SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1912-1952
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SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1912-1952
#1On the following pages I'll be posting the original fly rod catalog listings from the Shakespeare Company, covering the years 1921 until the end of bamboo production after the 1952 season, a period where many of Shakespeare's models that we find today came from. Information on rods that were offered by Shakespeare prior to 1921 is very sketchy, with most of the earlier catalogs almost impossible to find (much less afford). This will be a work in progress, as some catalogs will be supplied to me at a later date.
All the catalog images from 1902, 1903 and 1904 are of bait rods (photos upon request).
A well-known July, 1905 Shakespeare magazine ad from "The Sporting Goods Dealer", showing a guy fishing below train tracks in what amounts to a drainage ditch, suggests he's using a fly rod. However, I believe it's probably one of the long bait rods that were popular then and there is ONLY mention of "casting" rods in the ad. Here's the ad. You be the judge:
It is known, however, that fly rods were offered by Shakespeare at least as early as 1907, as this single image from that year's catalog shows:
Here's a one-page listing from the Wm. Shakespeare Jr. catalog, circa 1912-1914.
Here's a listing from the 1916 catalog. Note it is wound in the "Diamond spiral" pattern:
And one more listing, believed to be from 1918 (or perhaps much earlier):
1921 SHAKESPEARE CATALOG.
upload photos free
As you can see, catalog info prior to 1921 is really sparse. I hope the listings posted will help someone as much as they have myself. Again, thanks to Mark (Admin) for allowing this post to be pinned upon completion.
Mark
All the catalog images from 1902, 1903 and 1904 are of bait rods (photos upon request).
A well-known July, 1905 Shakespeare magazine ad from "The Sporting Goods Dealer", showing a guy fishing below train tracks in what amounts to a drainage ditch, suggests he's using a fly rod. However, I believe it's probably one of the long bait rods that were popular then and there is ONLY mention of "casting" rods in the ad. Here's the ad. You be the judge:
It is known, however, that fly rods were offered by Shakespeare at least as early as 1907, as this single image from that year's catalog shows:
Here's a one-page listing from the Wm. Shakespeare Jr. catalog, circa 1912-1914.
Here's a listing from the 1916 catalog. Note it is wound in the "Diamond spiral" pattern:
And one more listing, believed to be from 1918 (or perhaps much earlier):
1921 SHAKESPEARE CATALOG.
upload photos free
As you can see, catalog info prior to 1921 is really sparse. I hope the listings posted will help someone as much as they have myself. Again, thanks to Mark (Admin) for allowing this post to be pinned upon completion.
Mark
Last edited by wrong66 on 05/07/20 10:16, edited 18 times in total.
- BoathouseRat
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Re: SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1926-1952
#2Looking forward to this very much.
Bob Smith
District Angling
Arlington VA
My feet in DC, My heart in the Jersey Highlands.
District Angling
Arlington VA
My feet in DC, My heart in the Jersey Highlands.
Re: SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1925-1952
#3The 1925 SHAKESPEARE Catalog. A very grainy old copy, but clearly lists the four fly rod models available that year.
Last edited by wrong66 on 11/16/17 13:05, edited 1 time in total.
Re: SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1925-1952
#6The 1928 SHAKESPEARE catalog.
Photos forthcoming.
Photos forthcoming.
Re: SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1925-1952
#11SHAKESPEARE'S 1933 catalog. Identical to the 1932 edition.
Re: SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1925-1952
#17The 1939 SHAKESPEARE catalog. These are terrible copies that will be upgraded as soon as possible. Note - Until better images can be found for this edition, please refer to the 1940 catalog for details, as the 1939 and 1940 catalogs are basically identical.
Last edited by wrong66 on 11/17/17 11:24, edited 1 time in total.
Re: SHAKESPEARE Fly Rod Catalog Listings, 1925-1952
#20The 1942 SHAKESPEARE catalog. One of the most iconic of catalog covers, showing a "regular" family out for a day of fishing. Mom and daughter in their dresses and dad in his white dress shirt, slacks and wing-tips. This would be Shakespeare's last tackle catalog for 5 years, as only a few short months after this book was printed, they would be re-tooling for war production.
Last edited by wrong66 on 11/17/17 19:44, edited 1 time in total.