Friday, May 21, 2010

From the "You learn something new every day" department...

While perusing some pictures of old lures on the Fishing for History blog my eyes were drawn to this one...




Not so much for the lure itself (which I have no knowledge of whatsoever), but its name and the slogan on the box, which reads "The Chippewa Bait, Chief of River and Lake."

And the reason it caught my eye is because that is, in essence, the very name of one of the greatest field trial chesapeakes in history, FC-AFC-CFC-CFAC Chesdel Chippewa Chief *** (or so I've read, he was born the same year I was so we never actually met.)

Either he was a pretty virile dude or it's an indictment of how small the chessie gene pool is, but Chesdel Chippewa Chief can be found in the pedigrees of a great many modern chessies, including the three that I've owned.

(That's him above getting some pretty serious air. The picture was shamelessly stolen off the Chesapeakes Unlimited website, but I'm hoping Bill doesn't mind.)

So was one of the breed's greatest stars named after an obscure vintage fishing lure? You be the judge. And incidentally, if that lure strikes your fancy you better get out your pocketbook. The bidding is already up to $415. For that kind of money I think I'd rather have another chessie...

2 comments:

  1. I worry about the Chessie gene pool too. A year ago my wife and I adopted a 2-year-old "rescue" Chessie, only to discover he was the "nephew" of the dog we had just lost.

    Both were Colorado-born, however, which might have something to do with it -- not so many breeders in the Rockies.

    Time to bring in some more coonhound blood ? (ducks and runs)

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  2. I say bring in the dachshunds. Determined little hunters, they are. I've grown fond of them since a student started bringing in her dachshund pup, Joni. Damn her, she graduated - I'll be lucky to ever see that dog again.

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