New Pflueger History Book

[Teal]

Greetings ORCAns,

In a previous thread about publishing a year ago on Reel Talk, I mentioned that I had considered starting up a small press dedicated to fishing history back in 2001 but 9/11 put that idea on hold. Well, I finally took the leap and started up the project, and the first book from the new Whitefish Press is due out next week. It is a series of 10 chapters I wrote on various aspects of Pflueger history entitled "Pflueger Profiles: Eclectic Essays on the History of Enterprise Manufacturing Co., Makers of Pflueger Fishing Tackle." A bit wordy but also precise. It is a trade paperback (8.5" x 5.5"), 202 pages with 80 pictures/illustrations, and has been professionally bound by one of the seven large book binderies that bind all the books for major publishing houses like Houghton Mifflin, McGraw-Hill, etc. It will be $12.00 plus shipping, which I think is a pretty reasonable price. I will be printing 100 copies.

The second volume from the Whitefish Press will be a history of the Pflueger Supreme reel by ORCA's own Robert Miller (who kindly contributed an introduction to the above book). The third volume will be a history of Merwin, Hulbert & Co., a 19th century New York gun and tackle trade house. Future volumes are planned, and if you have an idea or a manuscript proposal drop me a note.

Trust me when I say that this is in NO way a money making operation. After having spent over 100 hours just doing the layout and proofing of [i]Pflueger Profiles[/i], not counting all the printing of proof pages, images, etc., this is (hopefully) a break-even endeavor. But this is information that there is no publishing venues for and I think dedicated tackle historians and especially Pflueger collectors will find it of interest.

I also hope to launch an imprint of the Whitefish Press called the "Desktop Reference Library." This would be a series of regular paperbacks (4.25" x 7") that are short 90 to 120-page histories of a large number of tackle companies that would be priced at something like $7.50 each.

My hope is that this little project will help researchers put together books of varying size on a wide variety of subjects, as we need just within ORCA standard histories of Bronson, Langley, Penn, Horton, Shakespeare, Coxe, Johnson, Montague, and about 50 other companies. So if you have an idea drop me a note and I will work with whomever to produce high quality, professional books. I particularly encourage collaborations. I hope to eventually get 5-6 titles out per year. I also will try and publish a variety of source books to help researchers get access to rare materials. My hope is that this will fill a badly needed gap and give collectors/researchers access to more and better information.

So if you have an idea for a book, drop me a note and let's talk!

I will post a scan of the cover and a table of contents to Pflueger Profiles tonight.

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

[ttrotter]

Teal, This is great news! I hope your Pflueger book will have lots of stuff on their fly reels. I'll be looking for your post tonight. Do I order one directly from you? Thanks, Tom

[qwapaw]

Just a silly thought and maybe not a good one, But is there any chance you and Jim Madden can team up and print some more South Bend Reel books? They are scarce as frogs hair out here and I know of quite a few posts both here and on Joe's Board looking for them. Thanks, Dan U

[Ron Mc]

Dan, I think that was kind of his point - maybe to publish an abridged version?

100 books at $12 will not last very long, though.

Please put me down for one.
Thanks

[Jerry J in OK]

Great news...Please put me down for one of the books and the Supreme book when it comes out...

Thanks...

Jerry

[Robin Sayler]

Count me in for the pflueger and the supreme one. where do we order?

[Teal]

Wow. I have been flooded with responses. Thank you very much for your interest! Seems there is some pent up interest in getting information out. While only two of the chapters deal specifically with reels (they are whopper good chapters however) the other eight should be of interest in general to Pflueger collectors and historians alike.

I don't want to take anyone's money until I have the books in my hands. They are supposed to arrive this week, but I fly to the Caribbean a week from tomorrow for a week's vacation so I will post order information but probably won't ship out any books for about 2 weeks.

When the books arrive I will post ordering info.

Bob's Pflueger Supreme book is still in the writing stage, but ol' Bob is pretty prolific so I'm sure it will be done forthwith. I will format, proof, and send it off to the bindery when it gets to me.

Now everyone flood Harvey and encourage him to finish his history of Shakespeare...

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

[Jack Bright]

Please include me on first book.----Jack Bright

[Teal]

Here is a link to the book cover:

http://orcaonline.org/images/pixel.gif?Small.jpg

Here is a list of the table of contents:

Author’s Introduction…………………………………………i

Introduction by Robert Miller………………………………vi

Chapter 1: The Great Pflueger Fire of 1891……………01

Chapter 2: An Enlightening Enterprise: Ernest F. Pflueger and the Origins of the Luminous Fishing Lure…………………09

Chapter 3: An Enterprising Mystery Solved: Ernest F. Pflueger and the "Other" Enterprise Manufacturing Company
……………17

Chapter 4: The Founding of the E.A. Pflueger Company in 1906……29

Chapter 5: Enterprising Environmentalists: Enterprise Manufacturing, The Pfluegers and the League of Ohio Sportsmen
……………37

Chapter 6: A Reel Clash of Titans: A Shakespeare-Enterprise Legal Drama, in Three Acts…62

Chapter 7: Skinning the Skinner: The Evolution and Development of Pflueger’s Fluted Spinner………84

Chapter 8: E.A. Pflueger’s “Diamond P” Fluted Spinner: An Enigma Wrapped in a Riddle Surrounding a Fluted Spinner
……105

Chapter 9: Pflueger’s 60th Anniversary…………………115

Chapter 10: The Shakespeare-Enterprise Legal Drama: Postscript……………124

Appendix A: 1925 E.A. Pflueger Biography…………132

Appendix B: Our Diminishing Natural Resources: A Practical Article on the Importance of Conservation by Ernest A. Pflueger ………………136

Appendix C: Documents Relating to the Shakespeare vs. Enterprise Lawsuit……………148

Appendix D: Styles of Pflueger Fluted Spinners………188

[Jack Bright]

Well done ! Very nice way to utilize the exsisting art and nice choices typographical speaking !

[Teal]

Greetings!

The Pflueger book arrived today! The problem is I am leaving for the Caribbean tomorrow night. So if you can pay via PayPal to the address below I can mail out your book before I leave, but if payment arrives after about noon tomorrow I will not be able to ship it until a week from Thursday. I will also be out of communication until then.

The total price is $15.00 ($12.00 + $3.00 shipping) for U.S. Domestic shipping. Non-U.S. orders or domestic orders of more than two books please email me for total.

Payment can be via PayPal () or by Check/MO made out and mailed to:

Dr. Todd Larson
4240 Minmor Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45217

Thanks for supporting my little book! I hope it spurs more research, writing, and publication on Pflueger history, as was its intention.

Sincerely,

Dr. Todd

P.S. I had about 50 people ask to reserve a copy, and I am sending about 15 out to friends and family, so that leaves about 35 left.

[Brian F.]

Yyyow! Got mine today and am quite impressed with the spiffy little book. Just thumbing through it and admiring the cover. That's a ton of information packed into it. Great job, Todd, and thank you for helping all of us!

[Robin Sayler]

I got mine saturday and finished it by that evening couldn't put it down.
Great job!

[Steve]

Congratulations! And thank you, Dr. Todd, for an important and highly entertaining contribution to our lore. cool-thumb

[Teal]

Hi y'all,

Well shucks, thanks for all the kind words. I am jet-lagged and dumbstruck from my vacation in Anguilla--spent 18 hours in airports and airplanes getting back and now I have to go lecture four times today. Uggh. So it was a very nice surprise to find your nice comments. I appreciate it!

For everyone who ordered early last week, the books are on their way. For those who ordered while I was gone, I will mail them out tomorrow.

Thanks again for your support!

Dr. Todd

P.S. The Bonefish fishing on Anguilla was incredible!

[Jerry J in OK]

Welcome back Todd...The book is great and as a Pflueger collector it has helped me pinpoint dates on my fluteds and other things...It is a wonderful book and one I am truly glad I got...
Jerry

[Harvey]

Todd,
Got your little present in the mail today. Just thumbed thru it and will have to hide so as not to read it yet. I will have it on the flight to the convention and plan on it being my reading material. If I set down and read it now, I will NEVER get anything done.
Thanks for the time spent putting out a bit of history.
harvey

[qwapaw]

I got mine. Wow what a nice book at an incredible bargin price. Thank you Dr. Tood so much for your effort. This is great. Dan U

[Teal]

Wow, what nice words. Y'all gonna give me a big head if you don't watch it. 'Course that is easy to cure, because I just start thinking of all the reel knowledge that Harvey, Phil, Steve V. and others have accumulated and I remember that in actuality, the more I know the more I realize I don't really know anything. Sigh.

The book is rapidly selling out so anyone who wants one give me a shout and I'll set one aside. As was my hope, it appears the vast majority will be sold to ORCA members.

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

[fxxxy]

Please put me down for both books. sounds Like good idea!?
(just wondering.. A trip to the Caribbean? Already? Wow!)

[Ed Barrett]

Hi Dr. Todd,

Sounds like you have a winner with the books. I would like one and would you sign it for me?

I have your address and will send you a check for $15.00 if that's OK?

Best regards,
Ed

[Teal]

Ed,

Absolutely that is A-OK. Email me your address and I'll get the book off to you.

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

[Ed Barrett]

Dear Dr. Todd,

The check for your book has been posted.

Thanks again,

ed