Questions on a rod passed on from my dad

[Scslat]

Hi All. I'm hoping for a bit of insight from this group on a rod that I received from my father. He used it when he was a kid (1940s/1950s), but it hasn't seen use since. There are no markings on the rod or the tube. My dad thinks that it may have been made by his fly fishing mentor and uncle, who was a well-known PNW fly fisherman and writer, but he can't remember the details. He used it to fish steelhead on the Stillaguamish river, and others around the area. Although I have one bamboo rod that gets some use, which I MacGyvred into something fishable from a crappy modern rod (there's a thread about it on the old site), this is outside my area of expertise, particularly given the age of the rod.

The rod is 8' 10" long. All sections are the same length and fit together tightly. I assume that it's a 7 or 8 weight, but that's still a question. It has a single tip. The tip-top is pretty small, as are the guides, which I understand is normal for rods built for silk lines. Below is a (blurry) picture of it next to the tip-top of a modern Winston 5 wt, and the 5 wt is definitely larger. The reel seat is aluminum, and it also came with an old Pflueger reel that looks about right for a 7 or 8 weight line. So, here are my questions.

1. Can I expect that a modern line will cast reasonably on this, or must I go with a silk line?
2. If I need to use a silk line, can I figure out the intended line weight without buying multiple silk lines and trying them out?
3. Is it reasonable that I can fish with this for a bit, or am I just setting myself up for heartbreak when the tip snaps?
4. It's in an old tube that appears to be made of cardboard wrapped in tape, with a screw-top cap on one end. What should I do to ensure that the rod stays in reasonable shape?
5. What other questions should I be asking?

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Take a variety different weight dry lines and lawn/snow cast it. Check to see if the guides aren’t rusty, that’ll eat up a fly line. Modern plastic lines should cast ok....you’ll see! Do the ferrules fit well?

 

[Scslat]

The guides are in good shape. No rust. The ferrules fit nice and tight. Thanks for the input!

Any thoughts about whether I should fish it? Is it likely to be brittle at this point?

 

[Bambooflyguy]

From your description, it sounds fishable. It would be cool to catch a (some?) fish with it for your dad.....then make the decision about hanging on the wall or fish occasionally. I’d start out with trout instead of larger fish just to be safe, your call. Maybe a pink salmon......what’s a steelhead??

 

[Mike Monsos]

Be sure to have a heavy fly reel to balance the size of the rod. The modern fly reels of today are built very light to balance plastic rods. Try an old Pflueger Medalist if you have one. Then just leave the reel on the rod and string test lines from other reels through the guides to cast while leaving the modern reels on in your pocket to save swapping a lot of lines for testing.
Mike

 

[Scslat]

Be sure to have a heavy fly reel to balance the size of the rod. The modern fly reels of today are built very light to balance plastic rods. Try an old Pflueger Medalist if you have one. Then just leave the reel on the rod and string test lines from other reels through the guides to cast while leaving the modern reels on in your pocket to save swapping a lot of lines for testing.
Mike

Great, very helpful. Thanks.