My father's fly rod

[spm]

My father passed away three years ago at the age of 97, and he was a fisherman. When he died, I ended up with some of his fishing equipment. I have been thinking about him and the fishing trips we made and thought I would like to share some pics of his rod with you all.

He had one fly rod. My mother bought it for him as an anniversary present in the late 30s or early 40s. It is a Montague, Pelham Brook, split bamboo, 9' 3/4 (That's right, 4 tips), and she probably paid about $6.00 for it, according to some old Montague catalogs. He used a Shakespeare automatic reel, because he didn't think he was coordinated enough to handle a manual reel.

As you can see from the photo, it isn't in very good shape. The cork is pitted and dark. The varnish is cracking. There are several repairs, and one tip is about 2 inches shorter than the others. It has no value to anyone but me. I think I have related the story here about my first fish on a fly rod; this fly rod. I was so excited, I hit the lever and reeled the little sunfish fight up to the rod tip.

I have fished this rod, but it is pretty much retired, now.

The fly box he used was one of those round boxes with the pie-shaped compartments that you would rotate to the one spring-loaded opening. It had a belt hook. It must have disappeared sometime over the years.


I did find this box of carded flies from Cabela's. He must have used them, because they aren't all in the correct position.

The last trip I took with him was a guided float on the Tippecanoe river in Indiana, when he was in his 80s. A river he fished a lot as a young man.

Anyway, that's all. I just wanted to share these with you all.
Thanks for looking.
steve

 

[itchmesir]

That's a lot of spare tips! "Better safe than sorry" must've been your father's motto.

 

[Ard]

I think it's in great shape considering the age and mileage. You're fortunate to have the rod and such memories along with it.

Ard

 

[mcnerney]

Steve: What a great piece of fly fishing gear to have in your possession, lots of memories from past fishing trips with your father.

 

[spm]

That's a lot of spare tips! "Better safe than sorry" must've been your father's motto.

You're right, itch. I didn't know they came with that many tips.

steve

---------- Post added at 02:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:43 PM ----------

I think it's in great shape considering the age and mileage. You're fortunate to have the rod and such memories along with it.

Ard

You're right, Ard. It is in pretty good shape, considering. I guess I meant it really has no collector value. It is invaluable to me.

steve

---------- Post added at 02:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:46 PM ----------

Steve: What a great piece of fly fishing gear to have in your possession, lots of memories from past fishing trips with your father.

Lots of memories, Larry. In fact, I was getting teary-eyed just posting this.

steve

 

[mka]

That's an awesome keepsake to help keep memories of your father fresh in your mind's eye...very nice, indeed!

 

[mikechell]

Nice history, nice rod ... in pretty good shape for it's age.

My sister and I almost drowned in the Tippecanoe River. Grew up in Logansport, and that was one of our "vacation" destinations.

 

[spm]

Nice history, nice rod ... in pretty good shape for it's age.

My sister and I almost drowned in the Tippecanoe River. Grew up in Logansport, and that was one of our "vacation" destinations.

Hey Mike,
I grew up in Lafayette. Practically neighbors.

steve

---------- Post added at 04:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:02 PM ----------

That's an awesome keepsake to help keep memories of your father fresh in your mind's eye...very nice, indeed!

Thanks, mka. I take it out now and then and look at it. I cleaned it up when I first got it, although it probably didn't need it. Added a coat of butcher's wax.

steve

 

[rockriver]

I'd display it along with the flies.

 

[spm]

I'd display it along with the flies.

I like this idea, rock. Not sure how to go about that. Any suggestions?

thanks,
steve

 

[nevadanstig]

I like this idea, rock. Not sure how to go about that. Any suggestions?

thanks,
steve

After I copy that awesome picture, I was thinking of doing something like this with my great grandathers rod:

If you have pictures of you two fishing together it could make it pretty special.






Sent from my SM-T237P using Tapatalk

 

[spm]

After I copy that awesome picture, I was thinking of doing something like this with my great grandathers rod:

If you have pictures of you two fishing together it could make it pretty special.

Sent from my SM-T237P using Tapatalk

That's a good idea, nevada. But I don't want to put a set in the rod. Plus, remember; it's a three-piece rod with four tips, so six pieces in all. What about a shadow box?

steve

 

[CutThroat Leaders]

I have an old cain rod and reel from my Grandfather, I have it hanging on the wall in my living room. It actually looks great with our décor and the wife likes as well. Just a few small finish nails you cannot see, and rest the rod on top. (at an angle) You are lucky to have such a great keepsake like that from your dad.

