A Great Opportunity

close up of spool of fishing line

items from Eddie Braddon's tackle box

At the 2011 National Convention, Steve Scarborough bought Eddie Braddon's tackle box. Steve wrote an article about one of reels in this tackle box, for the March 2012 NFLCC Gazette. There were many neat items in this tackle box and I was given the opportunity to purchase the lures & tins from Steve. The lures look to be prototypes of some Al Foss lures. For instance, the Jazz Wiggler is brass. Steve gave me a spool of line from the tackle box. It has a picture of Al Foss casting on the label.I would like to thank Steve for giving me this great opportunity to add some amazing pieces to my collection. If you would like to meet great people like Steve, who are more than willing to share their knowledge with you, go to www.nflcc.org and join.

UNUSUAL ITEMS DISPLAY

In this display I have:

• A reel inscribed with “Joe S. Weber from Al Foss 8-26-34”.
• A picture of Joe Weber and Al Foss from 1936.
• A butter knife from the True Temper Inn in Wallingford, Vermont.
• A pair of True Temper casting weights.
• A True Temper rod tester on a card.
• A printer’s block for the Al Foss Shimmy.
• A True Temper Uni-Spin patch
• and the NFLCC National patch & pin set with Al Foss Lures.

The History of Al Foss and His Company

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Al Foss was born in Covington, Ohio on February 14, 1868 and died in Orlando, Florida on April 1, 1949. Al started in the plumbing business and eventually moved into the slot machine business. He had a great interest in anything mechanical. He started Al Foss Fishing Tackle Company in 1915. He sold out to the American Fork and Hoe Company in 1929, prior to the collapse of the stock market and the start of the Great Depression. Al was also involved for over 25 years in tournament casting. In 1933 he was the 5/8 ounce distance bait champion.


AL FOSS -- FIRST IN EVERYTHING

FIRST - pork rind minnow ever offered for sale

FIRST - lure with celluloid (pyralin) body

FIRST - lure with flexible tail attached to body

FIRST - lure with stud to button flexible tail to

FIRST - lure with means to rigidly hold flexible tail to body

FIRST - lure with detachable hook rigidly attached

FIRST - lure to really make pork rind strip wiggle

FIRST - pork rind lure to have “reinforced hook anchorage”

FIRST - lure to successfully operate in weeds, yet having no guard to ward off strike

FIRST - to split pig skins for fishing purposes

FIRST - to market pork rind strips


Above quoted from Al Foss ad in OUTDOOR LIFE, July 1923