The estate of Helen Shaw appears to be one of the highlights of the next Lang’s Auction, November 7th & 8th. Lang’s uses both the traditional auction venue and eBay (for remote bids) and the items for sale are varied and mind boggling.

Flies by Helen Shaw, Walt Dette and his wife Winnie, bamboo rods, books, tying materials, and a veritable time capsule of paraphernalia.

Both Helen Shaw and Walt Dette were fly tyer’s of the highest caliber. Meticulous flies that were largely created pre-synthetic materials, pre-genetic hackle, and without the use of a vice (in many cases.)

This is the realm of Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk, local chickens, and manually waxed thread woven into a precise delicacy rivaling anything we produce today.

Ebay has 2500 items listed as part of this auction, and if you collect old cane rods – all the masters are represented; Walton Powell, Payne, Leonard, Orvis, Winston, Gary Howell’s, Nash, Thomas & Thomas, F.E. Thomas, etc.

… and the reels to go with them are also present in force; Meek, Milum, Hardy, Gehrke, Meisselbach, Ross, Galvan, and everyone else.

There’s quite a lot of sporting gear including a Ward Brother’s Redhead decoy, canoes, and correspondence from almost every noteworthy angler to and from Ms. Shaw. Fish decoys, duck calls, something for every sporting taste.

I would eyeball the flies while you’re able, fly tyers of this quality are squirreled away to preserve the organic materials and dye colors. There appears to be about 50 lots of Walt Dette’s work, and nearly 100 lots of Helen Shaw flies – including one collection of 338 flies, starting bid $4000.

You must sign up for the auction in advance, simply click on any of the items and read the process. Grab a mug of coffee and wander through this unique display.