By Joe Cermele

If you walk down 32nd Street towards NYC's Penn Station around rush hour, you will find the curbs lined with vendors selling a multitude of wares. These feature DVDs of films still in theaters, cologne and perfume that has either fallen off a delivery truck or been mixed in a Bronx basement, and Rolex watches that sell two for five dollars. Every day I pass this bazar without ever paying much attention to the merchandise. But while walking home last night, a table caught my eye and for the first time in four years of working in the city I stopped to check it out.

The table belonged to a graffiti artist named Spin 183 who was creating custom hats. Call it an impulse buy, but for some reason I decided then and there that a new one-of-a-kind fishing hat created by my boy Spin was a must. So he broke out the oil pens and got busy right there on the street. He created for me what he refers to as "vanity plates for your head."

Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking: the fish doesn't look quite mean enough and kinda resembles a dolphin. But give my man a break. He drew it up in 10 minutes in the dark in 36-degree wind chills. Besides, once I splash it with a little fish blood, all the suckas 'round the Jersey Shore will recognize that I'm still Joey from the dock. Think about it...would you mess with a dude with a tear drop tattooed on his cheek? I wouldn't. I think a dolphin splattered with a little bass blood will have the same effect. This hat will become legend.

Do you have any hats or T-shirts that have become your trademark on the water? You know, the ones the wife is dying to chuck but you never leave for a fishing trip without. Let's see who can represent.

By John Merwin & Joe Cermele

Jim and Millie B. from Illinois wrote me a few days ago,
asking if I knew of any reference books on antique fishing flies.

No, I don't, because there aren't any. At least not any good
ones. Most of the pertinent reference material is spread through
flyfishing books on more general historical topics.

One good one is
Paul Schullery's "American Fly Fishing: A History," which seems to be
out-of-print but with used copies selling on amazon.com for about $20.
If you have a specific question about a particular fly, you might try
contacting the folks at the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
Andrew Herd's fly-fishing history website is
also worth a look.

By John Merwin & Joe Cermele

Jim in Mo, a new reader here, asked over the weekend if I knew that Stren and Trilene (fishing line) were both owned by the same company and if I thought the two brands would still be allowed to compete.
         

Yes, and yes. Actually the Stren brand was bought by Pure Fishing quite a few years ago, which put two formerly arch competitors under the same roof. That said, Trilene is still Trilene, and Stren is still Stren in that they look and feel differently in fishing, each with its own loyal following. It does seem, though, that they don't compete against one another as viciously as they used to.
         

Which brings up the whole question of consolidation in the fishing-tackle industry. Pure Fishing, which began as Berkley, acquired a whole bunch of brands such as Abu Garcia, Mitchell, Stren, and SpiderWire over the past 20 years. That ensemble was recently acquired by Jarden, which owns K-2 skis and Coleman, among other things, and at about the same time acquired Shakespeare fishing tackle.
         

There are other examples. Rapala (Normark Corp.) recently bought Luhr-Jensen, the northwestern lure-maker. Zebco Brands (W.C. Bradley) now owns both Fin-Nor and Van Staal, which are a far cry from inexpensive push-button reels. And as our economy continues to head south, I think the pace of consolidation will increase.
         

If that's what it takes for a good old brand and product line to survive, then I guess consolidation is a good thing. But I also think that consolidation tends to stifle innovation, in which case we as the angling public are the losers.

By John Merwin & Joe Cermele

Would you like to fish for swordfish in the Florida Keys next year? For free? Then pay attention to this: Field & Stream is holding a contest in which the winner will receive a four-day, three-night vacation for two to Islamorada's Cheeca Lodge & Spa, including a swordfishing charter trip with Bud N' Mary's Fishing Marina.

The contest is simple. Write us a limerick that explains why you deserve to go on this trip. A panel of Field & Stream editors will review all entries and award the prizes listed below to the person who wrote our favorite. Judging criteria include originality, humor, and adherence to the limerick form. (Offensive language will disqualify your entry).

Prize Details:
Air transportation voucher courtesy of Florida Keys & Key West. Prize Value: $750.00

Four-day, three-night stay at Cheeca Lodge & Spa in deluxe resort-view room for two people, including breakfast for three days. Stay is based on availability. Prize Value: $1,500.00

Swordfishing trip on the B n’ M from Bud N’ Mary’s Fishing Marina in Islamorada. If weather conditions are not conducive, captain may choose to substitute for another type of fishing. Based on availability. Prize Value: $1,250.00

Variety of water recreation opportunities at Robbie’s Marina. Drift fishing, kayak rentals, snorkeling. Prize Value: $200.00

Two Key West attractions passes. Prize Value: $250.00

Two Florida Keys & Key West fishing guide hats. Prize Value:  $40.00

To enter, you must write your limerick in the comments section of this post AND email it to joe.cermele@bonniercorp.com (subject line: Limerick Contest). There are no limits on the number of entries, but only submit one entry per comment/email. The deadline for entries is January 1, 2009. We'll review all entries and announce the winner here on January 5th . Good luck!

Sponsors: