A Big Mess of Old Folk Art Fish Carvings

A hanging catch of the day!  Hand carved old folk art fish on the line.  
Pine with applied eyes.  Each 12" long.  Circa 1940.  Collection Jim Linderman

Antique Folk Art Fish Sign from Punta Gorda, Florida

Lots of folk art fish signs are fake.  I have no idea why, but I guess unscrupulous antique dealers like to "reel in" a "big catch" at some of those high-priced shows.  How to tell if your tin sign is real?  Uneven rust throughout...more on one side than the other. Imagine a piece of tin hanging in the elements and consider what would happen to it over the years.  Reddish rust all over is often a sign of a chemical bath done at the fake folk art store.  The same applies to weathervanes and such.  It should look weathered. 

Punta Gorda, which has weathered a few hurricanes, is HERE on Wiki, and the official website of the town is HERE

Tin Fish Sign from Punta Gorda, Florida.  40 inches long.  Old.  Collection Jim Linderman
Books and Ebooks by Jim Linderman are available HERE

Bud Stewart and his Crippled Critters Blood Red Wounded Fishing Lures

This is the true story of an unlikely gruesome genius, flesh hanging off hooks and people dredging a lake.

Bud Stewart has been called Michigan's Legendary Lure Maker (the title of a book as well) and Michigan is proud to claim him as their own. 

Michigan is a state surrounded by water, with even more dotting the interior, and for many fishing is art, skill, hobby and life.  As such, the state tends to bring out the best in carved fishing decoys and lures. 

Oscar Peterson was one carver, and his lovely ice fishing decoys from the 1920s and 1930s regularly sell for thousands of dollars. 

The other was Bud.

Bud's great invention, rather Bud's great concept, was the creation of the wounded lure.  That's right.  Wounded!  What attracts a predator to prey?  The weakest in the pack. The wounded. 

Bud's genius was to create the crippled lure.  His fishing lures were painted in places fish blood red, and often even WEIGHTED to appear wounded.  Bloody messes which would float on an angle, a seemingly easy gulp for a bigger fish.  Some, as this one, even had little plastic trails of blood. 

Bud Stewart's lures were literally killing machines.  Painted with deception in mind.  Trained to hunt.  They came out of the box ready to snare and snag any mouth (or finger) close enough to graze them.  It is said Bud's lures were the last factory made lures which were hand-painted.

Could fish see color? Apparently, although they haven't tested every species.  Do they sense the infirm among their brothers?  Who cares.  Fishing is a combination of superstition and luck.  If a crippled lure catches a fish, it will be used again. 

The lure above is more relic than art.  It was an earner...it provided many a fish dinner for a Michigan family.  Well-used and used well.  Amazingly, it has even been repaired!  Imagine repairing such a tiny, utilitarian object when so many efficient and modern replacements were so readily available.

Later in life, having been recognized by his peers and the collecting community, Stewart continued to make a few lures a year, but then for folk art aficionados as much as for fisherman.  They stayed on tiny pedestals rather than lines, and caught only the attention of other carvers.

Years ago, on a visit to Michigan, and having read about Bud, I went to the area he was best known and asked around to see if any were for sale.  Folks said nope.  I said maybe someone should dredge the lakes to see if any old ones were caught in the weeds.  Folks said they already had.



Bud Stewart Fishing Lure (Injured Minnow) Collection Jim Linderman

Miley Cyrus versus the Fly Fisherman Feathers Hackle Tackle Lure Lore and Fashionistas

Miley Cyrus started wearing bird feathers as hair extensions. Steven Tyler did too ..a beauty trend started in Hollywood but taken from nature. Wouldn't you know it, the feathers, which are the staple of hand-tied fly fisherman who make their own lures, are now in heavy demand among fashionistas and they will pay more than the fisherman. There is a run on feathers.

Hand tied lures are part of the fly-fishing lore. Tackle makers are master craftsman, I guess. Me? I just look for cool things in my free time, and I found an enormous collection. 28 envelopes full of feathers. I'm all ruffled! As the envelopes have return addresses without zip-codes...which came along in 1963, I am guessing all these feathers are 50 years old.

Hackle is the term for a feather plume, so I guess what I have is an instant collection of tackle hackle! But if Miley wants them, she can have her dad get in touch. He ain't doing nothing.

Bird feathers! Jim Linderman All circa 1950.

DULL TOOL DIM BULB BOOK CATALOG HERE

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Fishing MEN Who Fish Fish Vernacular Photograph collection Jim Linderman

On the line. See "sister" post HERE

"Friend Bill, Better run down for a weekend, I need some help. The big ones are coming easy. This was on May 22, 24 and 30. 12 pickerel and yesterday 21 bass and 4 pickerel. Going out June 16th for four days to get some of the big boys that have my name on them. Yours, Earl"

Group of Fishy Fotos collection Jim Linderman

DULL TOOL DIM BULB BOOKS HERE
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Fishing Women who Fish Fish Jim Linderman Collection

What can I say? Women who fish.

Collection of Vernacular Photographs 1927-1954 Collection Jim Linderman

Dull Tool Dim Bulb Books

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