 

[capnd]

Steve, thanks for sharing your memories about your father and your time
with him on the water. This embodies exactly why I took up fly fishing this
year. I have a 4 year old boy and I am hopeful that it will be a way for us
to share the joys and sorrows of life and bond. Then some day when I am
gone and life is, well life, he can recall fondly all the time we spent together.
I bought him is first fly rod for Christmas, and I got him a Winston. Sounds
overboard, but it will be a rod that lasts a lifetime like your Dad's has. And
heck, it's not much more than a useless "Xbox" or iPad.
Anyway - here's to your father's memory - sounds like he was a true Dad.

 

[spm]

Steve, thanks for sharing your memories about your father and your time
with him on the water. This embodies exactly why I took up fly fishing this
year. I have a 4 year old boy and I am hopeful that it will be a way for us
to share the joys and sorrows of life and bond. Then some day when I am
gone and life is, well life, he can recall fondly all the time we spent together.
I bought him is first fly rod for Christmas, and I got him a Winston. Sounds
overboard, but it will be a rod that lasts a lifetime like your Dad's has. And
heck, it's not much more than a useless "Xbox" or iPad.
Anyway - here's to your father's memory - sounds like he was a true Dad.

Thanks, cap. I have officially retired the rod, but yeah, the memories are still there. I hope you and your son create many such memories together. And you're right; it's much better than a Xbox or iPad.

thanks,
steve

---------- Post added at 09:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 AM ----------

I have an old cain rod and reel from my Grandfather, I have it hanging on the wall in my living room. It actually looks great with our décor and the wife likes as well. Just a few small finish nails you cannot see, and rest the rod on top. (at an angle) You are lucky to have such a great keepsake like that from your dad.

Yeah, unfortunately, I don't think my wife would like that nearly as much as yours does. But you give me an idea; I could hang it like that in my office. She has no power in here ...Kryptonite hidden above the door.

Thanks, Mike.
steve

 

[gpwhitejr]

"I'd display it along with the flies....
I like this idea, rock. Not sure how to go about that. Any suggestions?"

You could make a shadow box, basically a deep picture frame with a glass front, and mount it in there, along with the photographs. That would protect it from dust and fingers. (I have one with some antique medical equipment in it, one with small animal skeletons). If you are really ambitious you could make a coffee table with a top that is a shadow box and put it in there.

Or you could buy one.

Great story by the way. I got my dad's ancient salt water baitcasting gear; my sister got his bamboo fly rod.

 

[spm]

I have to admit I was surprised to see this post resurface. It certainly didn't have any social or political import. It was just some reminiscences of my father.

Anyway, I haven't completed the project with his rod; life having got in the way, as it is want to do. I found a ready-made shadow box at Michael's, some months ago. Everything I make tends to end up being "Rustic", so ready-made may be the way to go.

Jerry, when you suggested using cedar, did you mean rough-sawn? That is the only kind of cedar lumber I remember seeing. I'm not sure I will incorporate the flies, since I can't verify how and when he got them, but thought I would ask.

Thanks for resurrecting this post about my father and his fly rod. I will add this postscript to my original post, that was a little too fresh at the time. As I said I have retired the rod. The last time I fished it was the day after he died. It was like taking one last fishing trip together. Now, it is retired. Maybe a later generation will take it up and fish it, but for me, it's job is finished.

Thank you,
steve

 

[spm]

Steve,

A lot of mills/lumber yards still carry tongue-n-groove cedar boards that are commonly used for lining closets and the like. Up here in northern Michigan, a lot of the old lodges/cabins used t-n-g cedar extensively on their interiors, and because of renovations on some of the old places, there's still a demand. Hence, it's still an easy find around here.

As for the flies? I'd still favor mounting them with the rod inside of the shadow box. No matter their origins, they were your Dad's, and that to me is special, my friend.

Either way, I'm glad to hear that a legacy will be preserved. Wade safe, Steve, and always remember the best of it all. For me, recalling days astream with the two daughters lost over this past decade tends to help me to find the "sweet spot" on almost any day on the water...

Jerry, aka hairwing530

Thanks, Jerry. When I get back to the project, I will look for the tng cedar.

Yes, whenever I take the rod out and look at it, it takes me back.

Thanks,
steve