Book on Lure Making - just post war.

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Rotrax
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Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by Rotrax »

I wonder if anyone here remembers this book. I have no recollection of the title or the Author's name but I read it while a schoolboy and took it out from Balham Library several times.

The Author, a Welshman IIRC, was a wizard at making lures from odds and ends and discarded household stuff.

His speciallity was worn out toothbrush handles. He would cut the brush head off, use boiling water to soften and shape the plastic, drill the ends and affix swivels and hooks with split rings. The bright and sometimes transclucent colours made killing baits - he said.

The other one, one I made plenty of and in fact caught my first Pike on, was a large Devon Minnow type lure made from bunsen burner tubing and sheet metal taken from 2oz tobacco tins for the blades. They rotated on large beads slipped over twisted galvanised garden wire.

He said he was more successful than other lure users as his lures cost so little he would use them in snaggy and weedy waters, losing one was pennies.

I think, if I can find out who wrote it, and the books name, Iwould read it again - and make some more lures!

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Luke
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Re: Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by Luke »

Sounds very much like Spinner's Delight by Thurlow Craig.

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Rotrax
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Re: Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by Rotrax »

Thanks for that - I'll look it up!

:Thumb:

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Rotrax
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Re: Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by Rotrax »

Just looked on a well known online Auction site for a copy - 'Spinners Delight' and 'Baitmakers Delight' available.

Which one to choose.......................

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Luke
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Re: Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by Luke »

Must admit I haven't read Baitmaker's Delight so not entirely sure of the content (despite having sold many copies of the book over the years). However I have read Spinner's Delight and it has quite a bit on the making and use of the toothbrush handle lures you mention as well as reminiscences of his pike fishing days on the River Vyrnwy and Montgomery Canal among other places. These two venues stick in my mind as I was fishing them a lot myself when I read the book. I can't recall the Devon Minnow type lure you mention however it was many years ago that I read it so perhaps my memory fails me.

I would imagine, from the title, that Baitmaker's Delight has more detail on the making of the lures.

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OhMyGoodness
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Re: Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by OhMyGoodness »

Both are good. I made some of his 'spandles' and gave one to Barrie Rickards when we were friends. He loved lure fishing and introduced me to the first book. I caught Pike on my version too.

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Peter Wilde
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Re: Book on Lure Making - just post war.

Post by Peter Wilde »

Interesting. There was a reference to success with these toothbrush-handle lures in a Clive Gammon book about his experiences at Bosherton lake, Wales. My attempts (aged 17) to make some were unsuccessful, possibly I would have done better if I had got access to the Craig original instructions!

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