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Classic Rods

Page history last edited by jgestar 14 years, 4 months ago

Classic Rods

 

This is the index of Classic Rods.  There is a link to a Wiki page on each major, past, maker/manufacturer of fiberglass flyrods.  Some of these companies still make rods, but not the product lines discussed on these pages.

 

Much of this information on these pages was adapted from "Fiberglass Fly Rods" by Victor R. Johnson & Victor R. Johnson (1996, Centenial Publications), "Trout Tackle Two" by Ernest Schwiebert (1984, E. P. Dutton) and "The Complete Angler's Catalog" by Scott Roederer (1985, Spring Creek Press).  Additional specific references are given on the appropriate pages.

 

Phillipson  Phillipson is my favorite and makes the top of the list. 

 

Fenwick  Fenwick is my second favorite.  Fenwick still makes rods, although only graphite in the US.

 

Lamiglas Classics  Lamiglas made rod blanks for many other companies.  They also made a few rod lines of their own, including one from S-glass.

 

Diamondglass Rods US production of Diamondglass rods is over, so Dglass in now a Classic.

 

Sage  Yes, that company so well known for starting the graphite modulus wars once had a line of fiberglass rods.

 

Silaflex  This line of rods was developed by Pacific Laminates and later owned by Browning Arms Co.

 

Garcia Conolon  Initially established as NARMCO, Conolon developed the early technology of the hollow fiberglass rod.  Later owned by Garcia.

 

Shakespeare  Shakespeare was the other originator of fiberglass flyrods.  For years they sold the Howald Process made Wonderod line.

 

Heddon  A long established tackle company, Heddon started making glass in the 50s.  Some good, some bad, and some gaudy.

 

Wright & McGill  W&M was a little late into fiberglass production, but still produces Eagle Claw flyrods.

 

Actionrod  Early Actionrods are surprisingly nice rods.  The later flyrods were just not as exciting.

 

Berkley  Most noted for the Parametric line of flyrods.

 

South Bend  South Bend made many affordable glass rods.  Some of them were actually rather nice.

 

St Croix  St. Croix made a couple of lines of good fiberglass rods, as well as rolling blanks for other makers.

 

 

Fisher  Many major fiberglass manufacturers had their blanks rolled by J. Kennedy Fisher.

 

House of Hardy  Hardy originally bought blanks from Fisher, but later had their own Fisher production line devoted to making Hardy rods.

 

Scientific Anglers  Fisher made the blanks for SAs first line of rods, which was undoubtably their BEST line of rods.

 

Scott Classics  Harry Morgan and Larry Kinney designed some well loved rods at Scott.

 

Winston  Doug Merrick developed Winston's first glass rods.  Some feel Tom Morgan engineered the pinnacle of glass rods with the Stalker series.

 

Leonard One of the greatest American bamboo rod companys also offered a line of 'glass rods 

 

T&T Kaneglass  Shortly after T&T was formed, they produced the Kaneglass rods

 

The following companies were known more for their other products.  Eventually, Orvis, LL Bean, and Cortland established in house rod making capacity

Abercrombie & Fitch  High end resellers.  The Phillipson rods sold by A&F look like Phillipsons, except for the label.

 

Cortland  Makers of the ProCrest and FR2000 flyrods.  Eventually, they bought out Diamondback, including the Dglass line.

 

LL Bean  LL Bean also had rods produced by Phillipson, as well as W&M.

 

Orvis  Orvis had their early rods produced by Phillipson and later rolled their own glass blanks.

 

 

Noted individual custom rod builders.  These gentlemen did more than wrap an off the shelf blank.  They made some of the finest glass ever.

Vince Cummings

 

Ferdinand Claudio

 

Russ Peak

 

Wanigas (Art Neumann)

 

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