Gnome's Traveling Rod Show Captions

Photo 1
(Page 174, Left to Right):

Anonymous American Ash Rod 15’ 4/5/?
Circa 1820

This unmarked very early rod could have been made as early as the late 1700s. The guides and the way the rod is built are clues to its extreme age: the single guide per section and the way that they are made with the strap being mortised flush into the blank. The straps are nailed into the blank with handmade square brads.

This rod could potentially have been made by Benjamin Welch.

William Phinn Rod 15’ 5/3
Edinburgh Scotland
Circa 1810-1831

This wooden rod is one of the oldest known examples of split cane technology as it exhibits tips that are 60% greenheart and 40% scarfed nodeless three-strip bamboo. With the exception of the missing guides, the rod is complete and is stamped in the butt section with the makers mark. The short tip is stored in the hollow butt section and is accessed by the removable butt cap. This is one of the oldest rods in America at that time.

George Eaton Rod 12’6” 4/1
6 Crooked Lane, London
Circa 1825-1836

This ash rod has one remaining tip that is made of several sections of 3 strip nodeless bamboo scarfed together with a 6” section of baleen as the top section of the tip dating it right to the start of the use of split bamboo. Whalebone tipped rods are very rare and the numbers that remain in an intact state are very low, with less than 50 across the world.

Maria Ustonson Rod 18’ 1/2/2
Temple Bar, London

Maria Ustonson was an appointed maker to Queen Victoria and was also last of the Ustonson rod-making dynasty going back to the mid 1700s. It was started by her father Onesimus Ustonson who was a master turner besides his rod making endeavors.

Rods by the Ustonson family are rarely seen in the U.S. and are a link back to the true “Smith age” of angling artifacts.

Photo 2
(Page 174, Left to Right):

William Copham Rod
Back of Cheep Side, Taunton, England
Circa 1830

This rod is made of whole Calcutta cane for the butt and mid sections and 3-strip scarfed nodeless bamboo for the tips. This is one of the earliest known examples of a rod that is made of whole and split bamboo from that timeframe and that makes it one of the first transition rods going from wood and partial bamboo to a rod made completely of bamboo.

Holyroyd Rod 9’9”/10’6”/12’
59 Gracechurch St., London

A very light and early example of the scarfed nodeless build style that led to the development of the modern split bamboo fly rod. The butt section and midsections are full Calcutta cane and the tips are greenheart and scarfed nodeless bamboo and the short emergency tip, which is stored in the hollow butt, is made of baleen.

This rod and the William Copham rod are two very fine examples of the earliest known all bamboo rods that exhibit cane technology and thus they are the stepping stones to the modern fly rod from the archaic wooden rods of the Smith age.

Photo 3
(Page 174, Left to Right):

English Walking Stick Rod 11’ 4/1
Circa 1830-1860

This early Victorian walking stick rod was made with an ash butt and midsections and a 3-strip scarfed nodeless bamboo tip topped with the remains of a 6” piece of baleen was possibly made by John Cheek of the Golden Perch in London in the 1830s.

His 1839 catalog has an almost perfect description of this rod and it reads as follows: “Three joint Ash butt spliced top 13 Shillings. Also a variety that have not the least appearance of a fishing rod.”

(See also page 169 for full photograph of this rod)

Photo 4
(Page 175, Left to Right):

Anonymous English Ash and Greenheart Rod 10’ 12’ 13’ 1/2/4
Circa 1820-1860

This rod shows the use of scarfed greenheart and 3-strip nodeless bamboo tip construction typical of the early Victorian era. The butt is hollow and the butt cap screws off to allow access to the short tip.

Armstrong Rod 15’ 4/2
174 Oxford Street, London
Circa 1820-1860

This ash, greenheart, and lancewood rod also shows the search taken during the 1800-1860 timeframe looking for a better way to build rods and is evidenced by the tips which are 40% greenheart and 20% lancewood with the remainder being 3-strip scarfed nodeless bamboo.

Anonymous English Ash, Lancewood and Bamboo 14’ 4/2
Circa 1830-1860

Another example of an early Victorian rod maker’s search for a strong flexible tip, demonstrated by the tips which are composed of 33% greenheart, 33% lancewood and 33% 3-strip nodeless scarfed bamboo.

