[AugustaJosephine]

I have a rod described as follows, and would like any info you have about it or the company:

78 inches long
8 guide rings
says "a Nep-Tuna rod" on rod
with Varmac RS-1 reel seat attached
& attached reel labeled 'Favorite 150'

TIA
Jean

 

[MrBill]

Neptune was a older reel manufacture. It's possible they contracted out some rods. Maybe even for Nep Tune lubricants. They have supplied commercial boats lubricants for years. Good Luck on your quest to find out info on this rod.

Since were on the subject of vintage fishing equipment. Do any of you guys know how the 2/0, 3/0,4/0 size reels ever came about?

When people talk about salt water reel sizes they talk in terms of 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 6/0, 9/0, 10/0, 12/0, 13/0, 14/0, 15/0, 16/0, 18/0 & 20/0. The /0 on the end of these terms seems to have been made up for a reason which was shortly thereafter forgotten and has remained shrouded in mystery for many years. It simply meant "OCEAN" or reels built primarily for saltwater use.

Very few Companies made what is considered the Granddaddy of all reels the 20/0. Due to lack of demand and cost concerns only a hand full of these reels were ever made and even fewer exist today. The measurements of a 20/0 would be between 9 to 10 inches in diameter and between 5-1/2 to 7 inches across the inside of the spool.

I don't know if any of you guys collect vintage reels. The best of the original reel machinist was Arthur Kavalovsky. He made most of the reels in Zane Grey's collection. They are very expensive if you can find one.

Here's some pics of the good old days of Zane Grey and Kovalovsky. I'll even throw one in of Hemingway shooting his sub-machine gun off a pier. He reminds me of Gunsmoke. Hardcore about everything in life. Never a dull moment. Hemingway only wrote books to support his drinking, women, and fishing habit.

 

[gman]

Without sounding weird, I really enjoy your posts very imformative. Those old reels are amazing. When my son and I went swording and sailfishing in Miami he asked me to take him to the IGFA. While we were there we saw some amazing old huge reels. So big you cant imagine how they were used on the tree trunk rods

 

[MrBill]

Those guys in the 20's to 40's were very adventurous. They had to have their reels custom made. Custom made rods and search for better fishing line. Natural bait was often used, but they also realized that artificials were the future. They were the first guys that figured out that the faster you could troll a lure, the more ground you could cover. Boats were also a big problem. Old slow wooden boats with homemade outriggers and to many fish. Trying to catch the larger ones was a problem because to many medium to small fish. They also didn't venture very far from shore.

Just think how well they would have done with today's tackle and boats in that era.

 

[TeamOso]

seems like there were a lot of ernest hemingway types in that time. minus the whole atheist thing and the suicide thing.

 

[Uncle Russ]

MrBill: Do you know when they started manufacturing fiberglass rods? I used to have one from the early 'fifties (only for nearshore) that was solid FG. I have always imagined the first ones came out in the 'thirties.

When I was in high school, back before Noah built the ark, we had a book in our school library--can't remember the name of it, but it was about fishing at Cabo Blanco, Peru. Mainly black marlin and tuna in the pictures. I used to drool over that book, and in those days I had three dreams: fishing off Cabo Blanco, making $10 thousand a year, and owning a Winchester Model 21. I accomplished the last two.

Russ

 

[gman]

The picture with all the tuna hanging from the rafters is amazing. Bad Azz persona back then huh

 

[fathom]

Part of Fathom's collection of old reels 1/0 cozzone no drag! 2/0 vla no drag but jeweled bearing!, 3/0 julius vom hofe direct drive! 4/0 direct drive , 6/0 vom hofe with star drag, leather break and bouble harness lugs,

Rod is montague hollowglass unused boat rod-

 

[fathom]

seems like there were a lot of ernest hemingway types in that time. minus the whole atheist thing and the suicide thing.


Kevin,

May I suggest reading (Short stories of Earnest Hemmingway) and (Old man in the sea) if you haven't already.

Also ATLANTIC GAME FISHING by S. Kip Farrington, Jr.

 

[MrBill]

MrBill: Do you know when they started manufacturing fiberglass rods? I used to have one from the early 'fifties (only for nearshore) that was solid FG. I have always imagined the first ones came out in the 'thirties. Russ

Russ,

Shakespeare made the first fiberglass fishing rods in 1954. They also came out with radio antennas, golf clubs, pool cues the same year.

Shakespeare is an interesting company. William Shakespeare was an avid fisherman and very smart. He invented the level wind reel and patented it in 1896. In 1939 he got tired of backlashing and patented the first backlash brake on a reel. The guy even got his company to make carburetors during WW1 (1918) to keep it in business.

By the way, the "Ugly Stick" came out in 1976. Here's some more old photo's.

 

[AugustaJosephine]

Thanks for the info and the good luck wishes, MrBill. Haven't had any so far. Can't seem to find ANY info on the company or the rods/equipment.

 

[Fishhead56]

Apparently NEP TUNA made at least 1 very nice and interesting rod reel combo at one time.
See Attached Photos.

Kev.

 

[fathom]

looks like a neptune cradle seat with fin-nor reel, scarcer than hens teeth!

 

[Fishhead56]

Right now it's on E-Bay
The name caught my eye
after reading this thread.
Located in Denver
Several hundred $$$ was the start
price.
Kev

 

[tdwcapt]

These old photos are great. If you really want to see some stuff that will put your jaw on the ground, go to the IGFA HQ and Fishing Hall of Fame in Dania, Fl. ! IGFA, International Game Fish Association They have a private library upstairs that I have been able to get into on account that I knew their lead biologist for many years.

The thing that made me scratch my head was how the IGFA gives Michael Lerner credit for being the founder of sportfishing conservation when the man killed everything he touched.

Otherwise, it was an incredible experience.

 

[fathom]

So did everyone else back then, those who went first are revered as icons. Killing for trophy and pics was the norm.

photo 1. larger version of cradle reel

photo 2. just another day of marlin fishing- The Lerners with Hemmingway.

 

[fishr1989]

WOW! Those were the days, but I have a feeling that if the anglers of yesteryear were equipped with modern tackle, there would be vary few large gamefish of any kind remaining. It seems that the general routine was to kill many of the trophy fish that were encountered, and Hemmingway certainly would have but a big dent in the shark population, being a fierce hater, and enjoying shooting them with his tommy gun whenever they were encountered, either if they attacked his fish, or just for fun.

I own an old Shakespeare Wonderrod, a 6'6" conventional boat style, with a cork foregrip, gimbal, and stainless guides, and was wondering if it had any real value or was just a curiosity piece nowadays?

 

[DeepBlueGulf]

Wow! Great Thread!

DBG

 

[tdwcapt]

Boy has the culture of fishing changed! Like most of us, I've seen lots of old photos. Have you ever noticed how, more often than not, many people used to actually dress up to go fishing? Sure there were some guys like EH who were slobs, but look at some of the photos of Zane Grey. Dude wore suits tarpon fishing! Even above, look at Helen Lerner in that white dress! Or how about the crews? I've even seen pics from as late as the 60's with captains and mates wearing uniforms!

 

[fathom]

For all you tuna heads Zane Greys record yellowfin was 318lb.s set in cabo in 1924, thats with linen line and wood rod!
His blufin record was 758lb. in 1924!

Another Lerner photo,note modern fighting chair and state of the art tackle on that sportfisher!