfins I commented that in the shot above in the thread like my avatar, but with Doc in the frame the conversation was at about the point where my grandfather said "Well Doc, looks like you owe me another Stetson."
Steve and Bob (Cuttyhunker),
You both bring up good points. The fact that this collection reflects the golden years of big game fishing, from the early 30's up until the late 60's, and the fact that the tackle has managed to stay intact makes it a significant historical find. We've all seen it. The patriarch or matriarch dies, and the stuff gets scattered to the winds. Not saying that's wrong, but that's what usually happens. But "Doc" saved everything, and his family kept it all together over the years. And when you look at the tackle, it is all there, from the early Kovalovsky's to the later Penn's and Ocean Cities. It really is amazing. Then, you throw in a serendipitous connection between Doc and Bob's grandfather!! I mean this kind of stuff keeps me up at night!
There appears to be a lot of interest, so I will continue to dribble items out as a I have time to take pictures, scan items, and upload them. His boat records are really special. They paint a perfect picture of what it was like to own and maintain a yacht in the late 30's/early 40's.
Cheers,
John
Great thread. Thanks
Quote from: Deepfins on October 19, 2018, 04:17:59 PM
Steve and Bob (Cuttyhunker),
There appears to be a lot of interest, so I will continue to dribble items out as a I have time to take pictures, scan items, and upload them. His boat records are really special. They paint a perfect picture of what it was like to own and maintain a yacht in the late 30's/early 40's.
Cheers,
John
Yes John we are all excited and happy for you. Interest? this thread may eclipse all the threads in this site. By all means keep dribbling out stuff. I for one await more with great anticipation. Dominick
So here is a picture of the electric line dryer that came from the estate after I cleaned it up. Check out the video below to see it run. Watch in full HD.
https://youtu.be/mZyUe7CJVqg
John,
Your big dryer is identical to the one I recall in the basement as a kid even down to the exact crystal knob and the groove in the outside disk for the belt, so some one was belting them out commercially and maybe more still exist. The base was shorter as there was no motor setup on it and I would expect that Doc and Wally picked them both up, maybe on a joint venture from Long Island into The City at A&F in NYC.
John, thanks for that video. Pretty cool stuff. Dominick
Very very cool John. Thanks for these posts.
Steve
John,
Thanks for the history lesson...very cool. ;D
Brett
Great video John.
Everyone who has ever started collecting vintage tackle fantasizes, hopes and prays to find a treasure trove like this and have the means to acquire it. This is the most outstanding find I have ever seen or heard about. Congratulations and thank you for bringing it to light.
Thanks for sharing this with us. Very Cool stuff!
Don't cut yourself short Mike, Your Vintage set of Excellent condition Harnell Rods is truly amazing.
John, I was fascinated by the rest of the room. There was some nice old fishy stuff including old rods and deep sea diving helmet, etc. I think everyone here would appreciate some photos of that room. Any chance? Dominick
Quote from: Dominick on November 02, 2018, 08:00:34 PM
John, I was fascinated by the rest of the room. There was some nice old fishy stuff including old rods and deep sea diving helmet, etc. I think everyone here would appreciate some photos of that room. Any chance? Dominick
X2
It is a veritable museum. An online photo walkthrough would be alot of work, but might provide a great inventory and am an certain it would prove a valuable resource for others.
John
Dominick and John, I would be happy to share a virtual tour of my tackle/nautical room. I recently restored my main display unit, and placed some of the new tackle I picked up inside it, so I need to take some updated pictures. I'll try and get to that within the next few days.
Below is more tackle from the estate. I'm not sure what any of it was used for. The two small wire tools look like fids for splicing. They were brand new, wrapped up in original packaging. Then there is that canvass harness. Not sure if this was used for fishing or for some boat application. There were 3 of these. Lastly, a small little hand tool, maybe for crimping? It has a small v-notch in one of the jaws. All these items came out of the same duffel bag, along with his gaff tips and gaff ropes.
