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WTB: project glass trout rod

Wanted 
1K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  Ben Guss 
#1 ·
Hi all,
I'm looking for an old glass trout rod. Something equivalent to a 4wt. I'm looking to make it into a small stream switch rod. let me know what you have and what you'd let it go for.
Many thanks,
Ben
 
#3 ·
it's tough to find an old glass 4wt. most old glass seem to be 6 to 8wt rods. there are some great modern rod builders/manufacturers that sell 4wt rods, but you may end up waiting forever to find an "old" one here.

you may check in at fiberglassflyrodders.com to see if any of my fellow glass enthusiasts have anything that may work for you.
 
#5 ·
Ben
I have 2 old fenwick rods I picked up a few years ago. Both are fly rod blanks used for ultra light spinning rods. Metal ferruls however and short at 7 feet I think. Very light rods. I am keeping to strip and rebuild someday but I don't need 2 of them
You can have 1 if this is what you are looking for, but I suspect it is not....

Good luck in your search
Jeff
 
#6 ·
Ben. PM left for you.
The blank is: FL 84-5, light brown color. I don't know if it is a 4wt, but it is very soft. My thought is FL is fly line. ?

I have not built a rod, but it is possible this rod used metal ferruls on a rod that does not need them. The tip section is longer than the bottom. Also, it is cork with 2 rings for the reel foot. Not the usual spinning reel set-up.

Jeff
 
#7 ·
Ben. PM left for you.
The blank is: FL 84-5, light brown color. I don't know if it is a 4wt, but it is very soft. My thought is FL is fly line. ?

I have not built a rod, but it is possible this rod used metal ferruls on a rod that does not need them. The tip section is longer than the bottom. Also, it is cork with 2 rings for the reel foot. Not the usual spinning reel set-up.

Jeff
just checked the Johnson Fiberglass book, and jeff's FL84-5 is the lightest blank they made back in the day. rated a 5wt and supposedly only 1 1/4 ounces. length is 7 feet. you will be hard pressed to find anything lighter that this 5wt... and like lots of decent fiberglass, it may like 4-6wt lines depending on your taste and the line characteristic.
 
#9 ·
johnson and son gathered tons of data from old catalogs (and very knowledgeable old guys) to make a great book called "fiberglass fly rods." some call it the fiberglass bible. most info on nearly every fiberglass fly rod made back then. not bound terribly well, but a WEALTH a knowledge
 
#11 ·
Tonemike
Interesting information about your the Johnson.Fiberglass book.

Is this the title, and will it be hard for to find a copy available for sale?

While looking in the garage I found I have a few other fiberglass rods that I had half-way forgotten about. A reference book would be useful tool. Like my old outboard motor reference book, handy to have about once/year.
Thanks
 
#10 ·
Ben, I have a little six foot Herter fiberglass rod that I haven't used much, because it's a five-weight (according to its maker), and that line seems a few sizes larger than a rod of that size should be designed for. But recently, out of curiosity, I tried it with a 4-weight line, then a 3-weight, then finally a 2-weight. All of them genuinely flex the rod! None of them feel too light. And I've only had it for 44 years!

The point is that rods don't know their pedigree. They're just flexible levers, and their parameters are whatever they are. Try your four-weight line on different glass rods. You may be pleasantly surprised.
 
#15 ·
I have what I think is a 7'6" Heddon "Pal" it has a little color loss on the blank but, I believe it is still fishable. Spring for shipping and an extra 10 bucks and you can have it
the authors are Johnson & Johnson and the title is Fiberglass Fly Rods. i think i picked mine up for around 16 bucks . there's no better resource book for fiberglass fly rods. i just saw it on amazon for 30 bucks, not sure if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.
 
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