Trying to identify a rod
Moderator: TheMontyMan
Trying to identify a rod
#1Hello,
I inherited some rods from my great grandparents along with reels, etc. The rattan handled one is a BF Nichols. It has an inscription to my great grandmother from J.P. Whitney (Joel Parker Whitney)--really cool! The other rod has no marks except for her initials on the reel seat. The rod case has a piece of tape on it that says Thomas Grilse but they had quite a few rods though so I'm not sure it's the correct rod for the case. Any thoughts on how to identify it?
Thanks!
Breton
I inherited some rods from my great grandparents along with reels, etc. The rattan handled one is a BF Nichols. It has an inscription to my great grandmother from J.P. Whitney (Joel Parker Whitney)--really cool! The other rod has no marks except for her initials on the reel seat. The rod case has a piece of tape on it that says Thomas Grilse but they had quite a few rods though so I'm not sure it's the correct rod for the case. Any thoughts on how to identify it?
Thanks!
Breton
Last edited by bretonh1 on 11/30/20 09:15, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#2I wouldn't doubt it's a Thomas; fairly early one, I'd think. Might be able to tell more if we could see the node spacing.
windy
windy
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#3Thomas marking stamps are very light and sometimes difficult to see. Look very closely around the butt cap in good light. That rod has a Cross-patented reel seat which puts it in the late-Twenties or later. Also look for a character or number, or combination of the two, stamped within the circles on the very end of the butt cap. That number can help date it.
Whitney usually numbered his rods on the reel seat and on the ferrules to avoid mixing rod sections up at his Rangeley camp. That one looks to be a Nichols similar to the little 8' Nichols Mrs. Whitney owned, but hers has her name on it. All the rest of the camp's rods have her husband's name. Let me know if you decide to let the little rod go. How long are the sections, 32 1/2" or so? What's the other name engraved on it? Whitney was almost penniless before the Civil war and went on to become a self-made millionaire.
Whitney owned Leonards but Nichols seemed to be his favorite. I own one of Whitney's rods from Nichols. The late Graydon Hilyard owned a Bangor Leonard I redid for him with Whitney's name on it.
Whitney usually numbered his rods on the reel seat and on the ferrules to avoid mixing rod sections up at his Rangeley camp. That one looks to be a Nichols similar to the little 8' Nichols Mrs. Whitney owned, but hers has her name on it. All the rest of the camp's rods have her husband's name. Let me know if you decide to let the little rod go. How long are the sections, 32 1/2" or so? What's the other name engraved on it? Whitney was almost penniless before the Civil war and went on to become a self-made millionaire.
Whitney owned Leonards but Nichols seemed to be his favorite. I own one of Whitney's rods from Nichols. The late Graydon Hilyard owned a Bangor Leonard I redid for him with Whitney's name on it.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#5Thanks everyone. Here's a slightly better picture. I now realize it's a removable fighting extension. Perhaps the details of the rod maker are on the butt cap that I unfortunately do not have. The Nichols was indeed for my great grandmother, Helen Greenwood. The rods are in pretty amazing shape but there are some minor things. For example, the stripping ferule on the larger rod came off (though I have it). Is this pretty straight forward to get fixed?
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#6Also, the Nichols sections are 36.5. Is there any info online about JP Whitney's camp? I fish in that area pretty often.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#7I'm guessing you mean stripping guide. Yes, easy fix . Curious, what is the length of the Nichols?
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- Bamboo Fanatic
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Re: Trying to identify a rod
#11If the Thomas rod was found in a canvas rod case / sock, you might check the bottom of that for the butt plug.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#13Getting guides rewrapped is pretty straightforward and can be done by anyone versed in rod wrapping, but best done by what I think of as someone with 'bamboo sensitivities''. Are you located on the East Coast?
I'll look through my Rangeley references for anything on Whitney's camp. Oddly enough, his autobiography spoke more of his time spent there in the winter than in the fishing season. The book is something I found pretty interesting just the same. Original copies may be had and print-on-demand copies are always available.
Before he passed away this past March, Graydon Hilyard had plans to write about Whitney and I think there were thoughts of doing a Whitney oriented display in the museum in Oquossoc. That may now be put off indefinitely now.
I'll dig up pix of shorter Nichols rods later today when time allows. Hilyard's passing has left a void that needs to be filled. I would have picked up the phone and gotten more answers about Whitney, were my friend still with us. Whitney tackle surfaced up there a few years back and though I don't have all the details I think what I was seeing was equipment cleaned out of the Whitney camp, most of it being odds & ends.
