January 2014
The Wedge
Philip F. Maquire
Providence, RI
1946
Right after World War II, there was a huge boom in people starting small lure companies in order to “cash in” on the prosperous times following over a decade of hard times in the USA.
Philip Maguire was one of these inventors. His wooden lure design was one of the first new lures to come out after the war. His lure-making business was very small. In fact, this was the only lure that he manufactured.
The name of this lure could not be any more appropriate. The Wedge was just that…a wedge. It featured a unique line tie that was hinged and fit into a slot cut into the middle front of the lure. The lure would float, then would start to dive when retrieved due to the wedge shape and this pivoting lie tie. The lure was small in size, 2 ¼ inches long and weighed only about ½ an ounce. It is a simple, yet very effective design.
Evidently, this lure did not sell well as a few that I have came across appear to not have been fished. This tells me that Philip had several that were never sold and just sat in his home collecting dust. Now that there is a small demand for these baits from collectors, the lure has been appearing on online auctions and other places…although it is still quite scarce.
I found this lure new in the box and it has never been used. The “tag” is still on the rear hook indicating that it has never touched water.
