RARE CENTER HOLE CREEL, FRONT POCKET, INTERIOR FLASK HOLDER AND HARNESS

This exceptional fishing creel was entirely handcrafted by retired Oregon master leather artisan Dan Brock. During a career spanning more than 40 years, Brock custom-made fine leather rod and reel cases, creels, and other accessories for the discerning angler.

The finely woven willow body is extensively trimmed in premium Red Russet saddle leather and hand-stitched with heavy waxed Irish linen thread. Its broad front pocket is richly decorated with deeply engraved pine boughs and cones, while the flap features a detailed woodland scene depicting a leaping trout and an angler fishing beneath towering evergreens. Two genuine eagle-reverse quarter dollars serve as distinctive decorative conchos, giving the creel an especially unusual and unmistakably American character.

Of particular historical interest is the traditional center-hole lid. By approximately 1910, center-hole fishing baskets were being phased out in favor of offset openings, which required less weaving material and provided a more efficient method of manufacture. Brock’s use of an early center-hole willow basket, which he expertly fitted with his handcrafted leatherwork, preserves the character and appearance of a classic turn-of-the-century fishing creel.

A fitted leather case mounted inside the creel houses a circular, polished-metal flask with a metal screw cap. Coordinating hand-tooled borders and decorative motifs ornament the lid, center straps, and adjustable shoulder strap, creating a remarkably unified presentation. Additional features include reinforced raised leather corners, a substantial carrying handle, and an integrated measuring rule along the lower edge.

Whenever possible, Brock fabricated the metal fittings himself; otherwise, he carefully sourced appropriate period hardware from antique pieces. His painstaking craftsmanship is evident throughout—from the elaborate engraving and basket-weave tooling to the precise stitching and beautifully fitted leatherwork surrounding the woven body.

This center-hole creel is especially rare and historically significant. It is prominently stamped “#13” and bears two impressed Dan Brock maker’s marks on the reverse, identifying it as Creel No. 13. Brock handcrafted fewer than 50 creels during his career, making the opportunity to acquire any example exceedingly uncommon.

The creel measures approximately 13 inches wide by 9½ inches front to back and 9 inches high at the back.