Cheers,
John
Photo #2 is clearly Dominick's Speedo from the college years ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Don't give it back...I may fish with him soon and can't unsee that once modeled.....
Hah! I just spit my coffee all over my keyboard! Funny stuff! Now I have to try desperately not to visualize that!
Quote from: The Great Maudu on November 01, 2018, 12:20:35 PM
Everyone who has ever started collecting vintage tackle fantasizes, hopes and prays to find a treasure trove like this and have the means to acquire it. This is the most outstanding find I have ever seen or heard about. Congratulations and thank you for bringing it to light.
Yup! Its pretty cool to have it shared here... Jeff
Let's not derail the thread guys... Domnick's speedo is and always was pink. :-*
Sorry Big Dom I couldn't help myself.
Yours truly,
Little (6'6") Dom
Quote from: broadway on November 03, 2018, 06:27:29 PM
Let's not derail the thread guys... Domnick's speedo is and always was pink. :-*
Sorry Big Dom I couldn't help myself.
Yours truly,
Little (6'6") Dom
Yep, nothing kills a thread quicker than the mere mention of "Dominick's Speedo".
This outstanding thread deserves better... ;D ;D ;D
Best,
Fred
John,
I'd say the two wire gizmo's are fids for splicing the linen, have made up similar tools from lighter SS trolling wire for pulling thread under the wrapping when doing guides. The wooden handled screw device may be some type of swedge for setting wire leader collars, what does the other side of the groove look like? I remember you said Doc was still fishing in the early 60's. I remember using twisted wire leaders on Swordfish gear then.
I just posted pictures of my displays under the "Displays, Cabinets, ..." thread.
Now back to the Doc. Bob, I know he was fishing into the mid-60's because he was presented with a plaque from the Nova Scotia Travel Bureau for having caught the largest bluefin tuna in NS waters in 1964, 760 pounds. In 1964, the Doc' was 76 years old!! Not a bad catch for his age!!.
The other "jaw of that tool is flat.
Leather, but never canvas. 8) I couldn't help myself. My apologies to Deepfins. These side comments are taking away from an extraordinary thread. Come back with more John. Dominick
Quote from: Dominick on November 03, 2018, 11:10:03 PM
Leather, but never canvas. 8) I couldn't help myself. My apologies to Deepfins. These side comments are taking away from an extraordinary thread. Come back with more John. Dominick
I agree Dominick! I just removed my comment.
Keep it coming John, we are all enjoying your thread.
Sal
Looking at the "fids" I begin to wonder. Doc was active in 64, long after the linen was being used, which went away pretty quickly after the war when the nylons and polyesters became available relegating the line driers to the cellar.....or is this all prewar stuff which just got stashed and wasn't in his active kit in the end? The "speedo" is really heavy duty the way the rings are stitched in, the canvas appears heavy duty as well, and the grommets do look to be industrial strength. The hand vise device with the rod by the jaw and joint by the handle on the other side of the heavy threaded rod was certainly engineered to keep the "jaws" square as they were closed. I'd be inclined to think pre war since we have a crew here that has wrung gallons of salt water out of their socks, all of us without a clue. I'm sure if my dad were alive he'd say oh yeah those are the blah blah woofdy woof devices. Maybe someone at the IGFA museum in Ft Lauderdale could put a handle on it. It is a bucket list destination for all the folks signed up here.
Not to be nit-picky, but nylon line hit the market in 1937. It was as much a public relations ploy as anything else. DuPont had just perfected nylon filaments and was looking for applications. They were also trying to shed their image as the dynamite company and develop their image of providing better living through chemistry. There were also social/political angles because nylon could replace Japanese silk as a raw material. Silk was in short supply and, at this point, the Japanese were being shunned because of their incursions into China and there was a grass-roots boycott of Japanese goods. So one the first nylon products was fishing line manufactured by Ashaway Line and Twine. They did an interesting product placement by having Franklin Roosevelt use nylon line on a light weight (we would call it medium weight today) tarpon rig provided by charter captains on a trip to Port Aransas, TX. Newspapers and newsreels shown in movie theatres were the media of the day and this trip was very well covered. It appears that DuPont, Ashaway, the charter captains and Franklin's son Elliott all conspired to have the line hyped in the news. The fishing trip was eclipsed in the media mid-week by the crash of the Hindenburg.