J. Chorlton Rod 13’ 4/1
England
Circa 1830-1850

This very early ash rod has tips that are 50% scarfed greenheart and 50% nodeless 3-strip bamboo, making it one of the rare transition rods.

Chevalier Bowness & Son Rod 16’ 4/1
11 & 12 Bell Yard, Temple Bar, London
Circa 1866-1884

This rod is a classic example of the transition rods featuring tips scarfed with nodeless bamboo and greenheart—a late version of this style of build.

Charles Farlow Rod 11’ 4/1
191 The Strand, London
Circa 1862-1884

A greenheart rod—the “1862 Prize Medal Rod”.

G. Little and Co. Rod
15 Fetter Lane, London
Circa 1839-1874

An ash and lancewood rod.

John Bernard Rod 8’4” 4/1
4 Church Place, Piccadilly, London
Circa 1875-1885

An ash rod with a lancewood tip.

Unmarked English Rod 12’ 3/1
Circa 1850s-70s

This is a light trout rod from England that has an ash butt and midsection and the tip was 40% lancewood followed by 3-strip scarfed nodeless bamboo sections for the remaining 60% of its length. The composite tipped rods of this style show the search for a stronger more flexible tip by the rod makers of that era.

Photo 5
(Page 175, Left to Right):

John Conroy “Porters General Rod” 15’ 14’ 1nd 11’
Circa 1843-1860

Ash and lancewood combination rods—The two rods below are examples of the rod popularized by William Trotter Porter who was the first Editor of “The Spirit of the Times” which was one of the first American periodicals devoted to the sports of hunting and fishing, etc.

Conroy PGR rods are fairly rare with less than 20 known to exist at this time. The first rod of the two is missing at least one upper midsection and all of its lancewood tips but is still a complete rod and it is the oldest dated American rod found to date. The signature plate reads: “T.J. Weeks 1846.” This dates that rod at least one year earlier than the Welch rods given to Daniel Webster in 1847.

The butt sections are hollow and carry the shorter tips and the rods can be configured in several different lengths and actions. The rod was designed to be a trout and salmon rod and was to be used with flies, lures and bait.

Anonymous American Ash and Greenheart Rod 15’ and 10’ 1/2/3
Circa 1850s

Anonymous Greenheart Salmon Rod 15’ 1/3/4
Circa 1850s

This anonymous rod from the 1850s is put up in the style that was common to that time, with one butt section and three midsections and four tips. It had standing two-ring guides and three-ring tip tops. Note that all of the hardware is seamed, denoting a very early date of manufacture.

Unmarked Evan H. Gerrish Rod 15’ 1/1/2/4
Bangor, Maine
Circa 1870s-1880s

This is a very rare unmarked rod by the famous canoe maker from Bangor. The components on this rod are made of high-grade nickel silver and were made by Philbrook & Payne, who were Evan’s next-door neighbors in a row of businesses along with Hiram L. Leonard.

He was also the likely maker of the H.A. Merritt rod here in the display. Merrill was a quarryman at a slate quarry that is still in the same family’s hands today. He was probably not a rod maker, but he was the “deep pockets” behind Evan H. Gerrish’s business ventures and was the seller of some rods marked with his name. This rod with its scarfed bamboo tip makes it one of the only two American rods in the display exhibiting this style of build.

Anonymous American Wood/Bamboo Composite Rod 11’6” 3/4
Circa 1860s-1870s

Here is an unmarked early American ash and lancewood rod with a single lancewood and scarfed nodeless3-stip bamboo. This is one of the transition rods from wood to bamboo that was made in the United States just after the Civil War in the late “Smith Age” of rod making, which ended in the early to mid 1870s. Rods built in this still are extremely rare and not often found in this complete condition, along with a slightly later period tip tube of Calcutta bamboo that has protected the fragile tips very well.

Photo 6
(Page 175, Left to Right):

C. F. Murphy Rod 11’ 3/1
Newark, NJ
Circa 1866-1874

A four and six-strip Calcutta bamboo rod. This Civil War era rod is one of the very small number of known rods by C. F. Murphy. This rod has a six-strip butt and midsection with a four-strip tip. Murphy was the first man to sell six-strip rods to the trade as a trade rod. He did this in the 1860s after the six-strip style was developed by Samuel Phillippe of Easton, PA in the late 1840s and early 1850s.

