Another group of articles on antique tackle

[Steve]

Stef Duma's posting of articles from the Antique Tackle Observer is and will continue to be an important, well-received contribution to our knowledge of European tackle. Sites such as his are a boon for collectors and are especially valuable to collectors who are relatively new to the field and even to subscribers who lack complete sets of the magazine. And it doesn't hurt that Stef's articles are thoroughly researched, nicely laid out, and beautifully illustrated.

In a similar vein, I would like to mention a list of articles on my own website. They are some of my favorite articles published over four decades in various magazines, some of which newer collectors may not even have heard of. Nevertheless, most appeared in ORCA's The Reel News, but none were published less than three years ago. That is my estimate of the time it takes for most people to forget they ever saw an article.

Although a few of the articles are copies of magazine pages, most are .pdf files I made. Whenever possible, articles have been revised to correct errors or to include information acquired after the original publication. I hope collectors will find them useful.

[Richard Lodge]

Thanks for sharing that, Steve. You have always had great information on your site. I just re-read your John Kopf article from 2006 and recognized many of those reels, versions of which are in Henry Caldwell's collection. There are so many variations and permutations by Kopf it's like a gold mine. Same with some other makers, of course.

[David Lehmann]

Steve's articles are meticulously researched and are really nice in that he differentiates between data and interpretations. He has set the bar for all of us interested in communicating the history of fishing tackle.

I'll also throw a plug in in for using the Reel News online index if you are researching reel. ORCA members can access the index and past articles for free. If you collect reels AT ALL you should be a member of ORCA. So, if you regularly are visiting Reel Talk, freakin' join! The meager dues justify what you will gain from membership - I'm certain of that.

[Steve]

Thanks, Richard and David, for the kind words. I have to say that both of you - and many of our fellow ORCAns - write "articles that are meticulously researched and are really nice in that [you and they differentiate] between data and interpretations." The quality of the writing in Reel News has improved a lot over the last decade or so, thanks to many factors, one being the increased willingness of authors to cite their sources. As David said, "Freakin' join ORCA!" Nowhere else will you find so much reliable info on old reels.