But, promoting the revolutionary new fishing line soon waned as the US moved to producing materials for the upcoming war such as nylon cord and rip-stop parachute fabric. Perhaps the most important early use of nylon was for women's stockings. Nylon stockings were also developed in response to dwindling silk supplies. Then, when both silk and nylon were diverted to war materials, women's stocking became a precious commodity. It came to a head in the Nylon (Stockings) Riots of 1945. The riots did not abate until there was a public proclamation from the government and DuPont that nylon production would immediately be shifted from war materials to stockings. So, for all practical purposes, nylon fishing line was indeed a post-war thing.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on November 06, 2018, 08:57:46 AMIt came to a head in the Nylon (Stockings) Riots of 1945.
-steve
"Nylon Riots" . . . I just had to Google that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_riots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_riots)http://nowiknow.com/a-run-on-nylons/ (http://nowiknow.com/a-run-on-nylons/)Tight Lines !
Ok, so here is the next batch of stuff, records of the history of Doc's boat, the Doris M II, and his foray into the world of running a charter boat. The Doris M II was built by George Bishop, Bishop Boat Yard, Patchoque, NY in 1936. The boat was a motor-sailer, 40 ft long, 12.5 ft wide, powered by a 110hp 8cyl Chrysler Royal motor, with a 60hp 6cyl Chrysler Ace for trolling. At the age of 50, Doc bought the boat used on 9-4-37 for $4500. He immediately took it to the Freeport Point Shipyard to have a bunch of work completed on it. Note the 2-page receipt, dated 9/30/37.
Doc's intention was to charter the boat out when he wasn't using it, hoping the income from charters would pay for the boat, essentially allowing him to fish for free. Doc hired a boat captain, and shortly after, they were off and running. They believed the boat would pay for itself in 3 years. The problem was the boat was notoriously unreliable. The motors never ran right, the radio required constant repairs, and the yellow pine wood hull leaked constantly. Due to the depression and competition from other charter sport fishing boats, they couldn't keep the boat chartered out enough to pay for the cost of owning and operating it. And to top it off, Doc was frustrated by the Cpt's book keeping skills and lack of communication.
Doc and his captain parted ways in October of 1939, and the Doris M II was put into storage. He listed the boat for sale in 1940 for $5800. He tried selling it to the Coast Guard and Navy in 1941 for $6000, but they didn't want it. Doc finally sold it on 4-2-42 for the handsome sum of $2650. Below are scans of some of Doc's records, including correspondence between him and his boat captain. There is some really neat history, here. Due to the limit on # of attachments per post, it will take quite a few posts to upload all the scans, so for the sake of continuity, please do not post any replies until I have everything up. The first picture is of Doc and his Cpt in happier times.
A couple of receipts for the work he had completed on the boat shortly after purchase.
Letter from Cpt to Doc, 12/17/37
Letter from Doc to Cpt, 1-11-38
Letter from Doc to Cpt, 3/14/38
Letter from Cpt to Doc, 3/21/38
Page 5 from previous letter from Cpt to Doc, 3/21/38, and letter from Doc to Cpt dated 4/16/38
Letter fro Cpt to Doc, 5/16/38
Letter from doc to Cpt, 11/15/38
You can see from reading the back and forth that things are not going very good.
Some other items, including a gas receipt, a Schultz receipt, and his classified ad to sell the boat.
Letter from Coast Guard trying to talk him down in price
Receipts from shipyard while in storage.
