Is this a Lami s-glass? update added

[Wade Rivers]

I have an old "Custom Built" 8 foot, 5 piece, 6 wt fiberglass rod with glass ferrules. It doesn't have a label but it sure looks like s-glass.



It's kinda cool being 5 piece and very translucent like s-glass.



Any guesses as to the origin of this blank??

 

[509]

I just went into my closet and pulled out a Cortland fiberglass rod with that same translucent color. The rod case also has the same color!!

If I remember right this was my first "serious" fly rod.

I bought it from these guys for $35.... In Walnut Creek during the early 1970s, the renowned hub for fly fishing was Creative Sports. Founded in 1971 by angling legends Andre "Andy" Puyans and Dave Inks, the shop was celebrated for its custom tying, innovative gear, and expertise.

They tried to talk me into buying a Winston rod for another $15. I decided against it.

Do you want a complete list of bad decisions I have made in my life??

 

[RCF]

@509 ---> Yes!

Just Kidding!

 

[jerry]

You might call the phone number and see if you can get some information.

 

[Wade Rivers]

You might call the phone number and see if you can get some information.

Yeah good idea...I tried that a few years back. Nothing, as I recall

 

[Wade Rivers]

I just went into my closet and pulled out a Cortland fiberglass rod with that same translucent color. The rod case also has the same color!!

If I remember right this was my first "serious" fly rod.

I bought it from these guys for $35.... In Walnut Creek during the early 1970s, the renowned hub for fly fishing was Creative Sports. Founded in 1971 by angling legends Andre "Andy" Puyans and Dave Inks, the shop was celebrated for its custom tying, innovative gear, and expertise.

They tried to talk me into buying a Winston rod for another $15. I decided against it.

Do you want a complete list of bad decisions I have made in my life??

Not a "bad" decision. But, if you had invested that $15 in the stock market you'd have $5 grand now!

Anyway, I love my old rod and hope your Cortland is treating you well. I had no idea Cortland made rods with this nice fiberglass.

BTW, I do have a couple Lami s-glass rods that need to be loved, so if anyone is looking for one...

 

[509]

I am not sure that my Cortland is an S-Glass rod.

I am pretty sure I bought it in 1974. It could have been a year or two earlier. It sure does look exactly like your rod blank. Did the S-Glass rods come out in the early 1970's.

Here is what AI said:

The Cortland FR-2000 series of fiberglass fly rods was first introduced and sold in the mid-1970s (approximately 1974–1976). [1, 2]

Context of the Release

• The Transition Era: In Cortland’s fiberglass rod lineage, the FR-2000 series was launched as the direct successor to their popular Pro Crest series. The early Pro Crest rods of the late 1960s featured heavy metal ferrules, while the later versions transitioned into fiberglass sleeves. The FR-2000 capitalized on this evolution, using a refined "tip-over-butt" ferrule design that eliminated heavy metal joints completely, offering a lighter weight and smoother flex. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Production Context: During this period, Cortland was a powerhouse in the fly line market but outsourced its rod blank manufacturing. While archival company records from that era are sparse, vintage rod experts and community historians note that the FR-2000 blanks were likely rolled by prominent American manufacturers of the time, such as St. Croix or Fisher. [1, 2, 3]
• Market Lifespan: The rod was sold through the late 1970s until the early 1980s, right before graphite completely took over the industry and made classic fiberglass rods obsolete for mainstream consumers. [1, 2, 3]

 

[Rob Allen]

Seems like you've got your answer but I don't think it looks like an s glass.

The lamiglas s glass is more orange or honey colored and less yellow

 

[SurfnFish]

Believe Sage built the first S cloth fly rods in the early 80's.
S-cloth, initially developed for the military, was a game changer for us in the surfboard world as well as the fly rod world, as both require the ability to flex and return to form,
For generations both surfboards and fly rods were made with E cloth (developed for the electrical industry hence the E) which is woven in a 70/30 bias - 70% of fibers laid the length of the roll, 30% across the roll. This made for boards and rods that would snap when over stressed.
S-cloth was lighter, stronger and bi-directional, woven 50/50= made for lighter boards with less breakage.
The next upgrade was when S2 cloth came out, which has an even tighter, stronger weave with a faster flex recovery.
Makes for great flyrods and surfboards.

 

[Wade Rivers]

A couple things to report. On the advice of a rod builder, I rubbed the rod with alcohol and it took away a lot of the cloudy surface. It's an old rod that will never look pristine but is definitely improved.

I'm visiting my son in Jackson Hole, and he took me up a hike-in trib of the Snake. The rivers are on the drop from run-off and stoneflies are crawling. I fished the rod and threw a chubby...



This fish already had two stoneflies in it's mouth...



Gobble gobble

 

[Para_Adams]

FWIW, the blank color, wraps, handle and grip all appear the same as my 7-1/2' Lamiglass S Glass 5 wt I bought new back around 1985. Back then all I wanted was one of the powerful, newfangled graphite rods so I sold it thinking it was too slow. Oooops..