“Vintage Phantom Minnows” from my Vintage Fishing Collections (please excuse any ‘camera glare’ on some of the photos). The “Phantom Minnow” was invented by iconic Scottish tackle maker William Brown c.1840’s & quickly became a staple item in the tackle box of United Kingdom anglers. Its popularity spanned the British Isles, as well as parts of Europe , Canada & USA, and continued well into the early 1900’s (& to some degree, into the 1940’s). These colourful minnow imitations usually had 3 treble hooks (a tail treble & 2 ”flying” trebles), but sometimes just one or two, and had bodies made of various materials, including silk, fish skin, waterproofed cloth, horse hair, quill, metal, celluloid & leather (to name a few). ……. I’ve only recently started populating this web site with vintage tackle from my collections & the “Phantom Minnows” below are just a start …….. there’s lots more to be added regularly. Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments related to any of my website’s content):

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Allcock Flexible Woven Wire Phantom – Patent GB189726704 Description -1aa

 

Allcock Flexible Woven Wire Phantom – Patent GB189726704 Drawing -1a

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 3” – RARE & MINT to NEAR MINT – With Just a Splash of Sky Blue & Gold, This Exceptionally Beautiful Example Appears to Have Never Been Used -1a

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 3” – RARE & MINT to NEAR MINT – With Just a Splash of Sky Blue & Gold, This Exceptionally Beautiful Example Appears to Have Never Been Used -1c

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 3” – RARE & MINT to NEAR MINT – With Just a Splash of Sky Blue & Gold, This Exceptionally Beautiful Example Appears to Have Never Been Used -1d

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 3” – RARE & MINT to NEAR MINT – With Just a Splash of Sky Blue & Gold, This Exceptionally Beautiful Example Appears to Have Never Been Used -1e

 

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 3” – RARE & MINT to NEAR MINT – With Just a Splash of Sky Blue & Gold, This Exceptionally Beautiful Example Appears to Have Never Been Used -1ff

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 2” – RARE (Ex-Ex+) -1a

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 2” – RARE (Ex-Ex+) -1c

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 2” – RARE (Ex-Ex+) -1d

 

Allcock Flexible, Woven Wire Phantom Minnow (c.1897-c.early1900’s) 2” – RARE (Ex-Ex+) Patent Stamp Detail -1ee

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons – 1894 Ad for ”Serpentantic Bait” (credit: reelsnlures.com) -1aa

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons ”Serpentanic Bait” Phantom Minnow – 3” (c.1893-c.early1900’s) – VERY SCARCE to RARE – Excellent Example -1b

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons ”Serpentanic Bait” Phantom Minnow c.1893-c.early1900’s – VERY SCARCE to RARE – Excellent Example -1c

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons ”Serpentanic Bait” Phantom Minnow – 3” (c.1893-c.early1900’s) – VERY SCARCE to RARE – Excellent Example -1d

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons ”Serpentanic Bait” Phantom Minnow – 3” (c.1893-c.early1900’s) – VERY SCARCE to RARE – Excellent Example -1e

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons ”Serpentanic Bait” Phantom Minnow – 3” (c.1893-c.early1900’s) – VERY SCARCE to RARE – Excellent Example -1ff

 

Wm. Bartleet & Sons ”Serpentanic Bait” Phantom Minnow – 3” (c.1893-c.early1900’s) – VERY SCARCE to RARE – Excellent Example -1gg

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1aa

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1bb

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1cc

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1ee

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1ff

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1h

 

R. Harrison, Bartleet & Co. c.1876-c1902 Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (‘brown trout’ pattern) -1g

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Brown’s Phantom Minnow Ad 1895 (credit: Ron Gast’s luresnreels.com)

 

 

Brown’s Phantom Minnow Ad – (The Fishing Gazette, Nov. 28, 1896 edition) -1aa

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

graphic from front cover of 1909 Farlow Catalog

 

Farlow – c.1926-c.1930’s ”Superior” Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (gold & silver – silver paint drop on back is factory flaw) -1bb

 

Farlow – c.1926-c.1930’s ”Superior” Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (gold & silver – silver paint drop on back is factory flaw) -1cc

 

Farlow – c.1926-c.1930’s ”Superior” Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (gold & silver – silver paint drop on back is factory flaw) -1aa

 

Farlow – c.1926-c.1930’s ”Superior” Phantom Minnow on Card + Box (gold & silver – silver paint drop on back is factory flaw) -1dd

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Pflueger 1925-1941 ”Famed Phantom Minnow” #1511 (brown & gold) on card -1aa

 

Pflueger 1925-1941 ”Famed Phantom Minnow” #1511 (brown & gold) on card -1bb

 

Pflueger 1925-1941 ”Famed Phantom Minnow” #1511 (brown & gold) on card -1cc

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (box end stamped ”Blue & Silver, 3, Leaded”) -1aa

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (box end stamped ”Blue & Silver, 3, Leaded”) -1bb

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (box end stamped ”Blue & Silver, 3, Leaded”) -1cc

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (box end stamped ”Blue & Silver, 3, Leaded”) -1dd

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (detail of right blade stamped ”C”) -1ff

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (detail of left blade stamped ”P”) -1gg

 

Charles Playfair Silk Phantom Minnow on Card + box – has Geen’s Patent Swivel – c.1886-early1900’s (box end stamped ”Blue & Silver, 3, Leaded”) -1hh

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________