Charles Murphy Calcutta Rod 11’ 3/2
Circa 1866-1874

This rod is later than the first Murphy rod and has the cup-shaped depressions as written about by A. J. Campbell, Jeff Hatton and Mary Kefover-Kelly in their books on the history of rod makers.

Hiram L. Leonard Calcutta Cane Rod 10’ 3/2
Bangor, Maine
Circa 1871-1872

The marking on the butt cap that reads “H. L. Leonard-Maker” confirms this rod as one of Hiram’s earliest rods and also as made by Hiram. Rods by Hiram are exceedingly rare. The rod shaft is full six-strip construction and it has been rounded to simulate the earlier wood rods.

This was prior to the discovery that the hex shape is stronger than the round shape and is one of the three things he is most famous for. The others are his development of a powered beveler and his patented waterproof and serrated ferrules. These developments and discoveries have led to Hiram Leonard being called the father of the modern American fly rod.

Abbey & Imbrie “Best” Rod 11’6” 3/2
Circa 1875-1876

This is the only known Leonard copy of a Charles Murphy rod at this point in time. The female ferrule has the 1875 Leonard patent for serrating ferrules. And other than taper and welt placement of the butt cap, it is an exact copy of Murphy’s work.

Hiram L. Leonard Calcutta Cane Rod 11’ 3/2
Circa 1877-1878

“H. L. Leonard-Maker Bangor, Me”—this marking was only used for the two years of production between the Abbey & Imbrie association and the William Mills & Sons sole agents’ period which started in 1879 and ran through 1886.

H. L. Leonard William Mills & Sons Sole Agents Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 10’ 3/1
Bangor, Maine
Circa 1879-1886

H. L. Leonard/Wm. Mills & Son Sole Agents Rod 9’6” 3/2
Circa 1878-1886

This is one of the rarely seen mortised rods by the Leonard rod company. Only a few are known to exist at this time.

H. L. Leonard/Wm. Mills & Son Sole Agents Henshall Black Bass Calcutta Cane Rod 9’ 3/2
Circa 1879-1886

Mills & Son “Standard” Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 9’6”
Circa 1881-1890

Here is an example of the rod that drove Fred Thomas, Eustis Edwards and Loman Hawes away from Leonard and Mills Co. and it was even the demise of the working relationship of Hiram L. Leonard and the Mills family.

Kosmic A. G. Spaulding & Brothers Rod 9’6” 3/1
Circa 1891-1894

This rod has been poorly restored with the wrong guides and there are a few ghosts of wraps not properly replaced, but it is still a beautiful example of a rod by Ed Payne, Fred Thomas and Eustis Edwards. A proper restoration is in order for this rod.

Kosmic Calcutta Cane Salmon Rod 15’ 3/2
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1891-1892

A classic example of some of the earliest work of Ed Payne, Fred Thomas and Eustis Edwards right after they had left the Leonard rod company in the late 1880s due to a push for an increase in production at the cost of quality, which they would have no part of.

Photo 7
(Page 174, Left to Right):

Thomas H. Chubb Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 10’ 3/2
Thetford Village, Vermont
Circa 1880-1891

C.F. Orvis Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 9’6”
Manchester, Vermont
Circa 1882-1899

This rod is serial number 259 and thus is a very early example of the fly rods by the Orvis Company.

Conroy, Bissett & Malleson Calcutta Cane Rod 12’ 3/2
Circa 1875-1881

This is a very early example of a typical mortised butt section that is the addition of the six pieces of hardwood to swell the butt section and help form the grip and reel seat area. The conglomeration of Thomas J. Conroy (who was the grandson of John Conroy), Thomas M. Bissett and Fred Malleson only lasted for a six year stretch and they were known for building rods that were heavier than the contemporary rods by Leonard. And usually at a cost that was equal or higher than a Leonard.

At this point, they were still using seamed and non-welted female ferrules that were hallmarks of a past age and even antiquated at that time.

Conroy & Bissett Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 12’ 3/1
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1882-1883

Fred Malleson Calcutta Cane Rod 11’6” 3/1
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1882-1900

Thomas J. Conroy Calcutta Cane Rod 10’ 3/2
Circa 1884-1890

This is a very early example of typical mortised butt section that is the addition of the six pieces of hardwood to swell the butt section and help form the grip and reel seat area. With the grip being cord wrapped and also displaying the Gilbert Bailey patented reel seat.

Thomas J. Conroy was the last of his family to make rods and this is an example from very shortly after he had become a sole proprietorship.

T.H. Chubb, Maker Lancewood Fly Rod with Removable Grip 10’ 2/2
Circa 1880-1891

Anonymous Chubb Component Greenheart Spliced Fly Rod 8’8” 2/2
Circa 1880-1891

Chubb Component Calcutta Cane, Hollow-Built Fly Rod 12’ 3/2
Circa 1880-1891

T. H. Chubb Ash and Lancewood Henshall Black Bass Rod 11’ and 9’ 3/2
Thetford, Vermont

Upstate New York 8-Strip Rod
Circa 1882

This unmarked 8-strip rod could have been made by Pritchard or Divine and is a fairly rare example as it has provenance back to its original owner marked on the form fit and the cloth bag. The rod was purchased in 1882.

Photo 8
(Page 174, Left to Right):

John Krider Center Enamel Calcutta Cane Rod 10’ 3/2
Circa 1875-1878

John Krider Rod 9’ 3/1
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Circa 1878-1882

This 8-strip center enamel rod is one of only a few known to exist. This one is a bit later than the first Krider in the display as evidenced by the cork grip as opposed to a rattan grip.

Fred Divine Rod Company Combination Trout and Bass Lancewood Rod 1/2/4
Circa 1885

This rod was made in 1885 prior to his patent award for this raised rail reel seat in December of 1885. Rods by Fred are very rare and his wooden rods are true treasures. This rod was donated to the collection by Michael Sinclair, author, historian, and good friend.

A. G. Spaulding & Brothers The Divine Rod 8’6” 3/1
Circa 1885-1890

A very rare short greenheart rod fro the late 1800s that exhibits the markings used by Fed Divine himself and along with the sellers mark and its short length make this a very rare example of the work from Fred Divine.

William Mitchell & Son Snakewood and Lancewood Fly Rod 10’ 1/2/3
Circa 1883-1889

This rod features the first American patent for a removable grip that was awarded to Mitchell in 1883.

C. E. Wheeler Calcutta Cane Trolling Fly Rod 9’6” 3/2
Farmington, Maine
Circa 1880-1900

This is the style of rod used for Maine landlocked salmon and brook trout with the very large streamer flies like the Gray and Green Ghost.

Edward Vom Hofe Greenheart Fly Rod 9’10” 1/2/3
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1870-1890

John B. Daniels Calcutta Cane Rod 8’6” 3/2
Auburn, Maine
Circa 1890-1910

John G. Landman Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 9’6” 3/2
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1880-1897

This 8-strip rod was made for Abbey & Imbrie of New York City and is a fairly rare example of this 8-strip style.

John G. Landman Calcutta Cane Saltwater Rod 7’ 1/1/2
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1891-1897

This rod was made for Von Langerke & Antoine Tackle of Chicago, Illinois, and is a very rare example of the first American patented screw lock reel seat. The rod is also double built.

Varney Brothers & Co. Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 8’9” 3/2
Central Valley, New York
Circa 1892-1899

Rods by George I. Varney are rare but even more rare are the rods made during his partnership with his brother.

George I. Varney Maker Tonkin Cane Fly Rod 9’6” 3/2
Montague City, Massachusetts
Circa 1900-1920

Photo 9
(Page 175, Left to Right):

Dingee Scribner & Son Markers Greenheart Salmon Rod 18’ 3/2/3
St. John, New Brunswick, Canada
Circa 1870s-1880s

This is a classic example of the scarfed joint method of joining a rod together without the use of metal ferrules. Each piece is marked on the splice joint with the maker’s mark.

Dingee Scribner & Son are one of the oldest known Canadian Maritime makers of fishing rods and have a place alongside Murphy and Leonard and any of the other early 1870s fishing rod makers.

H. L. Leonard-Made Calcutta Cane Salmon Rod 18’ 3/2
Circa 1875-1878

This salmon rod was made for a minor royal house in Europe or England. It has a set of armorial markings that identify it as having belonged to a baronet. This is one of the largest rods in the Gnome’s Traveling Rod Show at this time and it is the largest complete split cane rod in the display.

Hardy Brothers Calcutta Cane Rod Serial #206 10’ 3/1
Alnwick, England
Circa 1871-1876

This is the oldest Hardy split bamboo rod found to date. It is gun engraved and is the type of rod that was used for the Hardy “Rod in Hand” logo used in the later 1800s. It has bridged ring guides and is steel centered, with a Calcutta cane grip. This is one of the cornerstone pieces in the display due to its early date of manufacture.

