J. B. McHarg (1823-1900) Rome, New York

[Mike N]

J.B. McHarg started his tackle business at the age of 27 in 1850 in upstate New York. He used several trademark logos including a bird dog looking back, a stag (like Hartford insurance), and a fox with a fish in its mouth.

Here are 4 slight variations for McHarg flies envelopes from the mid to late 1800s, top to bottom:

1. Black ink, stag logo, standard trout flies. “Tied on best needle pointed spring steel sproat hooks...All are warranted.”

2. Red ink, fox logo, “Tied on best needle pointed spring steel sproat hooks...All are warranted.”

3. Red ink, fox logo, “Tied on best needle pointed spring steel sproat hooks.” [no warranty language]

4. Red ink, fox logo, “Tied on Harrisons needled pointed spring steel sproat hooks...All are warranted.”

[Mike N]

Bob Jones- NFLCC- NY, shared this 5th version of a McHarg envelope with me. It has both the stag and the fox as well as “John B. McHarg’s Best Reversed Wing Trout Flies.”

[Mike N]

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, our friend Bill Kennedy sends me these McHarg fly envelopes with a blue and a white background. Just such great vintage fishing items..

[Mike N]

Since it appears ORCA may well become “the” repository for photos of vintage tackle on the web, as hosting sites fall one by one...

Earlier today I was sent this photo by collector Merrick Burr of yet two more McHarg envelope variations: a red ink Stag, and a black print envelope stag with early typeface.




And if you feel this reel guy is moving too far afield here, none other than my go-to-fly-reel expert Jim Brown emailed me today that he was always looking for a “McHarg fly reel” back in the day, since any shop that could create such masterful metal spoons surely would have made a fly reel... (let’s hope).

[Mike N]

Kevin Orr photographed the NFLCC Pittsburgh Area Show last week and posted them on Joe’s and Facebook. A collector saw the photos and wanted a few of my items and he thankfully traded me these two rare McHarg fly envelopes. It showed me the benefit of what Kevin’s photos can accomplish. Several other show exhibitors had the same post-show experience directly from Kevin’s photos.

[Mike N]

Jim S. just posted about a circa 1895 “MacHarg” catalog on Classic Fly Rod Forum…it was selling, among other items, Meisselbach reels.

Link: http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/vie ... 9&start=40

[Paul Roberts]

Not too far afield I think. Interesting and fun to see.

[Mike N]

Here is another variation of the McHarg “Fox with fish” trademark. This one is on a fly/Adirondack spinner card and has a branch of a flowering type of tree underlaid beneath the fox head. I’ve not seen or noticed that variation before on a fly card, though Jim S. owns a McHarg catalog with this same artwork on the cover.

[Paul Roberts]

Guessing Rome NY businesses supported “recreations” heading into the Adirondacks at that time?

The last Eastern Elk was shot in 1910. I remember seeing the photo of it in an old Hunter, Trader, Trapper magazine from the time, if my memory serves. The library of the upstate college I was attending at the time (late 70’s) had complete bound sets of H,T,T and of the NYS Conservationist. I found traveling back in time with them fascinating.