Tim was kind enough to bring a handful of his classic rods and reels for a photo shoot last week. He is so knowledgeable it is always great to hang around with him and learn, learn learn. His gear is pretty darn cool too.
Photo Shoot
- Thread starter Para_Adams
- Start date
Ron, it was an absolute pleasure hanging out, talking rods and fishing and other related stuff.
Thanks to your photography skills even my rod looks pretty decent.
Thanks to your photography skills even my rod looks pretty decent.
Nice mix of old and new fly rods. Want to hear the back story behind each of them.
I recognize the valdex on the right. What's the reel on the left?
Tim, you need to have Ron take pictures of your constable family!
I recognize the valdex on the right. What's the reel on the left?
Tim, you need to have Ron take pictures of your constable family!
Dave, those are twin Valdex reels. "Valdexi"? I now know how smooth those Valdex drag systems are. Eye opening.
That first calendar was fun, but after I learned that the USPS would not let me ship them at the cheap "media" rate and made me pay for 1st Class shipping, my meager compensation for the project was pretty much toast. If anyone knows of a high quality printing source for under $15 per calendar and if a price around $40 per calendar is still low enough to work, I'd consider doing a 2023. Perhaps if I can make this year's bamboo gathering I could hand them out there and skip all the shipping. Thoughts are welcome...
Beautiful!
As requested a little background of the rods and reels in Ron's photos.
From top to bottom:
#1
Carpenter Bro's 8'3" quad 2/1, 5 wt. I found this rod in the classifieds on WFF about 4-5 years ago. Understanding the then current value of Carpenter Bros. rods I expected it to be snatched up immediately but that is not what happened. At first my thinking was that I just didn't need another 5 weight rod. Days went by with little or no response. Eventually I entered a post saying something to the effect of "Would someone please buy this rod cause you're never going to see one of these at this price again." Still nothing happened. Having had almost a whole agonizing week to rationalize the purchase of another 5 weight rod I contacted the seller fully expecting it to be gone. It was not, so I agreed to buy it and meet in a parking lot that afternoon.
I contacted Chris Carpenter the next day sending photos and description to get the lowdown on the rod and why it only had his Signature and 8'3" written on the rod. He said this rod was the last in a line of prototypes that would become the basis of a full line of rods. Most really good rod makers who design thier own rods will go through an interation of prototypes until everything is just right.
The taper is a linear progressive that is as smooth as a rod can be. It wants an equally smooth casting motion the results of which can be surprising.
#2
Leonard Duracane 7' hex 2/1, 5wt. This rod came to me when a good friend named Wendell passed away. A few weeks after his death his wife called to tell me that I was in his will as the intended recipient of all of his fishing stuff.
To get some background on the rod I went to the Leonard Rod Database found at antiquerodandreels.com
This rod was not listed so I contacted the administrator of the database and send photos and relavent information to be added to the list. Its still not listed but i imagine it will be eventually.
It's a nice casting rod in really good shape capable of putting out a lot of line for a short rod. Good for smaller waters.
#3
I've always liked the Valdex reels just because they represent a different idea that works well although some people get a bit nervous about the unique spool release cap spring. I have a few of them and have never had any problems with that. I like the cageless design. They were originally sold as a kit to avoid VAT on manufactured goods. At the time there was a loophole in the tax laws that allowed a manufactured product that was not fully assembled to slip through. In this case it takes about 5 minutes to put it together. Pretty much everthing there is to know about them can be found at jwyoungandsons.com Look at "previous models" and scroll to the end of the list.
#4
Leonard Model 50 8' hex 3/2 5wt. Also from my friend Wendell but about 10 years before his death he realized due to mounting physical limitations he wasn't going to be able to fish much longer. Knowing I liked bamboo he sent me this rod and the Pritchard rod below.
Wendell was a member of the Fontinalis Club in upstate NY. There were other members who were associated with the Leonard factory.
At that time Leonard employees were allowed to periodicaly make a rod for themselves. This may one of those rods hence the lack of inscriptions on the rod blank or it could be one of the following. Rumor has it that as the I.R.S. closed in on the company there were "a lot of rods going out the back door". Either one of those could be true and would result in rods without inscriptions. In any case it is in all respects exactly the same as an "over the counter" Model 50.
#5 & 6
Pritchard Bros. Greenheart Wood Fly Rod, 9' 3/2, #5 Medium Wet Fly Action, Varnished, Built in the later part of the 19th century
These were considered a high quality rod. It has two patent dates that identify it. The first is the Dec 13th 1881 that appears on the grip and concerns the molded hard rubber and/or Bakelite ridged handle and integral seat that was unique to Pritchard's work. The second patent dated Jan 10th 1888 for the swaged slide band reelseat hardware. Reel seat hardware and Ferrules are nickle over brass.
Pritchard did a large amount of private label work and so was popular and well distributed. When the Pritchard Bros were ready to retire they sold the business lock, stock and barrel to Chubb. The sale included the patents.
#7 & 8
Steve Kiley, North Star Mosaic 8' hex, 2/2, 5wt. This rod is a modified version of a Dickerson 8013. The modifications are star hollowing and a slight reduction in the dimentions of the butt section. The result is less weight and a more lively butt section than the standard 8013. I think it's an improvement. The "Mosaic" refers to the inlay on the butt cap and repeated on the ferrule plug. In the photo you can see a star hollowed cross section of the blank attached to the rod bag with a string.
Its a very nice casting rod with plenty of everything for an all around trout rod.
I came into possession of this rod by shear luck. As usual one of the numerous years I attended the Metolius Rod Gathering I entered the annual fund raising drawing. It cost me $20 (twenty) in raffle tickets at the Metolius Rod Fair in 2008.
I had always considered raffles as an opportunity to make a contribution rather than a real chance to win anything because I had never won anything until that day. I was out in the casting area with Marty Karsteter trying some of his rods. I was just about to place an order with Marty when someone called my name saying I had won the raffle. I thought maybe I won one of the lesser prizes like maybe a dozen flies tied by so and so but certainly not the beautiful rod that I had admired earlier in the day.
#9
Tim Cottage, 8' 2/1 hex 5wt. This is a modified version of the Constable Empress. I intended to use it mostly from a float tube so I flattened the curve on the lower part of the butt section a bit pushing the flex up into the rod a bit more. If it were intended to be cast while standing I wouldn't have done that. But hey! if you make your own you can make then as specialized as you want plus I already have two original Empress rods.
The cane is dark flamed and the hardware is textured and patinated.
So there you have it
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Amazing backstories. That's what I enjoy so much about bamboo. Every rod has a story.
Fascinating to hear the Valdex kit workaround to avoid VAT.
I remember Ernest Schwiebert writing quads "are unforgiving taskmasters, refusing to cast clearly if a fisherman has poor casting habits and works outside the casting plane." Has this been your experience with the Carpenter or do you find it easy to cast. I once owned an 8'6" Tom Fulk quad and can't say I found it harder or easier to cast than my other 8'6" fly rods.
What's the greenheart like to cast? You need to run it down a riffle some time with a ladder of wet flies.
Love the stories! Thanks for sharing…
I found the Carpenter quad easy to cast. It doesn't take long to notice that the rod wants to move in a straight line so you make that adjustment. At first it's a conscious effort. You have to remind yourself. Over time it becomes subliminal.
I haven't put a line on the greenheart but if I work up the courage to fish it, running it down a riffle with a ladder of wets would certainly be the way to do it.