American Legacy Fishing Company – NEWS FLASH – September 13, 2009
“World’s Best Fishing Gear – World’s Best Service”
Early Memories of Fishing…………..
Very often I am asked “how did you get interested in fishing?”. That’s a good question, especially when my answer is “I’m not sure I remember”. You see, I’m a “boomer” born just after World War II. Mom and Dad got married after the war and I came along about 11 months later. Dad was working 2 jobs along with starting an auto parts business, but he still managed to take a week off and head to “the great north woods” in a rickety pre-war car with Mom, me, my aunt and uncle and cousin and every conceivable piece of fishing gear he could load in.
Now in the late forties “the great north woods” was Wisconsin for us southern Indiana Hoosiers. Heck, it was over 500 miles away! And it took 2 days to get there by the time we picked up my aunt and uncle and cousin. No Interstate highways. In some instances no paved roads, especially as we got closer to our destination. But we did arrive and Dad, Uncle Bill, Aunt Aileen and cousin Bill, Jr. couldn’t wait to get on the water and start fishing. Of course, at less than a year old I was relegated to my Mom’s watchful eye which at that young age didn’t include any boat rides or fishing poles.
Within a couple of years I guess I found myself holding a fishing pole and actually enjoying playing with squiggly fishing worms and elusive minnows. I’m not sure just when the “fishing bug” bit me, but it’s a good chance it happened before I was 3 years old. As the years passed Dad and Uncle Bill kept moving our annual fishing trip further and further north. Rhinelander, southern Minnesota, the Duluth area, Ely, and finally International Falls. Then when I was 9 or 10 we made the ultimate trip: Oscar Larsen’s Rowan Lake Lodge, a fly-in destination in Northwestern Ontario. After that trip I became “the fisherman”. Eating and drinking and sleeping fishing. Anything else was a distant second.
By the time I was 13 dad had bought a cabin on Lake of the Woods in Ontario just outside of Nestor Falls. Now I had a chance to not only fish whenever I wanted to in the summer, but I actually found a way to make money doing this as well. It was called guiding. Yep, I was a guide. Guests paid the lodge $15 a day and I got $10 of that fee. Often, if the guests caught lots of fish I got a nice tip on top of the $10. Heck, I could easily earn $50 or more a week during the “high” season. To me this was as close to heaven as mortal man would ever get. Eventually school, marriage, family, and business all conspired to limit my fishing excursions, but they never eliminated them. Our 3 daughters love to fish, and now our 7 grandkids are quickly becoming the fourth generation of fishing fanatics. I’m proud that not only have my wife and I introduced these kids to fishing, but have kept that fire going for some time now. Seeing the look on someone’s face just as they hook “the big one” is really special, but seeing that look on your kids or grandkids face is simply priceless.
If G. Loomis Made a Fillet Knife This Would be It…..
Megabass? Boy, this line is increasingly complex, but they sure do make some great lures and rods. We continue to get more and more of the Deep-X 300 colors and just this week ordered about 12 new colors. Wait 30 days and these will be here. We now have the super-exclusive ARMS rods in stock in very limited supply. Frankly, our Megabass rod inventory is better than it has ever been. And just in the White Python F7-76RDTi (4 pcs). If there are any items or brands you feel fit out mission to bring you the world’s very best fishing gear please let us know. We really appreciate your suggestions as they help us stock what you want, not what we think you want!
Please Encourage Your Friends to Sign-UP for our Newsletter…………..
As you no doubt have figured out by now we try to publish our Newsletter about every 2 weeks. Most of the time we have a “Newsletter Only” Offer that gives all of you first crack at what is typically a limited supply of some absolutely great item at one heck of a discount or a deal. As they say about winning the lottery, “if you don’t buy a ticket you will never win”. Sorta’ the same deal with our newsletter, if you’re not signed up, you’ll never know about product updates, new product releases, specials, or our rambling stories that so many of you seem to enjoy. Sooooooooooo….., please get all of your friends and fellow fishermen signed up. If you belong to a club tell your fellow members. If you blog then tell your fellow bloggers. Come on, share a good thing!
Within a couple of years I guess I found myself holding a fishing pole and actually enjoying playing with squiggly fishing worms and elusive minnows. I’m not sure just when the “fishing bug” bit me, but it’s a good chance it happened before I was 3 years old. As the years passed Dad and Uncle Bill kept moving our annual fishing trip further and further north. Rhinelander, southern Minnesota, the Duluth area, Ely, and finally International Falls. Then when I was 9 or 10 we made the ultimate trip: Oscar Larsen’s Rowan Lake Lodge, a fly-in destination in Northwestern Ontario. After that trip I became “the fisherman”. Eating and drinking and sleeping fishing. Anything else was a distant second.
