These old fishing items are secretly worth a fortune

Fishbrain launches a hunt for rare antiques in your attic with New York auction house.

With many of us spending more time at home currently in order to keep safe and follow state guidance, it’s an ideal time to reopen that old tackle box, rummage through the attic, and sort through the garage in search of some of this highly sought-after fishing equipment.

We have teamed up with leading the auction house for fishing paraphernalia, Lang’s Sporting Collectibles (www.langsauction.com), to launch a treasure hunt for angling equipment that you might not know to be rare and valuable collectors’ items.

Lang’s has prepared a list of the ten most-wanted items to look for: a collection of fishing rods, reels, and books, and with a potential collective auction value of over $400,000. Many of these objects have not been seen for decades (or even centuries), but could be gathering dust in people’s homes, their significant value previously unknown to the owner. 

Lang’s 10 most sought-after antiques:

List, descriptions, and images courtesy of Lang’s in-house expert and appraiser, Jim Schottenham.

1. The Giant Haskell Minnow (1859)

Estimated Value: $90,000

Perhaps the most famous single lure in the world as a result of the broad news coverage that followed its public sale back in November of 2003, the invention of Riley Haskell currently holds the world record for highest price paid for an angling artifact. The eye opening $101,200 paid by a private collector was for the only known example of a "giant" sized Haskell minnow, patented back in 1859 by the gunsmith from Painesville. Ohio.

Other sizes of the Haskell minnow were made and sold by Haskell, ranging from a small 3 1/2" length minnow to a 6" size, in various finishes such as copper and brass, with rare examples known that have a silver over copper finish. Finding any Haskell minnow would be great, but if another giant sized 10" example exists, it has the potential for another giant-sized price if sold at auction. It always pays to be first when offering rare items at auction, so understanding a second example wouldn't reach the six figure mark, it would most certainly reach well into the high five figure range. And I wouldn't ignore any of the smaller sizes, which have sold through Lang's Tackle auction from $12,000 to $35,400.

2. The Giant Billinghurst Reel (1859)

Estimated Value: $40,000

William Billinghurst, also a well-known gunsmith, was the first to patent what is accepted as the first fly reel in the United States in 1859. His invention was a major departure from the reels that were available to the public in the second half of the 19th century, in both function and aesthetics. In fact, if not for the handle, most people would have no idea it was a fishing reel at all, certainly a factor in the scarcity of the reels today, as over the years I'm sure more than one was tossed away as an unknown. 

Like the Giant Haskell minnow, Billinghurst produced a giant example of his "birdcage" reel, that to date is the only known surviving example. The good news is that according to documents released after his passing in 1880, there was more than one made, though the whereabouts are unknown. And while the known 7" diameter example has never been offered at a public sale, it at least has the potential to be the Giant Haskell of fishing reels, in that a record public auction price would be realized. 

As it stands today, a bass sized Billinghurst reel in the original box holds the world record for an American fishing reel sold at auction, topping $42,000 when sold through Lang's Auction back in 2007. So, as with the Haskell minnow, any Billinghurst reel should get those treasure hunters excited.

3. The 1874 Patent Charles F. Orvis Fly Reel (1874)

Estimated Value: $10,000

In his patent, the inventor of the famed Orvis Fly reel mentioned "hard rubber" as a substance used to construct his reel, a fragile substance that was introduced a few years prior by another reel inventor, Alonzo Fowler of New York.

To date, there have been no hard rubber 1874 model Orvis reels found, and while it is possible none were ever produced, hope springs eternal that one will surface. 

The glimmer of hope rests on the requirements of the U.S. Patent office, that until 1880 required a model to be presented with each patent application - despite the U.S. Congress doing away with the legal requirement back in 1870. Sadly, a purge of patent models from the Patent Office may have resulted in the elimination of such an example, but if it has survived, it would be major news to the tackle collectors world-wide. The "standard" 1874 patent reels themselves are highly collectible, coming in handsome walnut wood boxes, with bright nickel-plated finishes. I would expect a hard rubber model to bring high five figures at auction - if intact - but wouldn't be at all surprised if it exceeded $10,000 even if in disrepair as only known.

4. Preston Jennings Book of Trout Flies (1935)

Estimated Value: $90,000

Offered in 1935 as a deluxe edition comprising two volumes, and limited to just 25 numbered copies, the work of Preston Jennings is a combination of text and art, with Volume II containing flies with pattern names, protected by tissue paper.Published by the Derrydale Press, the work contains information on the most important American stream insects and their imitations, housed in a cloth covered slipcase. A fine condition set sold in 2007 through Lang's Auction, reaching $94,400. As mentioned prior, condition plays a major part in valuation, which propelled the numbered three set to such lofty heights. If another set is found, and the condition is there, it would take another five figure price to purchase the rare book.

5. Thaddeus Norris Fly Rod (1864)

Estimated Value: $13,000

With less than 10 known examples, two of which reside in the collection of the Anglers' Club of New York, the rods built by Thaddues Norris represent some of the earliest American examples of fly rods, dating back to the 1860's, though advertisements from Norris have surfaced that date to the late 1850's. The Philadelphia retailer and maker of rods also authored a book in 1864 titled The American Anglers Guide, in which he describes his rods construction, matching the example shown here. Built with multiple sections such as extra tips and mid-sections, the wooden rods may or may not be stamped with his name, which could be difficult to identify for the novice. If a nice example can be found, it should bring more than $10,000 at auction, as this example did, reaching $18,800. Other rod makers to watch for, if marked, include Samuel Phillippe and Charles Murphy, with the potential fine examples also eclipsing the $10,000 mark at auction.

