Wright and McGill Sunrise Rod

One thing I really enjoy is discussing vintage fiberglass rods with other glass enthusiasts.  I regularly chat with a small group of people about listings on eBay and Craigslist or just what they have been using.  Its always nice to see what other people are collecting.  So, one of the guys I chat with on a regular basis had been looking for a Cortland rod in a specific length and weight.  I happened to also be looking for a Cortland FR 2000 8 foot 6/7.  As luck would have it, two Cortland rods popped up on eBay in a lot.  One of them was a 7 and 1/2 foot Pro Crest that I already had but the other one I was the Cortland FR 2000 I had been searching for.  While watching the lot, I had an epiphany. Why don't we split the lot?  Sounded like a great idea to me.  However, my friend one-upped me by offering a trade.  I would buy the lot of Cortlands and he would trade me a Wright and McGill Sunrise rod from the 50s with an original tube, sans end cap.  This rod listed for a whooping $14.95 in the 50s and is rated for 5/6 line.  It sounded like a great trade to me so I went ahead and purchased the lot of Cortland rods.  Upon receiving them, I shipped his Cortland out to him and he sent me the Wright and McGill.  I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at the Sunrise once I got it.  At 7 and 1/2 feet this rod is the perfect length for most of the fishing that I do, be it cold or warm water.  The rod is tobacco in color and it has yellow and green wraps.  The tube itself is a little banged up but I am happy to have it since it is an original.  The rod shows minimal wear and the wraps are nice and tight.  My understanding is that it works well with a DT5 or a WF6.  I am really looking forward to fishing this for panfish and smallies in the future.  I am happy to add this guy to collection and I can't wait to put a bend in it.  Many thanks to my friend for coming up with the brilliant idea to trade rods.  Dig it!

Cortland PAC Rod

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone at this point that I love Cortland rods.  With that being said, when the chance to grab a Cortland PAC rod came up, I jumped at the it.  At this point, I am not sure it was a smart move.  These rods belong in the Cortland FR 2000 family and were made between 1974 and 1980 I believe.  There has been some discussion as to who made the blank and many people believe the blank was made by U.S. Fiberglass.  The tube is marked Cortland PRF-2000 7' PAC-Rod.  The rod has 5 pieces and when assembled it is 7'.  My understanding is that there were two versions made of this blank made, one was a 5 piece and the other is a 6 piece.  The rod itself is a translucent red with brown wraps.  On the second piece of the rod it says PRF-2000 1-650-1 7' for line 6 rod weight 3 oz.  Herein lies the problem.  This rod actually handles better with a 7 weight line than it does a 6 weight line.  For me personally, that seems a bit excessive in a 7' rod. I'm really not sure how I feel about it.  In fact I'm not even sure when I will fish with it.  Most of the waters I fish require between 3 and 6 weight line.  I could see it being used for a short streamer rod on some of the smaller streams but even that might be overkill.  I mean, we are talking about streams that are less than 5 feet deep and 20 feet or less across.  Right now I am using a 5 weight line to chuck streamers and in clear water I feel like it might as well be a 12 weight.   So, I am really on the fence about keeping this guy.  I will have to take it out and throw some flies around when I have an opportunity.  Maybe I'll change my mind.  On the one hand it is a Cortland, vintage, hardly used and fiberglass but on the other hand it is a 7 footer throwing a 7 weight line.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Thoughts?  What would you do?

I Love Glass This Much

Just a quick post today about my awesome mail day.  I'm sure it won't come as a shock to anyone that I love fiberglass rods.  I made the switch to glass about three years ago.  Love it.  For me its a perfect fit because I enjoy the vintage glass as much if not more than the newer glass rods.  I really do love hunting for these older rods and finding a bargain.  Anyways, I got another box of swag from Cameron over at TFM.  I'm happy to be rocking some of the new click and pawl stickers.  I do love a good click and pawl reel.  It's even better when it's paired with a vintage rod.

From One Extreme To Another... I will Buy Anything

Yep, that's right, from one extreme to another, I will buy anything.  Anything vintage fiberglass fly rod related that is.  Currently, I am working on acquiring a Shakespeare Howald Wonderod from each year of the 1950s.  I also have a problem saying no to vintage fiberglass fly rods regardless of their condition. Frankly, I want them all.  Anyway, not everyone treats their rods the same.  You can have rods that are beaters to rods that are still mint and pristine after half a century.  It really depends on the owner.  I tend to be hard on my equipment.  Of course, after spending all this money on vintage glass, I will be attempting to do a better job of caring for them.  Speaking of money, there is something for every price range out there.  Vintage glass is easily attainable and affordable to everyone.