By the time I was 13 dad had bought a cabin on Lake of the Woods in Ontario just outside of Nestor Falls. Now I had a chance to not only fish whenever I wanted to in the summer, but I actually found a way to make money doing this as well. It was called guiding. Yep, I was a guide. Guests paid the lodge $15 a day and I got $10 of that fee. Often, if the guests caught lots of fish I got a nice tip on top of the $10. Heck, I could easily earn $50 or more a week during the “high” season. To me this was as close to heaven as mortal man would ever get. Eventually school, marriage, family, and business all conspired to limit my fishing excursions, but they never eliminated them. Our 3 daughters love to fish, and now our 7 grandkids are quickly becoming the fourth generation of fishing fanatics. I’m proud that not only have my wife and I introduced these kids to fishing, but have kept that fire going for some time now. Seeing the look on someone’s face just as they hook “the big one” is really special, but seeing that look on your kids or grandkids face is simply priceless.
Sixty plus years later I still have “the bug”. It’s not so much about how many fish we catch anymore. Now it’s about the great memories of those earlier years of catching fish and listening to Dad and Uncle Bill share wisdom and more than one “big” fish story. Mom and Dad and Uncle Bill and Aunt Aileen have all passed on, but they still live in my heart and so many fond memories. Now it’s about planning a trip where the grandkids can hook into something larger than the last time. It’s about finding a new reel or rod that is lighter or smoother or simply different that promises an even bigger, scrappier fish than the ones currently hanging in the garage have caught. I guess most importantly of all, fishing gives us the opportunity to share the great outdoors and nature’s beauty with those we love.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter. We have some new stuff, some interesting news, great pictures, and a wonderful report from Bob Daly on his most recent Alaska trip.
Tight Lines,
Tom Ashby
If G. Loomis Made a Fillet Knife This Would be It…..
OK, we all fish and most of us will fillet some fish for supper now and again. I certainly will. Being what my kids say is “old school” I use a fillet knife, not some damn electric fish butchering tool that leaves more meat on than it fillets out! The key to expertly filleting fish is first and foremost an exceptionally sharp knife. Having done some guiding myself and filleted and cooked fish for more than my fair share of shore lunches I just became more and more frustrated that every filet knife sold today is 1) Cheap, 2) Stainless Steel, 3) Not made in the USA, and 4) Doesn’t Not Hold an Edge worth a hoot. We actually ordered in over 30 different fillet knives from as many manufacturers as we could find just to find one we could offer our customers. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t put a single one in my tackle box!
So, we decided to have “The World’s Best Fillet Knife” made. To our specifications. We opted to put our money into high quality functionality, not a bunch of bells and whistles that don’t contribute to doing a better job of filleting fish. Here’s what we came up with: An 8″ blade, flexible high carbon razor steel, hot wax sealed hard rock maple wood handle, custom hand-made leather sheath, Made in the USA, a Lifetime Warranty, and our “WWW.GLOOMIS.US” logo burned into the handle. No fancy bells and whistles, sure as heck no electricity, just a classic fillet knife that will hold an edge longer than any knife you have ever used. Period.
How did we go about creating “The World’s Best Fillet Knife“? We located the oldest USA knife manufacturer who agreed to create this special knife. Dexter-Russell has been making knives continuously for almost 200 years. With some arm twisting and a substantial order they agreed to manufacturer our fillet knife to our specifications. High Carbon Razor Steel, not just carbon steel and certainly not stainless since stainless can NEVER be as hard as non-stainless due to the nickel (a very soft metal) in it. Hot wax sealed hard rock maple handle. Knife edge finished with a 400 grit wet polish and then hand stropped for the razor edge we insisted on. You have to be able to shave with this knife! Finally, we wanted to offer a Lifetime Warranty against breakage or any handle issues.
For our Custom Sheath we contacted leather craftsman extraordinaire Eric Whisnant in North Carolina and asked him to create a simple, durable, and functional premium leather sheath with a rear belt loop and a molded-in handle retention design. What we got was a handmade premium leather sheath that is as durable as our knife. Simple, functional, durable.
So there you have it. We know this is the World’s Best Fillet Knife. Price is $75.00 and includes free shipping to a USA address for the next 30 days. Everyone needs one of these in their tackle box!
(Note: Want to keep carbon steel from rusting? Clean and wipe dry after use and then apply a thin coat of cooking oil and it will stay rust free for years)
Daiwa’s BEST Spinning Reel and a Custom Rosewood Presentation Box………..
We just received about 40 Daiwa Certate Spinning reels that includes an absolutely beautiful rosewood presentation box complete with brass plate for engraving. Only the CT1500, CT2000, CT2500, and CT3000 come with these boxes. We only have a LIMITED SUPPLY. While the supply lasts we will include the rosewood presentation box FREE when you buy one of these fabulous reels. Think- – – – Early Christmas Shopping! This is a NEWSLETTER ONLY OFFER.
Daiwa’s BEST Spinning Reel and a Custom Rosewood Presentation Box………..
We just received about 40 Daiwa Certate Spinning reels that includes an absolutely beautiful rosewood presentation box complete with brass plate for engraving. Only the CT1500, CT2000, CT2500, and CT3000 come with these boxes. We only have a LIMITED SUPPLY. While the supply lasts we will include the rosewood presentation box FREE when you buy one of these fabulous reels. Think- – – – Early Christmas Shopping! This is a NEWSLETTER ONLY OFFER.