(Verified at the Fly Tackle Dealer Show, Denver, Colorado in 2010 by John Shaner and Chris Bond of Hardy, U.S.A.)

Unmarked Victorian Greenheart Rod 10’ 4/1
Circa 1860-1890

One of the finest examples of early American angling art I have found to date. Donated by Willis Reid to the Gnome’s Traveling Rod Show.

Henry Loftie Fish Rod Company Rod 10’ and 9’6” ¾
Syracuse, New York
Circa Late 1880s

Here is a rod from the man who patented the first fiber board rod tube. The rod is Calcutta cane and has two longer and two shorter tips and was built this way. Please note the original rod tube.

Pritchard Brothers Greenheart Combination Fly and Casting Rod 9’ 3/2
Brooklyn, New York
Circa 1888-1900

Kenyon, Silkien Rod 10’ 2/2 Plus Ind. Grip
Circa 1897-1898

This rod is a classic example of the Kenyon Silkien process patent. This rod was also drawn by Michael Sinclair for his “Bamboo Rod Restoration Manual” and thus is a rod with a significant and verifiable provenance.

Anonymous English 4-Strip Truss Built Greenheart Fly Rod 2/1
Circa 1884-1905

This is the only known example of this build style known to exist at this time. The butt section is made over 70 individual pieces of wood and cork to make a very long and light rod. The tip is made of dark greenheart and the rod is a very light 2/3 weight in modern ratings.

Photo 10
(Page 175, Left to Right):

John B. McHarg Ash, Greenheart and Lancewood Fly Rod 10’6” 3/1
Utica, New York
Circa 1873-1894

John B. McHarg Rod 10’ 1/2/2
Rome, New York
Circa 1873-1880

This is a very rare example of a mortised butt solid wooden rod by McHarg of Rome, New York. The grip and reel seat are on a cedar and ash insert that has the ash blank inserted into it. This is the only example of this type of build that I have seen.

McHarg patented his reel seat design on March 18, 1873 and it is a design that was copied by some of the better known makers of high quality rods and reels. Three of these men were Francis Philbrook and Ed Payne and even B. F. Nichols of Boston copied his design. The McHarg Company went out of business in 1894.

Ellery Arms Trade Tonkin Cane Fly Rod by Montague 5’6” 5/1 plus grip and 6’6” 7/1 plus grip
Circa 1900-1925

This rod is an example of a very short small rod for that timeframe and they were not a commonly used size of rod at that time.

George Burtis Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 9’6” 3/2
Worcester, Massachusetts
Circa 1895-1915

Solon C. Phillippe Calcutta Trolling Rod 7’
Easton, Pennsylvania

Here we have an unmarked trade rod from Solon C. Phillippe, the son of Samuel Phillippe who was the first to build in the 6-strip style in the 1840s-1850s. This rod was found in Allentown, Pennsylvania, about 8 years ago and the fact that it came from that close to Easton and the use of the round headed brass brads as pins is a newly known identifying mark of a Solon C. Phillippe rod. He also used Chubb components and lived until 1929.

B. F. Nichols Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 10’ 1/2/4
Boston, Massachusetts
Circa 1888-1898

Bartlett Brothers Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 10’ 3/2
Pelham, Massachusetts
Circa 1875-1890

Boivin Lancewood Fly Rod 9’ 1/2/4
Quebec, Canada
Circa 1880-1920

George Morgan Calcutta Cane Fly Rod 9’ Serial #16
Syracuse, New York
Circa 1895-1899

T. H. Chubb 8-Strip Tonkin Cane Fly Rod 8’6” 3/2
Post Mills, Vermont
Circa 1891-1927

Chubb/Montague “Silkien” Tonkin Cane Rod 9’ 3/2
Post Mills, Vermont
Circa 1907-1927

Abbey & Imbrie “Best” Bethabara Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
Circa 1888-1910

This rod was owned by T. J. Carnegie, Jr. and is one of the only couple of inscribed rods in the display.

Horrocks & Ibbotson “Diamond UTK” 4-Strip Wood Fly Rod 9’ 3/1
Utica, New York
Circa 1904-18

This is a very rare example of an early strip-built wooden rod using light and dark greenheart turned round. A trade rod by Horrocks & Ibbotson and easy to date by the Diamond U*T*K” reel seat stamping.

