Vintage Tackle Contest: Gettelman’s Wisconsin Fishing Guide

Here’s a unique entry into the vintage tackle contest from Lynn Desch, who won this old Wisconsin fishing guide, along with some other tackle items, at a charity auction. Seeing that Dr. Todd Larson of the The Whitefish Press and “Fishing For History” blog is a Wisconsin native, this one hit close to home.

Dr. Todd says:

“As someone who was raised in Northwest Wisconsin near Hayward–the Musky Capital of the World–this guide book brings back a lot of memories. You have a great piece of “fishiana” or “fishorabilia” or whatever you want to call items related to fishing that are not fishing tackle. Gettelman’s was a 19th century beer company founded in the 1850s in Milwaukee. Their “$1000 Beer” tag was a promotion for anyone who could prove Gettelman’s contained any substitute for pure ingredients. Gettelman’s is fondly remembered today for their colorful fishing and camping manuals. Your guide (with Bucky Badger fishing) is a great one and dates from the 1940s (Gettelman’s was sold to Miller Brewing in 1961). I would value it at $50-$75 and it would be of interest to breweriana collectors as well as fishermen. To see a 1948 Gettelman Fishing & Camping manual, click here.”

Nice find, Lynn! Hopefully there’s some fly fishing info in that little book, because you’ve got a Cabela’s 50th Anniversary Fly Box and Fly Assortment headed your way.

If you’ve already sent me photos of your vintage tackle, keep checking every Thursday to see if I chose it for an appraisal by Dr. Todd. If you haven’t and want to enter the contest, email photos of your old tackle to fstackle@gmail.com, along with your name, mailing address, and story of how you acquired the gear. If I use it in a Thursday post, you get a Cabela’s 50th Anniversary Fly Box and Fly Assortment (below, $50).