The Certate is the Top-of-the-Line Spinning reel in Daiwa. Absolutely a fantastic instrument equal to or better than the Shimano Stella FD series reels. Tackle Tour gave it a 10 out of 10 for Performance, a 9.5 out of 10 for Quality, and 9’s for Design and Application. Hard scores to beat!
A total of 10 Bearings, the New Hollow-Core Air Bail, Unbreakable Bail Spring, and the State-of-the-Art Digi-Gears mean this reel is far ahead of the competition. Frankly, it is so well built we think of it as a Legacy piece of fishing gear that can be passed down from one generation to the next.
The oscillation on the Certate is eerily quiet, so much so you may have to look twice to make sure the reel is actually working. With Digi-gear technology the gear drive is not only completely quiet, but as smooth as fine Japanese silk. Daiwa’s advanced Level wind feature prevents line dig-in under pressure and the sealed drag stays dry regardless of the conditions. Finally, this reel is Made in Japan and comes with a Spare Spool!
G. Loomis Escape Luggage Sale Ending September 30, 2009…….
Over the last several weeks we have been offering all G. Loomis Escape Luggage and Tackle Bags at 25% off. Just a fair notice that this offer will be ending the end of this month. If you haven’t taken a look at this very functional and really well made luggage please do. It’s very competitively priced even when sold at retail. At 25% off it’s a “no brainer”. We particularly like the tackle bags (rigid frame and angler’s backpack are my favorites) and both the split bottom cargo bag and the rolling weekender. Take a look while they are still on sale. Think – – – – – Early Christmas Shopping!
Check Out Your Currency Exchange Rates……..
Ah, the world financial crisis. I figured after we (the USA) decided to print a couple of trillion dollars of money the world value of the dollar would plummet. What I forgot was that almost every other country was doing the same thing! However, just recently we have seen the Australian dollar strengthen substantially, the Euro strengthen, and the UK pound sterling showing some real strength. If you live in almost any country except Japan your currency will buy substantially more USA goods now than a few months ago. In other words, our stuff is getting a lot Less expensive! Just a “heads up” here for all of our non-USA customers.
G. Loomis Escape Luggage Sale Ending September 30, 2009…….
Over the last several weeks we have been offering all G. Loomis Escape Luggage and Tackle Bags at 25% off. Just a fair notice that this offer will be ending the end of this month. If you haven’t taken a look at this very functional and really well made luggage please do. It’s very competitively priced even when sold at retail. At 25% off it’s a “no brainer”. We particularly like the tackle bags (rigid frame and angler’s backpack are my favorites) and both the split bottom cargo bag and the rolling weekender. Take a look while they are still on sale. Think – – – – – Early Christmas Shopping!
Check Out Your Currency Exchange Rates……..
Ah, the world financial crisis. I figured after we (the USA) decided to print a couple of trillion dollars of money the world value of the dollar would plummet. What I forgot was that almost every other country was doing the same thing! However, just recently we have seen the Australian dollar strengthen substantially, the Euro strengthen, and the UK pound sterling showing some real strength. If you live in almost any country except Japan your currency will buy substantially more USA goods now than a few months ago. In other words, our stuff is getting a lot Less expensive! Just a “heads up” here for all of our non-USA customers.
New Product News Updates………………………
The Shimano CI4 Spinning reels have arrived in both the 1000F and 2500F sizes, which are the only sizes they come in. Great little reels and light as a feather with the magnesium body. Team these with a new Loomis TSR GLX rod and I guarantee you that outfit will float out of your hand!
Megabass? Boy, this line is increasingly complex, but they sure do make some great lures and rods. We continue to get more and more of the Deep-X 300 colors and just this week ordered about 12 new colors. Wait 30 days and these will be here. We now have the super-exclusive ARMS rods in stock in very limited supply. Frankly, our Megabass rod inventory is better than it has ever been. And just in the White Python F7-76RDTi (4 pcs). If there are any items or brands you feel fit out mission to bring you the world’s very best fishing gear please let us know. We really appreciate your suggestions as they help us stock what you want, not what we think you want!
Please Encourage Your Friends to Sign-UP for our Newsletter…………..
As you no doubt have figured out by now we try to publish our Newsletter about every 2 weeks. Most of the time we have a “Newsletter Only” Offer that gives all of you first crack at what is typically a limited supply of some absolutely great item at one heck of a discount or a deal. As they say about winning the lottery, “if you don’t buy a ticket you will never win”. Sorta’ the same deal with our newsletter, if you’re not signed up, you’ll never know about product updates, new product releases, specials, or our rambling stories that so many of you seem to enjoy. Sooooooooooo….., please get all of your friends and fellow fishermen signed up. If you belong to a club tell your fellow members. If you blog then tell your fellow bloggers. Come on, share a good thing!
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