Traditional lures

[John Milford]

Some British wooden plugs (to stir nostalgia, if not the fish).

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[Kev D]

My brother had exactly the same blue jointed plug as displayed 4th from the top.
I borrowed it when a big pike moved into my swim .and pinched the only fish l had hooked all day.
First cast the pike followed the lure . Second cast it struck at it under my feet. Third cast l hooked an overhanging tuft of grass on the far bank .l gave the gentlest of tugs an the blooming plug fell in half leaving the tail end still attached to the far bank!
I suppose it was a blessing l didn't actually hook the pike.

[John Milford]

My brother had exactly the same blue jointed plug as displayed 4th from the top.
I borrowed it when a big pike moved into my swim .and pinched the only fish l had hooked all day.
First cast the pike followed the lure . Second cast it struck at it under my feet. Third cast l hooked an overhanging tuft of grass on the far bank .l gave the gentlest of tugs an the blooming plug fell in half leaving the tail end still attached to the far bank!
I suppose it was a blessing l didn't actually hook the pike.

Those old, generic wooden plugs were pretty dreadful things Kev, all considered. The better-made versions from the likes of Allcocks and Horton Evans were quite serviceable, but those from less discerning suppliers could be poor.

Some of the Allcocks models, such as their 'Waterwitch' series, were extremely good plugs.

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[Kev D]

Waterwitch Terror and Demon ,great names!
Don't think l could ever trust a wooden ,jointed plug again though

[John Milford]

Waterwitch Terror and Demon ,great names!
Don't think l could ever trust a wooden ,jointed plug again though

It really depends how they're made Kev. Shallow screw eyes are always poor, especially in soft wood.

Longer screw eyes in quality woods, like cedar, are good and wired-through builds are excellent.

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[Kev D]

Waterwitch Terror and Demon ,great names!
Don't think l could ever trust a wooden ,jointed plug again though

It really depends how they're made Kev. Shallow screw eyes are always poor, especially in soft wood.

Longer screw eyes in quality woods, like cedar, are good and wired-through builds are excellent.


Screenshot_20230710-220747_Photos~2.jpg

You didn't cut one of your lovely plugs in half for that picture did you!!! That wire-through design looks reassuringly secure . I always wondered what went on inside a wooden plug . Thank you.
This might seem a silly question but that is a display model isn't it ? They weren't really made in two halves and routed?

It looks like they were carefully drilled and the wire threaded through the solid block . .

[John Milford]

You didn't cut one of your lovely plugs in half for that picture did you!!! That wire-through design looks reassuringly secure . I always wondered what went on inside a wooden plug . Thank you.
This might seem a silly question but that is a display model isn't it ? They weren't really made in two halves and routed?

It looks like they were carefully drilled and the wire threaded through the solid block . .

That's correct Kev. The cross section is of a Creek Chub plug (not mine, although I have lots of whole ones!),

[EricW]

Out of interest, many of the more modern plugs including rapalas which I had always believed to be wired through, have the diving vane glued in. Not a method I like when the eye that you clip your line to is fixed to the vane. I once lost a nice canal zander when the glue joint failed on my rapala leaving me to retrieve just the diving vane and the fish with a face full of hooks. My complaint was greeted with the hope that I had caught plenty of fish on it before it broke. Apparently it must have been my fault for hitting the bank with it on the cast! At the very least I would suggest a close inspection of all fixings on plugs before use.

[Tonytoned]

Some of my hoard of traditional lures!

These are from the 1950s, made by 'Poolson' (A. Poole & Son of Redditch) who are perhaps better known for thier split cane rods. Their 'Star Brand' carded sets of rod rings may also be familiar to some?

The top row are traditional 'Loop Pattern' spoons', while below are 'Kidney Spoons' and Devon Minnows.


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Their range of lures also included the ubiquitous 'Colorado'. While old spinners, still intact of their cards, are somewhat rare and therefore worth preserving, I do use loose examples on occasion.


Colorado.JPG

Hello John; this also might be off interest to you, posted a while back 2020. I love spinners, plugs and lures. Here's the link below.

viewtopic.php?t=32142

[John Milford]

Hello John; this also might be off interest to you, posted a while back 2020. I love spinners, plugs and lures. Here's the link below.

viewtopic.php?t=32142

Both great reference books Tony.

I have an earliy edition of the Carl Luckey book, kindly sent to me by the late Clyde Harbin, the renowned Heddon historian.

Chris Sandford's lure book and it's bait mount companion are indispensable!