The Kiest Company of Knox, Indiana made a very popular fishing reel. This Henry Kiest Reel came in a large circular can.
This Kiest Fishing Tackle Catalog shows the items the company offered which included Indiana style reels, fly fishing rods, Creek Chub Lures, Shur Strike Lures, metal spinners, fly lures, bobbers, minnow buckets, landing nets, rifles, a Tom Boat Sport Craft Folding Boat, and more.
The Peters Bait Company, also from Knox, produced the Peters Line Drying Casting Reel and several fishing lures. Here is the patent paperwork (Patent 1,426,597) for the Peters Bait Company Reel filed by Robert D. Peters of Knox, Indiana and patented August 22, 1922. I have not had the opportunity to acquire any of the Peters Bait Company Fishing Lures.
This live minnow aerator is from The “Minnie Air” Co. of Cedar Lake, Indiana. Drop it in the minnow bucket to provide oxygen all day long.
The O.K. Reel was made by the O.K. Machine Co., Inc. of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The patent date listed on the O.K. Reel is June 27, 1911.
The De-Finner is a fish cleaning knife made by the De-Finner Mfg. Company located at 115 North William St, South Bend, Indiana.
The Allison-Faulkner Corp. of Auburn, Indiana manufactured the Hand Trap For Throwing Clay Pigeons. This neat Instruction Manual came with the box.
This Fish Alarm was made by the Bowman Co. at 15 South 4th Street, Lafayette, Indiana. The sticker inside the alarm says the Bowman Co. is “Manufacturers of Automatic Fire, Burglar and Fish Alarms” and this unit retailed for $4.95 “Prepaid Less Battery”.
This old reel is from The National Specialties Co, Fort Wayne, IN. It reads “N.S. Adjustable”.
The Vaughn Mfg. Co. of Churubusco, Indiana made ice line clips which were attached to this store display.
The Spin – Bob was made by Verlyn Products Inc. at 342 North Lynhurst Drive, Indianapolis, IN. The Spin-Bob utilizes a separate line between the bobber and hook to give you a “fully loaded unit” according to this Spin-Bob Product Insert.
The DEPTHometer, from the Tailored Tackle Company of Warsaw, IN, is a metal reel-like device that is used to measure water depth. The line is marked in one foot increments. This Tailored Tackle Company Insert describes how to use the device.
The Dickey Tackle Company of 1317 North Kaley Street, South Bend, IN, made the Dickey #3N1 Bobber for Fly Rod, Cane Pole or Ice Fishing. This Dickey Instruction Sheet describes how to set up the bobber.
This trolling device was made by Bobotrol, Inc. of South Bend, IN and this is the Patent Sheet for it.
The Mac-Staff Manufacturing Company of Portland, Indiana made a Fish Scaling Set with neat graphics on the box. The directions suggest to “Grasp Hold-It in left hand and with spoon in right hand, hold fish with scaler and insert pointed end of Hold-It in fish’s mouth as far as possible. No more sore fingers from scalers.”
This M.J. Willard Conklin Bite Lite was used for night-time fishing. The line is inserted into the device and when the line moves, the light turns on. The company was located in Logansport, IN.
The Metzger & Brownlee company of South Bend, IN manufactured a fishing “Leader Wire Twister and Cutter” sometime around the 1930’s.
More Coming Later………
Old Indiana Lures 