Eddie Bauer and Fiberglass Fly rods

Dave Westburg

Fish the classics
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Cleaning out bunch of stuff and I came across an old Eddie Bauer Expedition Outfitters catalog for 1969. This was before the General Mills-Spiegel-Golden Gate Capital-Authentic Brands days when the company was primarily fishing and hunting. The catalog features Joe Brooks promoting fiberglass fly rods and Fin-Nor and Hardy reels.

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Dave, thanks for posting this. EB had great roots. I never knew the company when they were primarily a hunting and fishing company, but I do recall browsing their downtown Seattle fishing section back in the early 90's. You were probably working on the floor above me when I'd take an afternoon walk from the City Center Building over to Eddie Bauer which if I recall was just a block or two south. That's when they carried those fantastic Eddie Bauer special rods (I don't recall the correct name) built by Anderson Custom Rods on Sage XP blanks. They had the gorgeous thin gold single wraps spiraled in the standard Sage dark green, and tipped with extra gleaming gold trim wraps. Absolutely the thing of dreams for me. EB's fishing section was small, underground (literally) and mostly ignored, but I for one found it to be wonderful.
 
Eddie Bauer had amazing roots in hunting and fishing and camping. I dropped in a time or two when they were right across the street from the US bank building. The fly shop was in a funny sort of mezzanine between floors. I seem to remember that Les Johnson worked there for a while...I'm old enough to remember when Bill Marts ran a small fishing department for REI. I also bought a Thomas and Thomas fly rod for my wife at Countrysport in Pioneer Square and a Filson Mackinaw at the Seattle Warshall's. I remember the days when Dennis Worley was a young clerk and guide for the Seattle branch of Kaufmann's Streamborn. Time flies.
 
Retail stores change to stay alive. Abercrombie & Fitch were once high-end adventure outfitters. They supplied Teddy Roosevelt with all his gear for his safaris in Africa, treks in the Arctic, and exploration of wild rivers in South America. Now they just sell "chic" clothing to posers, but the brand still lives (sort of).
 
Eddie Bauer had amazing roots in hunting and fishing and camping... Time flies.
No kidding! The iconic EB down jacket and trousers worn by Jim Whittaker in 1963 when he was the first American to summit Everest!

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Retail stores change to stay alive.... Abercrombie & Fitch were once high-end adventure outfitters. They supplied Teddy Roosevelt with all his gear for his safaris in Africa, treks in the Arctic, and exploration of wild rivers in South America. Now they just sell "chic" clothing to posers, but the brand still lives (sort of).
Yup, 😔
 
In the era before and at the dawn of REI Eddie Bauer was the Nazz for down jackets and sleeping bags! I remember looking through their catalog with envy at gear I could only lust after. Thankfully REI opened a Portland store and I was able to somewhat satiate that lust.
I wonder who's blanks they were using for the rods in those photos. Perhaps Conolon (Garcia)?
 
Their “Butt Action” fly rods as described by Joe Brooks, were probably a direct result of the popularity of Paul Young’s Parabolic line of rods, especially the Parabolic 15. Once mastered it was, and still is, the best performing rod I’ve ever cast. Not for everyone, but then again no one rod is. Mine was built in ‘59, before Paul’s passing, probably finished by Bob Summers. You could see your reflection in the dark cane.
I miss it.
 
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