A nice BOOK for the FLY REEL FOLKS & others!

[SWIM JIG]

cool-thumb jump jump canadian usa ( While at the White Musiumn in tulsa, I found a rather well defined book on (Fly Fishing Tackle) clasic &Antique) byA.J. Campbell, 358 pages of some nice descriptions, plates of the early makers and very nice descriptions of reels and makers address etc, even from across the POND , it shows reels from the mid 1700s and up into the 20th century, also rods and rod guidesThe Photos are very sharp, and well defined, excelent to guide you thru a factual reel, not a clobbered item! There are several pages in color, a nice chapter of ( GUNSMITH Tacklemakers of Maine, New York State Makers, Clasic Eastern tackle, Celtic & Canadian Makers, From the Heartland WESTWARD, English Fly Tackle,Great Fly-Tackle Shops, maintaining Repairing and using Clasic Fly Tackle, Clasic tackle Contacts and 268 Fishing related US Patents Prior to 1873) all this in a nicly laid out book for $24.95) plus tax, ( ref to seller( The Lyons Press Guilford Ct. 06437) web site ( www.lyonspress.com) I have found it to be excelent raeding and reference with the leters large enough not to strain tired eyes! enjoy your Ohio Conection On Lake Erie Col. Milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG

[Reel Geezer]

That book is very nice, but don't take his Meisselbach information very literally. A. J. Campbell was the source of the misinformation about William Meisselbach back in the 1990s, and he repeats it again in this book, even though it has all been disproven. Makes you wonder about some of the other information.

[SWIM JIG]

jump usa Well I started to get a Karl White book, only they only had them in sets of three, This was the only other book that had Pictures in it, everyone knows I cant read or SPELL! well I say a pic of a reel like I have so I bought it! Still not a bad book for the price and the older factory ads must be corect? As for verbage, I generaly read the captions, if it sounds somewhat corect then I read on some more! Your books are so factual, I must read them all the way thru! Your Verbage others Pictures, not a bad way to go? Your Ohio Conection on Lake ERIE Col. Milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG

[JeffK]

I've found a few errors as well but he's covered an enormous amount of ground and overall nothing comes close to educating the beginner the way this book does. At less than $15 in softcover on ebay it's quite a bargain. At one time there was really only one book for collectors of US bamboo rods (Keane's book) and in my view Campbell's has unseated it. The big reason is probably that Keane's volume came out 30 years ago, pre-Internet. AJ said he was considering doing a revised edition but I haven't heard a thing since then, and he doesn't give out his phone or email. If and when he does I'll have a lot of material for him since his book has inspired me to do a lot of research on a few of the makers.
I had the opportunity to speak with him for a couple of hours two years ago and I had a great time. He has gone the way many early tackle guys have gone. Once they've obtained the old stuff they start looking for really ancient items. He was working on a late 1700's rod when I saw him.