Izaak Walton Low-Grade Kosmic Calcutta Cane Rod 9’ 3/2
Circa 1895-1915

This rod is an example of a very rare low-grade Kosmic made most likely by Fred Thomas or Ed Payne.

Photo 11
(Page 176, Left to Right):

T. H. Chubb Unmarked Calcutta Cane Trolling Rod 9’6” 3/2
Circa 1891

This rod features the Chubb celluloid grip and the very rare Chubb replaceable agate funnel tip top. It is in two parts and the agate ring and holder screws into a socket on the tip of the rod. This was on page 40 of Chubb’s catalog published in 1891 before his final fire.

C. F. Orvis Calcutta Cane Casting Rod 9’ 3/1
Manchester, Vermont
Circa 1880-1910

The Walton Calcutta Cane Bait Caster Rod 8’9” 3/2

This casting rod is an example of the low-grade rods produced by the Kosmic firm and sold by A. G. Spaulding & Brothers.

Bartlett Brothers Calcutta Cane Casting Rod 6’6”/9’6” 3/3
Pelham, Massachusetts
Circa 1880-1890

William Read & Son Chubb/Montague Trade Rod 9’6” 3/2
Boston, Massachusetts
Circa 1891-1927

William R. Wheeler Greenheart Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
Hartford, Connecticut
Circa 1900-1905

High Grade Montague Trade Rod 8’6” 3/2
Montague City, Massachusetts
Circa 1900-1920

F. E. Thomas Tonkin Cane Dirigo Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
Bangor, Maine
Circa 1910-1929

“Touradif” Tonkin Cane Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
Circa 1910-1935

This is a pair of matched rods for a husband and wife bought from Abercrombie & Fitch. These two rods are likely the work of either Payne or Thomas.

High Grade Montague Trade Fly Rod 10’ 6/2
Montague City, Massachusetts
Circa 1900-1920

Henry Andrus Greenheart and Split Cane Rod 7’6” 5/2
Hartford, CT
Circa 1910-1930

This rod recreates a style that was being used 100 years earlier at that point in time.

Divine Rod Company Tonkin Cane Rod 9’ 3/2
Utica, New York

The “Pathfinder” is a classic example of the middle-grade rods sold in the last era of production by the Divine Company and sold for $20 to $30.

Photo 12
(Page 176, Left to Right):

Horrocks & Ibbotson “Maritime” Salmon Rod 9’6” 3/2
Circa 1940s

Montague “Redwing” Tonkin Cane Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
Montague City, Massachusetts
Circa 1940s

Horrocks & Ibbotson “Cascade” Impregnated Tonkin Cane Fly Rod 8’6”
Circa 1940s-1950s

Johnson Rod Company “Denverod Pikes Peak” Rod 8’6” 3/1
Denver, Colorado
Circa 1951-1954

South Bend Bait & Tackle Company #24 Tonkin Cane Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
South Bend, Indiana
Circa late 1940s or early 1950s

James Heddon & Sons #2020 Steel Fly Rod 9’ 3/2
Circa late 1940s or early 1950s

Horrocks & Ibbotson Mohawk “Gunnison” Fiberglass Rod 8’5” 3/2
Circa 1950s

Photo 13
(Page 177, Left to Right):

Frank Wire 5-Strip Rod 8’ 2/2
Circa 1940s

This rod was made by Frank Wire who was one of the West Coast makers of the early to mid-1900s. He was also one of the movers and shakers in the Forest Service who lead the way from consumptive practices to preservation practices in the last century.

The 5-strip style of construction was popularized by such makers as Nat Uslan, Frank Wire, and Lou Feirebend, the inventor of the Super Z ferrule.

South Bend # 377 Rod 8’6” 3/2
Circa 1930s/1940s

Weber Lifelike Fly Company Henshall “Masterkraft” Edwards Trade Rod 9’ 3/1
Circa 1930s

Heddon #20 Bill Stanley’s Favorite Rod 8’6” 3/2
Dowagiac, Michigan
Circa 1930s-1940s

Ed Sisty “Zinger” Rod 6’ 2/1 3/4”
Denver, Colorado
Circa 1970s

Here is a very rare example of Ed Sisty’s flat-bodied rod. Very few were made due to ferruling problems and rod failures.