BLOG
Louise Woerner’s String of Fish
Much change has occurred in American life since the faceless photograph of young Louise Woerner and her string of fish was taken. Had Louise been born at the turn of the 21st century rather than the earlier part of the 20th, there is little doubt that the photo would have been entirely different: it would not present 25 lifeless fish hanging from a line. A contemporary photo, almost certainly taken with a smart phone camera and posted to Facebook or another form of social media, [...]
Desperately Seeking Lady Corduroy
Are there any history investigators or detectives in the crowd? If so, I will be happy to give you credit for any discoveries you make leading to the identification of Lady Corduroy. Stories about early American (possibly Scottish) female baitcasters are few and their history deserves recording. One such angler was Lady Corduroy; I would like you to help me find her so that I can tell her story. This is what she looked like. The photos are from two articles, both from Field and [...]
The Dream Team
“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do”. — Sarah Ban Breathnach Lou, Harry and Julius Johnson, three brothers from Terre Haute, Indiana, were early 2oth-century gasoline engine experts and designers who eventually came to produce a well-known line of outboard boat motors. The eldest, Lou, first envisioned an idea for an outboard motor in 1903 when he had to row an eighteen-foot boat ten miles upstream to harvest walnuts. During this time, other inventors [...]
The Merit Badge
Today’s a wonderful day to create a good “yesterday” for tomorrow. — (Unknown) Recently, I received a request from a non-angling friend who lives in the neighborhood. He wanted some instruction on how to wind monofilament line on a spinning reel that he had just purchased for his grandson who was visiting him that week. The boy, never before an angler, had become a Scout and was now seeking a merit badge for fishing. I suggested that they come to my home and bring the [...]