Given to outdoor writer Sheridan Jones by the South Bend Bait Co. The large 9" x 3 3/4" invitation is extraordinary, printed by South Bend for their "Sixth Annual Sales Convention of the Oreno-Gang May 17 to 19, 1926". With a colorful cardstock cover and 8 pages (most text being tongue in cheek) including a "Menu" consisting of entries such as: Baked Surf-Orenos - Spinner Sauce, Anti-Back-Lash Noodles, Fly-Rod Tea, Strike-Oreno Pie, etc., as well as pages listing the attendees "The Oreno Tribe and Invited Guests", many being the top men of American industry and fishing, including Sheridan Jones (Knute Rockne, G.M. & J.M. Studebaker, J.G. Taylor Spink, Iver Hennings, Eltinge F. Warner, etc). The Eat-Oreno (actually a Baby Bass-Oreno), was produced for this banquet only, as a "party favor" to accompany the invitation. Both the lure and the invitation are in at least Ex- condition, pictured on page 3 of "The Life and Legend of Sheridan R. Jones". A truly rare and important offering, not only due to the very small number made, but also for the historic significance. We are unaware of another, possibly the only surviving example.

From the Sheridan Jones Collection.

Referred to as "America's pioneering outdoor writer", Sheridan Jones (1881-1958) was certainly one of the most respected and prolific angling writers of his era. Many of the lures offered in this auction, where noted, were personally owned by Jones. Several were given to the esteemed author and outdoor writer for his professional opinion, others as gifts by lure makers vying for his favor. Stated best by author Joseph Hilko in his 2010 book The Life and Legend of Sheridan R. Jones: "Jones' legacy as an educator, naturalist, professional writer and world-class angler is worthy of remembrance today".