The Heddon Legacy begins long before the Civil War, when a farmer and his wife gave birth to young James Heddon on Aug. 28, 1845. The HEDDON LEGACY traces the family's ancestral beginnings in detail never before published, and includes numerous family photos dating back to the 1800s.
The book's five richly illustrated chapters of Heddon corporate and family history includes interviews with descendents and former employees who help place this company's importance to the American recreation industry into proper context. The Heddon company was able to change with the times, surviving the Depression, World War II and the transition to mass production.
The story of James Heddon watching a bass strike a whittled "plug" of wood one afternoon in 1898 - and later using the idea to invent the topwater bait - is the most famous tale in fishing. My book takes you there - and sorts fact from fiction once and for all.
The Heddon's dominated the tackle industry for many decades. Author Bill Roberts has spent a lifetime tracking down and acquiring the family's factory prototypes - all photographed in gorgeous color with details about how they influenced the collectible Heddon plugs sought out by collectors today.
The book's primary chapters include every Heddon lure made - from the hand-made James Heddon frog of the 1890s all the way to plastic lures of the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike other reference books, HEDDON LEGACY explores the myriad of variations on many famous lures, and includes details on every color and style ever manufactured.
The earliest Heddon lures are always the hardest to find. Our book includes the most detailed information ever published about the early classics such as the Underwater Expert, Dowagiac Minnows and the Swimming Minnows that the Heddon's produced in their first few years.
The book includes almost 1,400 color photos detailing some of the finest Heddon lures known. Many are shown in their original boxes, too. Values are given for all baits pictured.
Many lures have countless variations, all discussed in HEDDON LEGACY. The Zaragossa, for instance, came in many styles, sizes and colors. You can learn them all by browsing my book.
The Heddon's were leaders in the development of hardware used on fishing lures. I devote an entire chapter to this important aspect of collecting. You will find details on all hardware types, from cup and toilet seat rigs to the brass and nickel props of early minnows.
The boxes that held the Heddon lures are often more valuable than the lures themselves. I devote an entire chapter to this important bit of Heddon history, including photos of every Heddon box ever manufactured. Several shown in this book are one of a kind, and many have never been seen before. Box papers also are included.
The Heddon's also made reels - very fine, silver reels that are quite sought after and valuable. My chapter on this topic includes the earliest and rarest of the Heddon reels, all photographed in beautiful color.
