An addition to the Sharpes staggered ferrule family.

Dave Westburg

Fish the classics
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Purchased a Sharpes Wilson International in great condition. 8'3", 2/1, staggered ferrule, impregnated cane. 4.2 oz. The rod was sold via Dermot Wilson's Nether Wallop mill fly shop. His catalog describes it as one of his most popular cane rods, sometimes the most popular. Marked as a 5 or 6 weight although I like it best with the a 6 weight line. Blue wraps edged with gold.
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A continuous taper handle (wide at the top tapering down to the reel seat) which was a suggestion of Wilson's friend Charles Ritz.

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Has a nice bamboo plug to make the tips equal for storage.
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I gave the rod it's first outing yesterday on a visit to a cold, Cascade foothills pond with Greg Armstrong. Here's Greg looking a place to launch. He's got an 8'6" Wright and McGill Waterseal.
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The Wilson International cast 6 weight intermediate and sink tip lines with no problem but the pond's cutthroat were missing in action. I've never hiked into the pond this early. Maybe the water was still too cold or the cutts were up the inlet creek spawning.
 
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How do you like the Ritz handle?
I'm not a fan of small grips (a reason why I've never liked the hammer handled Phillipson Premiums). The continuous grip on the Wilson Internation works fine, however, because I can hold the grip at the top where it is the widest.

The 8'3" wilson international joins two other staggered ferrule Sharpes in my collection: an 8'5" Sharpes Eighty Five and an 8'8" Sharpes Eighty Eight. Am only missing the 7'9" Sharpes 79 (anyone have one to sell?) and the Sharpes Royal Tribute (an 8'7" staggered ferrule rod made in honor of Charles and Diana's wedding with a limited run of only 100).
 
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