Canadian Catch: Colmer Bait Box and Lures

Today’s guest blogger is Patrick Daradick, a collector, researcher, and writer on vintage fishing lures made in Ontario, Canada. To learn more about fishing tackle makers from this province, visit Daradick’ website, ontariolures.com.

Of the many tackle makers from the province of Ontario, Canada, the lures and boxes by this basement tackle maker from Peterborough are especially scarce. The lures were produced for basically one year in 1931.Their metal lips are stamped “Colmer RD 1931 Made In Canada.” To date, only about 10 lures are in various collections. Colmer made only three body styles (two are shown above), while the box is the only one known to exist.

Clifford Colmer lived his entire life in the city of Peterborough. Family and friends knew him as Kip. In the 1930s, Kip was employed at the Albion Knitting Co., which was well known for making NHL hockey jerseys. Cliff’s trade was maintenance and machinery. At home, Kip worked in his basement workshop, as shown in photograph above. It was here at 497 Bolivar St. that the “magnetic minnow” was designed. Cliff was an avid fisherman, so he took his newly designed lures to local rivers and lakes to see if they really did “attract all fish” as advertised on the box.

Eventually, Clifford applied his woodworking skills to wooden boats and lamps, and his fishing-lure business faded away. Today, because of their scarcity, a Colmer lure is a rare and elusive catch.