Fish and Game Patches and Pinbacks

Fish-and-game patches and pins range from tournament adornments to gear advertisements featuring the embroidered of pinback logos of reel, lure, and munitions makers, which are often worn by anglers and hunters as a show of allegiance to brands that have filled their creels with fish and their freezers with venison. There are also the actual patches worn by fish-and-game enforcement officers, some of which are shaped like shields while others resemble the wearer’s home state. Gear patches include all the major fishing (Abu, Arbogast, Bagley, Daiwa, Garcia, Heddon, Orvis, Rapala, Shakespeare, Zebco) and hunting brands, as well as lesser-known ones (Lindquist, Little George, Smithwick). As with fishing gear patches, tournament patches cover angling on both fresh and saltwater. Examples of vintage fishing patches include awards won during National Association of Accuracy Casting Competitions (NAACC), the Atlantic City Surf Fishing Tournament, and various Skish events. Vintage club patches are also popular with contemporary anglers, whether they belonged to the Women’s Surf Fishing Club of New Jersey or the Westville Sportsman’s Club, or not. Hunters sport patches for Ducks Unlimited and the NRA.