William Delany
Cobourg, Ontario

      Based on information from Jim Willis' book, "HEX - A History and Collector's Guide," and information provided by some other collectors, William Delany was born in 1834, and it is assumed that he was a jeweler (this seems to be a prevalent theme...it seems quite a few early jewelers tried their hand at tackle production).  He lived in a small town called Cobourg with his wife Lavinia.  Delany was manufacturing metal spoons and spinners in the 1890's.  Delany had the help of William Croft and Sons, and Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Akron, Ohio to help him advertise his product in their sales catalogues of the era.  As far as anyone knows, Delany produced a range of plain, hammered and ribbed spoon baits with spinners that ranged in size from #1/2 to 8.  His lures were available in silver, brass and copper finishes, and the treble hooks were often dressed with wool and bucktail hair.  This is a simplified version of the history, but there is exciting information coming to light from fellow collectors Ken Kerr and Paul Brisco on the topic.

Photo Courtesy of Jason Halliday	William Delany Spoon Collection Part 1 A great selection of William Delany spinners and spoons showing the range of style and stamping.
Photo Courtesy of Jason Halliday	William Delany Spoon Collection Part 2 Another great old lot of Delany spinners from the Jason Halliday collection...I only have one, and it's not even in very good condition.