6. The Chautauqua Trolling Bait (1909)

Estimated Value: $25,000

Patented August 31, 1909 by Krantz & Smith of Jamestown, NY, the 3 5/8" lure features spring loaded single point hooks that pop free when a fish strikes. Despite a fair number of these having been found over the years, the "cool" factor and great look have kept this lure on the wanted list of many advanced lure collectors. As with most all antique lures, finding one in the original box can raise the selling price exponentially. A boxed example of the Chautauqua exceeded $25,000 when it was sold through an on-line auction. Metal baits have a much better chance of surviving intact, and with the maker’s stamp found on all the known examples, it should be easy to positively ID this desirable lure.

7. Jack Charlton Titanium Fly Reel (1995)

Estimated Value: $30,000

Not all valuable tackle items are more than 100 years old, as evidenced by the relatively recent reel built by the late master reel maker Jack Charlton. As I wrote in a catalog description for Lang's Auction in 2012, these are "widely accepted as the pinnacle of saltwater fly reels, with the limited number of reels built of titanium by Charlton held to an even higher level of esteem for the collectors that own one. With a list price well over $5,000 when introduced in the mid-1990's, these were made in such limited quantity that the values have soared past the $10,000 mark". So far past in fact, that the auction bids reached over $27,000 in that 2012 sale. To my knowledge, none have been offered publicly since, so the next to come to auction could well exceed that price.

8. Abbey & Imbrie Gold Rod & Reel (1876)

Estimated Value: $100,000

This rod and reel set is the ultimate combination for rod and reel collectors, best described as it was for a 1916 issue of the American Angler magazine: "Owned by Messrs. Abbey & Imbrie, New York, is a nice foot split bamboo rod with solid gold mountings, ornamented with genuine topaz in the butt and in the plugs that fit in the ferrules…..with fishing scenes executed by one of the Tiffany artists. All the mountings are of fourteen-karat gold and over $500 worth of gold was cut out of the plates on the side of the reel in order to make the bar relief deep".

Think about that - they had to "remove" over $500 worth of gold (1876 prices) from the reel plates to get those decorations. Made for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia of 1876, it was also displayed at the World's Fair held in Chicago back in 1893. In a 1929 catalog, Abbey & Imbrie advertised that the set would be loaned to any dealer willing to exhibit Abbey & Imbrie fishing tackle, a deal I'm sure many took advantage of. Noted fishing tackle historian and author Dr. Todd Larson has spent years researching these items and has learned a total of five sets were made, with only two sets accounted for - so there is hope another could be found. And if you are the lucky person to unearth a set, you could well own a rod and reel that would set a record at auction, potentially topping $100,000. Or, you could take a page out of the A&I book, and loan it to your local bait shop! 

9. The Reel Collection of Dr. James Henshall (1893 - 1919)

Estimated Value: $50,000 - $75,000

Perhaps best known as the author of The Book of the Black Bass, Dr. James Henshall was also one of this nation's first reel collectors. Assembling the earliest works of famed reel makers such as George Snyder, J.L. Sage, J.F. & B.F. Meek, B.C. Milam and others, he put together a mix of casting and fly reels that were on display at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Some of the reels from the collection were shown, in line drawings, in his revised 1904 edition of The Book of the Black Bass, that showed some of the most iconic reels ever produced, coveted by today's collectors. With failing health, Henshall decided to sell his collections - rods, books and reels - advertising them in the June 1919 issue of The American Angler magazine. To date, copies of his rod and book catalogs have been found, though none of the reel catalogs have been discovered. The catalog alone would be a fantastic find, but it would pale in comparison to the reel collection. It should be noted that at least one of the reels shown in the 1904 drawings has been found and resides in a private collection, so there is a chance the collection was broken up over the years - but there is no solid evidence of that, so once again, there is at least a glimmer of hope it will be found mostly intact. Based on the number of reels remaining, the price tag could range from $50,000 to $75,000.

10. Winans & Whistler Fishing Reel (1876) 

Estimated Value: $5,000

Is there anyone that has fished in the last 50 years that isn't familiar with the Zebco spin-cast fishing reel? Millions have been sold world-wide, and were for many, the first reel they ever used. The Zero Hour Bomb company introduced the closed-face spinning reel they made in 1947, but you may be surprised to learn they were not the first to make a reel of this type. That distinction belongs to Thomas Winans and Thomas D. Whistler, both of Baltimore, Maryland with the reel they patented in 1876. To date, no examples of this rarity have surfaced, but they surely existed at one point, as one was provided as part of the tackle display of tackle retailers Conroy, Bissett & Malleson for the 1883 Great International Fisheries Exhibition held in London, where it won the Bronze Medal - clear evidence at least one was made.

Fishing reel historian and author Steven K. Vernon also tracked down documentation showing the reel was also displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876, giving hope that there are at least some out there somewhere. Vernon provided a catalog cut that described the reels as follows; "Secured by plate and rivet. Balance-handle. Value, 1882, $40. 42,827. U. S. Fish Commission. Adjustable spring guide or line-eye checks overrunning of the line by preventing rotation of reel when casting. Slotted, hinged cover, guides and controls flow of line; and thumb brake controls rotation of reel when playing fish". So while we don't have any photos to aid treasure hunters in the search for one, it is reasonable to expect it to look like the patent drawing. It may not be the most valuable item on this list, but finding one would be a major achievement and welcome addition to the tackle collecting community, and should be in the 4 figures at auction, even in moderate condition.

If you believe you own one of these collectors’ items, or other rare fishing memorabilia, please drop us an email at support@fishbrain.com for potential valuation by the experts at Lang’s.