Finally, a scan of a partial list of phone numbers of other boats. I am guessing this list was kept on his boat, should he need to contact another vessel. Notice a very familiar name on the list??!! Hint: IGFA Hall of Fame
I hope some of you will enjoy looking over some of this stuff as much as I did. These records really provide a glimpse of what it was like to own and operate a boat before the war. Reading through their letters, you really get a sense of their frustration and disappointment at not being able to make a go of it.
Cheers,
John
Fantastic stuff! All in my backyard, so to speak. Love it.
Thanks for posting, sounds like 2 very different men brought together by a love for fishing. I'd bet if they were around today they wouldn't have been happy the way it turned out but would have no regret about trying.
John et al,
Was just re-reading the thread and think I know what the stitched up mystery chevron shaped canvas piece was for. Back then the battle was mano a tuna, no super strength rod holders for the fight. I'll bet the center of the chevron with the eyelets was laced to the rod above the reel, using the attached tied on cord, and the eyes at the ends snapped into the angler's harness. It would defiantly increase the angler's leverage to keep the tip up during the fight. Were any of the very early big game reels delivered without harness lugs, making this a precursor for harness attachment prior to standard lugs?
John,
When it rains it pours.
Just found the 24B Penn manual and parts list as part of an ebay auction and the cover boy, Mr Johnson, is shown with his 1938 world record tuna. This is contemporary with the photo's you got from Doc. The copy notes he's from Port Washington, my Gramps home then and next door to Doc. No doubt, I would expect, that he was a Freeport Tuna Club guy in that circa and was possibly on the Wedgeport trip as well. Does he show up, I am curious, in any of the photo's you got from Doc's family?
Bob, I can find no mention or pictures of Mr. Johnson in any of Doc's stuff. Interestingly, though, I have a copy of the February, 1939 Outdoor Life magazine with a list of world records compiled by Thomas Aitken. He notes that F. Alfred Kinney was the new world record holder for bluefin tuna at 864 pounds, caught in September of 1938. In the same issue of the magazine on the facing page of this article is a Penn ad showing a picture of catalog number 7, with Kinney's picture on the cover with his 864# tuna, and noting he used a 16/0 Penn. Yes, it is a 5 o'clock, 1st gen' reel. Not sure why Johnson's fish was not certified as the record, as it was larger by four pounds.
Penn must have been very aggressive at chasing fishermen down, and using their notable catches in their advertising.
Sorry for the poor quality scans, but I used my cheapo printer.
Deeepfins, would you post a photo of the whole second page? I read the whole fist page but am cut off on the next page. Dominick
Cool stuff.....and the scans look a bit fuzzy until I clicked on the picture and it becomes crystal clear. Thanks for posting the article
Ted
From the 1940 Penn cat we have both Kenney and Johnson on the cover, looks like Johnson's bigger tuna was in 1939, not in 38 as listed in the 1959 Penn literature above. In the 1939 catalog image from the magazine scan, also above, Kenny has the cover all to himself
What an incredible history lesson we are being taught. Thank you. Bill
Quote from: Cuttyhunker on December 29, 2018, 02:08:09 PM
From the 1940 Penn cat we have both Kenney and Johnson on the cover, looks like Johnson's bigger tuna was in 1939, not in 38 as listed in the 1959 Penn literature above. In the 1939 catalog image from the magazine scan, also above, Kenny has the cover all to himself
I'm not with my references, but Catalog 8 should be later than 1940.
Sid,
Look a few posts up the thread to John's magazine ad with Catalog 7 along with the "New for 1939" headline. I downloaded #8 from the ORCA library.
Catalog 8 is 1940
Wow, what an entertaining thread this is!
Side-note: I've always found it so bizzare that the old-timers ran around in jackets n' ties even when bloody-mess fishing!
(http://alantani.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=26701.0;attach=61110;image)
Quote from: nelz on January 01, 2019, 05:14:19 PM
Side-note: I've always found it so bizzare that the old-timers ran around in jackets n' ties even when bloody-mess fishing!