A few months back I bought two rods that range from one end of the spectrum to the other. One appears to have been abused and the other appears to have been well cared for.  Both are from the early 1950's.  Does this mean one was "loved" and one wasn't?  Absolutely not.  Maybe it just means that someone didn't care as much about the way one looked as opposed to the other one that might have been handled with kid gloves.  There's not a way to determine whether someone really enjoyed a rod based solely on the condition of it.

First up....the beater.  This is a 1951 Model 1270 two piece 7'9" 6 weight rod.  It is a yellowish colored blank with green wraps.  The decal has long since been rubbed off, the wraps look horrible and the cork is well used.  It still goes together well and has a pop when pulled apart.  The fish this rod must have caught and the stories it could tell.  For $17.50 I couldn't pass it up.

Next we have a 1955 model 1250 two piece 8'6" rod.  It is a brown colored blank with green and yellow wraps and an all green real seat.  The decal has apparently been sliced through but overall it is in very fine condition.  It came with the original cardboard rod tube and plastic sleeve.  While fished, it was apparently very well cared for.  

Both of these rods can be fished and, to me, both are collectible.  The first one might not be a wall hanger by any stretch of the imagination but that doesn't make it any less desirable.  Both are fine examples of what I am willing to spend my money on... much to the dismay of Melissa.  They also give you an idea of what is out there in the vintage glass market.  Even if you can only afford the first one, that is OK.  I would still highly encourage you to do it.  Glass is not dead!

Shakespeare Bass Rod

During the 1950s, Shakespeare developed a Wonderod deluxe fly rod that was specifically for bass. This rod was the model 1280B.  It was a two piece, 7'9" rod that weighed in at a little over 5 ounces.  The line weight is a little unclear as some say 7 and others say 9. Clearly a lawn casting would be in order to nail down the correct line weight.  Interestingly enough, they also produced a trout model during the same time frame that weighed an ounce and a half lighter.

As always, while trolling that infamous auction site that might lead to my divorce, I stumbled across one of the bass models.  It did not have the tube or rod bag but it appeared as though it had minimal use.  The date code on the reel seat indicated a 1952 date of manufacture.  The wraps appeared tight and the decal was not only intact but correct for the year of manufacture.  Given the age of the rod and the condition, I hit the Buy It Now button.  Upon receiving the rod, I was even more impressed with it.  I still haven't had a chance to cast it but it is a real beauty.  It is a white rod with spiral markings, red and green wraps, green reel seat with silver hoods.  The cork hasn't been overly soiled or destroyed.  A fascinating little tidbit about this rod is that the reel seat is spring loaded at the end cap.  Pulling it away from the rod allows you to place the reel on the seat.  Took a while to figure that one out.  When I finally did, I felt like a tool. Overall this rod is a fine example of an early 50's Shakespeare Howald Wonderod fiberglass fly rod. I am certainly looking forward to putting a bend in it.

Heddon Pal Mark III

So I was finally able to track down a Heddon fly rod for the collection.  I have been looking for a Heddon for a while now.  I discovered a Heddon Pal Mark III model 8405 fast tip on eBay that still had the original rod tube and rod bag with it.  It was in fantastic shape with very little use.  As a collector, I have started trying to acquire rods for my collection that still have their original tubes and bags.  This, of course, adds to the overall value of the rod but (of course) it also increases the sale price.  For me, I am very happy with my purchase of this rod.  Sadly, the tube was damaged in shipment since it is made of cardboard.  Its an easy fix as it just tore a bit in one place.  The rod itself is rated for 6/7 weight line.  It might have the most interesting set of guides I have ever seen on a rod.  They remind me of a clothes pin spring.  As if the guides weren't interesting enough, it has the most spectacular reel seat I have ever seen.  It is gold in color, unique in shape and spring loaded.  I had always thought that the Shakespeares were the only rods that had spring loaded reel seats.  Apparently, I was wrong.  It also has sizematic O-ring ferrules.  The Heddon decal is intact on the rod and most of the wording appears to be in cursive.  That is not something you normally see on rods.  This rod originally retailed for around thirty dollars.  I am not sure of the date of manufacture of this rod but it does appear in a 1966 catalog.  This is rod is simply gorgeous.  Not bad for 60 dollars including shipping.  Now my dilemma is whether I fish it or not given the fantastic condition it is in.  I don't know what I'll decide, but I am totally happy with this purchase.