About Collecting & Recording
The ATO is about collecting, preserving and recording the history of fishing tackle.
It is a dedicated online resource for antique fishing tackle. It provides information, resources, and a possibility for collectors and enthusiasts of vintage and antique fishing tackle to buy or sell. The website includes articles, guides, historical information, images, and potentially a platform for buying or selling antique fishing tackle.
We are always interested in buying examples of fishing tackle for research. We also have contacts with collectors who will pay a fair price if an item is not for us. More details are below.
The Antique Tackle Observer started as a “Fanzine DTP (Desktop Publishing) concept in March 1994, intending to collect the vast amount of snippets of tackle-collecting information that I was acquiring during my research for my first book, Men of Trent.
When the magazine started, the internet was in its infancy. I had yet to learn about how the World Wide Web would expand. I was unaware that a short snappy title would be significant. A few years later, it did highlight some of the problems with the name, especially when trying to spell out the site name over the phone. I did attempt to change the title before eventually abandoning the idea.
It was one of the world’s first sites to have Java which attracted the internet “nerds & geeks” but no tackle collectors. Tackle collectors were usually involved in auctions, tackle meets, and local get-togethers.
The magazine ended at issue 45 as a hard copy with hundreds of articles. I want to publish most of the articles on this site that are still relevant today.
I also will advise on auctions, tackle meets etc., on a News/Events page.
Facebook and Instagram pages are associated with the site, usually with just one picture.
Details are below.