That's how I roll for all my fishing adventures ! Your not doing right ... Jeff
I remember the sweater he's wearing, purple wool trimmed with suede. Pretty moth eaten the last time I saw it in the late 50's. No doubt from Abercrombie & Fitch. The rod and reel have survived though with the linen.
Gentleman's clothing worn during hunting & fishing trips was probably a European(esp. English) upper class thing that made it's way here.
QuoteThe rod and reel have survived though with the linen.
That rod and reel would be a big money rig in today's world.
When I was a teen the rod sat in the backyard shed on the island and I noticed the wrapping was rotting away on the guides so I pulled them off the rod and tied them to the reel with a piece of twine, in hindsight a very good decision, however I neglected to note the color of the original wraps, I think (vaguely) purple and gold, but the Tycoons I've seen in the books are mostly red and white, which is how they now are re-attached.
John,
I finally read completely through the letters between Doc his Capt in this Lighthouse thread. I had always wondered why my father held some of the pro skippers, as opposed to owner operators, in such low esteem when I was a kid. Throughout the 1960's Cuttyhunk was the site of the First International Swordfish Tournament (F.I.S.T.) that would draw almost 100 contestants and over the hard drinking week the boats would land 8 to 10 swordfish every year except the last year, in 1970, zero fish, as the spotter planes and stick boats had cleaned the swordfish off the continental shelf, 100 miles, all the way out to Atlantis. The pro skippers to me were the movie stars of the week, and on the surface that was true, but your posting Doc's letters and my own observations over the years on the docks with these guys in general gives me a little more insight to dad's opinions, and probably a lot of his views were formed as a result of Doc's sad experiences here.
My grandfather (Ketcham) in mentioned in the Cap's first letter as being wrong about something,
So there may have been an inkling on Gramps part that there might be trouble ahead.
I can see Doc's fishing brain gradually giving way to his business brain as this drags on.
There is a contingent, not all of the pro skippers, who believe they are entitled to live the high life, on the waterfront, on the owners dime, Unfortunately, the guy Doc found was from this franchise. Fish all day, drink all night playing with the big shots. The presentation that Doc got was no doubt easy peasy money, a free boat to fish on anytime he likes. The skippers brain does the math daily fees less fuel all the rest easy profit to split, no depreciation, nothing ever breaks, no overhead. I've listened to owners get this pitch up on the bridge from a hired skipper running in from offshore. I have seen it work out well, but back in the 30's a short leash was tough to come by when the boat is a thousand miles away. From the Coast Guard letter, by the time Doc got the boat back to NY the Cap had pretty much let everything go to hell with what looked about zero maintenance while he had been living it up on Doc's dime with the boat down south.
There is a guy mentioned in one of Doc's last letters, Bode, that won largest fish at the (Freeport?) Club banquet after Doc chews the skippers #### out in that letter for not registering his fish with the Club. I remember dad talking about him. Jack Bode, and like Doc a well heeled guy, with his own boat, that dad worked as a mate on. Jack was a hard fisherman that wasn't happy unless the tuna was in the boat in 15 minutes. No small feat then or today. Stuff got broken. The gunwales on Jack's were well grooved in the cockpit from harpooning the tuna, the line was coiled in tubs to pay out after the fish was struck, as mate, dad's job with gloves would be to grab the line between the tub and the gunwale to create friction to turn the fish by pressing the line down on the gunwale, he said he often got smoke. They were never in the boat fast enough to suit Jack. Jack worked in NYC, and during the depression pickpockets flourished. A razor blade to cut the bottom of your back pocket for the wallet to drop out was common. Jack always kept his wallet on a lanyard around his neck, dad remembers being in a nice restaurant with the guys, the check arriving, and Jack unbuttoning his shirt, popping out the wallet from under his shirt to cover his share. If I recall dad's stories correctly, Jack dropped dead in the fighting chair trying to shut down a fish.