Akron Beacon Journal

May 7 1927; 20:1,2,3,4

BUILT INDUSTRY ON HIS SECRET TO CATCH FISH

E.F. Pflueger Used First Artificial Lure On Young’s Spillway Over 50 Years Ago

BAIT USED WORLD OVER

Akron Concern, Largest Of Its Kind, Turns Out Over 100,000,000 Fish Hooks

 

     Back in the early days of Akron’s history – the pioneer days – when experiments where being made with bicycle tires “filled with air,” and the monster rubber tire and automobile industries were undreamed of, their lived in Akron a moulder by the name of E.F. Pflueger. He was an ambitious reader of scientific publications. He was a dreamer. He later went into the grocery business so he could dream more dreams. At least his bent was not in the chain store development conceived by Fred W. Albrecht. Pflueger tried it only as a means to an end.

     One day he read a story in his favorite scientific publication about phosphorescent fish becoming extinct because they were an easy prey for other fish. This story gave him the idea for luminous imitation fish bait. He worked on it for some time until it was perfected, and then in the dark of night accompanied by Tod Bender local artist and his son Ernest A. Pflueger, at that time not yet 14 years of age, he went to the spillway near Young’s hotel and from a rowboat in the center of this body of water he conducted an experiment that ranks with Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanization.

 

Discovered Trade Secret

     By the light of a lantern the elder Pflueger tossed into the water a glass minnow filled with luminous paint. No one in the party was a fisherman. Neither did the imitation bait catch a fish. After the seventh cast in trolling however, a fish followed the bait and in leaping after it as the bait left the water the fish fell in the bottom of the boat. This satisfied Mr. Pflueger and the party rowed ashore with the secret of artificial lures, for an industry that now numbers 10,000,000 anglers.

     The incident was the beginning of the Enterprise Manufacturing Co. makers of “Flew-ger” fishing tackle, the dominant concern of this industry in American and one of the largest organizations of its kind in the world.

     Having discovered the secret for manufacturing a staple article, the next problem was to market it. Money was tight. The world in that day was full of crazy people according to the gossip of the time. Dr. B.F. Goodrich was predicting rubber inventions that led many to suspect he was a little bit off. Alexander Graham Bell with his first telephone experiment was called “a nut.” Ferdinand Schumacher experimenting on his wife’s kitchen stove discovered a recipe that made him the father of the world’s breakfast food. . . [this goes on and on with lots of equally goofy stuff.] People generally regarded all these things as weird ideas and there was an atmosphere of natural skepticism and suspicion among men with money.

 

He Patents Invention

     Mr. Pflueger, however, patented his invention and bid his time. His home at 217 Ash st. became the factory where his ideas took shape. The parlor where he talked things over with his sons Earnest A. and Joe E. Plueger is now the general office of the company he founded. His glass minnow only earned him $100 the first year, By 1886 he had developed enough business and had the assurances of enough more to organize a company which took over the American Fish Hook Co. of New Haven, Conn. Some of the employees who came here with that consolidation 46 years ago are still with the concern, It was Earnest A. Pflueger, his son, who emerged upon the scene as the financial genius of the family at this time. He talked to Dr. Goodrich, Col. A.L. Conger and George E. Crouse, moneyed men of that day, who with his father and himself constituted the first board of directors of the company.

 

Make 100,000,000 Fish Hooks

     Starting originally with three men, the Enterprise Manufacturing Co. now employs 350 people the year round and sells its products throughout the world. The old residence on Ash st. enlarged with a factory addition that runs through to Center st. handles correspondence from the four corners of the globe. There is also a storeroom that contains today the greatest surplus of fishing tackle in the United States. And every year the company turns out more than 100,000,000 fish hooks, to say nothing of the famous “Flew-ger” reels and artificial bats patterned after the father’s glass minnow and embracing a wide variety of artificial bugs, frogs, minnows, spoons and worms.

 

Established In 1864

     The American Fish Hook Co. parent organization of the Pflueger concern was established in 1864. From then until 1882 the trade catalog did not exceed 16 pages. Today this catalog has grown to more than 320 pages, profusely illustrated. A pocket catalog with a photo and story of every species of game fish in fresh and salt water has been adopted as a text book in the Chicago schools. The Pfluegers also received the medal of honor at the Sesqui-Centennial and their exhibit at this world fair has been moved intact to the main floor of the bureau of fishing, department of commerce, Washington, D.C. for permanent display. The company will have the greatest exhibits in its history at Chicago this year as a feature of the national sportsman’s show.

 

Zane Grey Booster

     The company developed rapidly as the various members of the family put their shoulders to the wheel to build up this business. At one time they made as high as 5,000 different articles but in recent years this number was cut down by almost 2,000. Up to 1913 it catered only to private brand jobbers but after that year it entered all markets and increased the volume of its business nearly tenfold. Today it enjoys the greatest prosperity in its history although Herbert Hoover declared a few months ago that there are only 10,000,000 fishermen in the United States according to the licenses taken out. President Grover Cleveland from the White House directed national attention to this remarkable Akron concern when in 1887 he complimented their products. It was Zane Grey, the noted author, however, who led all Pflueger boosters. [Zane Grey wrote some great Westerns – cowboy and Indian stuff.] The company named one of its largest hooks after him and he promptly retaliated by using the hook to break four world’s records. The first was a yellow tail fish weighing 111 pounds; the second a marlin swordfish weighing 276 pounds; the third a striped marlin swordfish weighing 450 pounds and the fourth a black marlin swordfish of 976 pounds. These were all caught in New Zealand waters.

 

The Pflueger Family

     The third generation of the Pflueger family is now growing into the control of this international industry. It is one of the oldest families in Akron. It has earned its rightful place in the hall of fame where future generations will look for those hardy pioneers who dreamed and fought to make their dreams come true. No sign marks the home of the company on Ash st. It has grown to world prominence without fuss or contention of any kind. Since its inception Earnest A. Pflueger was head of this concern and following the death of his father was made president. His genius as an executive in building up the company as won the admiration of his competitors in the Fishing Tackle Manufacturers association, that for seven years they have re-elected him president of this association. Every day of his life – except for the period of his annual vacation at his summer cottage near Mackinac Island – he sits in the old parlor of his father’s house – now his office – and directs this business that ships its product to every country. It seems to him but yesterday that the family gathered in that room and discussed the father’s vision of the industry. No executive anywhere applies himself to tenaciously to business and gets the kick out of it that Earnest A. Pflueger is handling sales.

 

Other Brothers Active

     But a good ship cannot be officered alone from the bridge, if it is to be brought into port without accident and so we find a younger brother Charles T. Pflueger vice president and production manager is responsible for quality and volume of work as well as factory efficiency, while the famous Joe E. Pflueger is the engineer – in the heart of the plant known as vice president and superintendent. The brothers are all excellent fishermen. They all work in perfect harmony. “Uncle Joe” is well known all over Ohio. He was recently appointed a member of the advisory board of the Ohio Fish and Game commission; he is a director of the local Izaak Walton league and Portage Fish and Game association. He also has a son named Ernie Pflueger who is growing into a conspicuous place in the concern and “Flew-ger” fishing tackle promises to be one of the chief world-wide industries of Akron for many years to come.

 

Copied by hand from a poor microfilm; any errors contained within are inevitable.