Prototype Lures/Baits/Artificials

Prototypes here were never for sale, rather testing and evaluation, and here 50 or more were shared by good friend Uffe Edefuhr, a one time serious ABU Collector.

Many more have been shared from workers and friends he knew at ABU factory in times past.

I particularly thank Ove Agdahl in sourcing some of these recent acquisitions.

My most recent gifts from Uffe are these having no names but one can see the ABU heritage.

Thanks mate for the gifting and willingness to permit me to share with ABU fans worldwide.

As I have no intention of selling , value is of little consideration, though I have paid up to A $300 for my most expensive unique named but not sold ABU Hilo White and Pink bait.

Pictured below, are an unfinished LYS, but the main priority here is the ex[erimental colour Wp  and other un-named colour Hilo.

If starting off collecting these prototype items, one should be pretty sure of not parting with large sums of money before providence is established. ie a link to workers who experimented with new designs at ABU. Bert Nilsson from Asarum is a great example of such a worker at Svangsta known to Uffe. Incidentally he worked with Ove S in coming up with the Toby variations/designs. These baitcould have been made in house ie at Svangsta , but many were made by enthusiastic workers who were rewarded with a bonus if their designs were eventually chosen to be produced. It shoud be pointed out most were destined to be passed over like these posted here. Other were comissioned by Gote Borgstom for personal use based on his design, idea or concept like the deep running thick metal 7g Island size bait which was infact weighing 12g. seen at top left below. Most were tested for effectiveness in the Morrum river during lunch time or after work hours.

Interestingly, reels were experimented  with different colours too, many did not escape the crushing yard. I have one beautiful lime green ABU Cardinal 55 destined for crushing but "someone" could not bear to destroy it. See  here....

As many of these lures were test models from 40/60 years ago, I suggest you establish a link to where they originated and who was responsible.

The latest batch of these unique attempts to design a marketable lure for ABU is below.

Uffe came out on 3rd September 2017 to visit me, for his 16 days of fishing and I think he must have cleaned out the last of his tresures that he can attribute directly to ex -employees at ABU's Svangsta plant. So many, roughly 40,  in fact that I don't have the time to photograph them all like I have done previously for the earlier 26 prototypes. One will note all component parts were readily available parts from the era.

Some of my prototype baits can be enjoyed below!

Tiny Egon all stainless steel.



Droppen body/blade and Burke sheath, nothing is wasted !



Simply a bent Shiner!
 

Prototype ABU spinner bait based on Morrum lead head.

Prototype Kaleva with Droppen body

Prototype Shiner weedless style.

ABU factory Modified Salar design, named Galax, tested but never released.

Strange ABU prototype

Mortblank ABU factory experimental colours



ABU Uto experimental factory paint colour



ABU Uto metal blend experimental tri-colour finish. Never catalogued.



Experimental factory colours, two similar but different, never made production line.



Possibly same test batch but without imperfection



Some attempts are very simple but all can show some ABU heritage.be it pressed metal and familiar scales.

 

or specific lure part as sub-units and even new material cominations like plastic and metal.



Perhaps the combination of a Toby spoon and spinner components will be a winner!
A lead head harking back to the deep running Screw type from long ago.

 

What about a cut away Elipps with modern foil ?

 

Look at all the different ABU components re-compiled here!



How about knocking a Koster out of  shape , and lending itself to be Hazard like in function?

 

Here we go back almost to Ideal X ideas or perhaps to a little Hifi like?



Will this Mortblank base with cutting and re-surfacing do the trick?

 

Lots of variation on on very familiar items combined with some new castings!



Did this catch a cod off the coast, must have been tested in the sea!

 

Variations on this familiar little chap, utilising Morrum and spinner blade and a soft plastic.



Could onr her have been forerunner to the Vicker in early 80's?

 

You will see here , as a reminder , my most valued prototype , due to ownership, the original special weighted Island lures made for Gote Borgestrom,  in 12g size (double thickness metal) rather than usual 7g size for deeper fishing and longer casting on fast flowing streams and rivers.

Soon, as I learn how to photograph a very difficult subject, the double thickness 4g Toby in Silver, I will share it here. Due to the thickness and extreme curvature of the spoon, it just barely received the identification impressions.

The weird looking giant Ladybeetle was another that never made it to large scale  production and sale.

 I also have some ABU Toby lures with the identification impression on the wrong side of the spoon. This happened with other ABU spoons too.

Uffe tells me....

The original handmade lead model for the Krill is here with the first Stainless steel example produced in the factory prior to being stamped and named in production models.

Mike has kindly photographed (below)  the very rare 12g weight but 7g size Island from Gote's personal tackle-box mentioned above but seen poorly though the plastic bag with Uffe's annotation.

Click to see good detail.

I have 2 colours S and Z mint and Mike recently became the beneficiary of a spare Uffe had.

 

In the search for all the ABU plugs, I am still looking for a Kynoch, small size Black Rakan,  and a jointed Killer  if it exists , of any colour or size, for my lure display.

Old Record spinners/spoons such as Ideal X, Pike, Pendeldraget,  Kelly, Doublespinnaren are still very scarce and more need  to be found for my collection also.

I am interested in tracking down some un-painted plug like a Kynoch  also.

If you have any other lures, that are un-needed or doubles in your collection and are available for swapping or a reasonable fee, I would be very pleased to hear from you.