Just a quick note to let you know that I've created a new book just for supporters of this Forum.
This book will only be available to people who donate to the maintenance of this board. Each copy will be signed and numbered. when some time has passed, I'll retire the book and offer a new one (got an entire series planned). I'll even keep track of numbers and this way you can get a set of these volumes over time (at least one a year is what I'm planning).
The first batch came back from the bindery early and look great; they are being dispatched this week to the early donators. If you want a copy, you can PayPal a minimum of $30 to classicflyrodforum@yahoo.com -- you can also mail donations to:
Dr. Todd Larson
4240 Minmor Drive
Cincinnati OH 45217
Thanks for the support. I have always taken my role as caretaker of this board seriously which is why you don't see ads despite getting bombarded with requests.
For those interested, I think you'll love this little 128 page book. Here's the blurb from the back cover:
Mary Kefover Kelly was one of the earliest and most dedicated chroniclers of the American fly rod. Beginning in the early 1960s and lasting up until her passing in 2010, much of her life was dedicated to researching American fishing history, with an emphasis on fishing rods and their makers. Collected here are selections from her research notes in the form of letters sent to various historical societies and libraries, supplemented by photos, annotations, advertisements, catalog cuts, and other supporting ephemera by Dr. Todd E.A. Larson. Some of the rod makers in this volume have received almost no attention from historians, and there are pictures of some that I'm reasonably certain no one has seen before.
The best part is that allowed me to empty some of my files on a number of really obscure rodmakers, and give tribute to one of my favorite bamboo fly rod historians and collectors, my friend Mary Kelly.
Some of the figures discussed in this book include:
Amherst Rod Co., James Annin, Gilbert Bailey, Eugene Bartlett, Francis Becraft, Boston Split Bamboo Fishing Rod Co., Willard L Bristow, G.W. Boyd, Leo Brown, Robert Bryant, H.P. Buckingham, William Burgess, George Burtis, William Cain, Thos. Chubb, Clark, Horrocks & Co., John Conroy, G.E. Cornman, Jabez Crook, Dame, Stoddard & Co., Fred Divine, Eugene M. Edwards, Eustis Edwards, Elias D. Evans, George B. Ellard, Alonzo Fowler, George Fox, Thomas E. Fuller, Evan H. Gerrish, George S. Githens, J.L. Graves, Andrew Harris, Frank H. Haskell, Frank Hawes, Loman Hawes, Hiram Hawes, Merritt Hawes, Dr. James A. Henshall, George Herter, L.M. Hoskins, Watson Hoskins, J.B. Hunter, Wallace Huntington, William Huson, Thomas Jenness, George Kamp, George Karr, Sarah Kaye, J.M. Kenyon, Henry Kidder, Koenig & Nichols, Kosmic, John Krider, Labatut & Dunn, Joseph P. Lenhart, Joseph, Hiram Leonard, Chancellor Levison, J.M. Lobit, Henry Loftie, E.B. Mack, T.J. Manly, T.B. Mayell, George W. Mintzer, William Mitchell, Montague City Rod & Reel Co., George Morgan, Samuel Motter, Henry C. Mueller, Charles Murphy, Joseph Murphy, B.F. Nichols, Frank Oram, Ed Payne, Ed. F., Jim Payne, Perfection Rod Co., Francis J. Philbrooke, Samuel Phillippe, Solon Phillippe, Charles Plath, Henry Pritchard, Charles V.
Ramsdell, William Rippard, J.B. Shannon & Co., Roy B. Shaver, A.B. Shipley, M.A. Shipley, Thomas Smith, Frederick Speel, Standard Fish Rod Co., Syracuse Bamboo Furniture, R.L. Tarr, John H. Terhune, Charles Terry, Fred Thomas, Thomas Tout, U.S. Net & Twine, George L. Varney, George Yingling, Ben Welch, David Welch, Phillip Wilson, John C. Welles, G.E. Whaling, William Wheeler, H.A. Whittemore, George Wood, Reuben Wood, William Wurfflein.