Miramichi salmon and Rangeley trout - your great grandparents fished some of the finer waters of the Northeast, and at a time when the fishing was quite a bit better than it is today. The tackle photos are marvelous.
I'll look through my Rangeley references for anything on Whitney's camp. Oddly enough, his autobiography spoke more of his time spent there in the winter than in the fishing season. The book is something I found pretty interesting just the same. Original copies may be had and print-on-demand copies are always available.
Before he passed away this past March, Graydon Hilyard had plans to write about Whitney and I think there were thoughts of doing a Whitney oriented display in the museum in Oquossoc. That may now be put off indefinitely now.
I'll dig up pix of shorter Nichols rods later today when time allows. Hilyard's passing has left a void that needs to be filled. I would have picked up the phone and gotten more answers about Whitney, were my friend still with us. Whitney tackle surfaced up there a few years back and though I don't have all the details I think what I was seeing was equipment cleaned out of the Whitney camp, most of it being odds & ends.
Miramichi salmon and Rangeley trout - your great grandparents fished some of the finer waters of the Northeast, and at a time when the fishing was quite a bit better than it is today. The tackle photos are marvelous.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#14Thanks so much for your help. It's a pretty wonderful little collection and I do want to get the rods fixed up a bit despite being in what I believe to be pretty good shape. I'm located in MA though I'm up in Maine frequently. I wasn't aware of the museum and will be sure to visit. I typically head up from my wife's place in Boothbay Harbor to Greenville to fish although I do get up to Grand Lake Stream every once in awhile. Miramichi is on my bucket list. Any recommendations for getting the rod guides taken care of would be wonderful. I'm not too worried about the butt cap as I will just leave the extension in.
- roycestearns
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Re: Trying to identify a rod
#16Beautiful!!
It appears there is a replacement female ferrule on the mid of the Thomas.
Whitney - There was an Upton Guide Myron S. Whitney famous for the B pond and katoodle/toodle bug flies. Myron was written about in Farrer's and M. O. Marbury. Is this a direct relation to J Whitney?
It appears there is a replacement female ferrule on the mid of the Thomas.
Whitney - There was an Upton Guide Myron S. Whitney famous for the B pond and katoodle/toodle bug flies. Myron was written about in Farrer's and M. O. Marbury. Is this a direct relation to J Whitney?
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#17Royce
I haven't tracked JPW through Ancestry but will take a look.
Meanwhile, here are pix of Lucy Whitney's personal 8' Nichols, currently in the collection of Jerry Girard. The same No. 7 mark is stamped on the ferrules. Like the Nichols of Breton's, the owner's name is engraved on the sliding band.
And here's a link to a guidebook published by C.A.J. Farrar, whose publications are important sources of information about Maine camps and sporting life. This talks about Whitney's camp. (Link courtesy of Charlie, AKA cwfly).
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fa ... frontcover
I haven't tracked JPW through Ancestry but will take a look.
Meanwhile, here are pix of Lucy Whitney's personal 8' Nichols, currently in the collection of Jerry Girard. The same No. 7 mark is stamped on the ferrules. Like the Nichols of Breton's, the owner's name is engraved on the sliding band.
And here's a link to a guidebook published by C.A.J. Farrar, whose publications are important sources of information about Maine camps and sporting life. This talks about Whitney's camp. (Link courtesy of Charlie, AKA cwfly).
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fa ... frontcover
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#18This rod looks nearly identical though lacks the metal name plate on the form. The metal of mine has some green tarnish though I don't think it's damaged--any suggestions for how to remove? I'd also be curious as to what vintage reel might best match up a small light rod light the Nichols. Thanks so much for everyone's help. This is a great forum and has energized me to not only preserve the collection but do a little collecting myself. Interestingly, Thomas in ME didn't think the ferules on the other rod matched up--so that one is still a bit of a mystery. It's most likely from Dame Stoddard as that's where the great grandparent bought most of their gear. Perhaps it will just have to get fixed up and used for some fishing.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#19As long as the bamboo and the ferrules on your Nichols are sound there's no reason you couldn't take it out on the water and enjoy it. It will be a bit of a change of pace from your current tackle, even current bamboo, but there's a special satisfaction to be had from taking trout with century-old gear. A couple of references are worth considering for your library, Classic & Antique Fly-Fishing Tackle (AJ Campbell) and The World of Fly Fishers and Collecting (Steve Woit). Campbell died two years back and his book is out of print but I know where you might get a copy, so contact me if I can help. Having known him well, I can say that he would have been excited to see your great grandparent's tackle. Steve Woit's book is fresh and can be purchased directly from him (https://flyfishingtreasures.com/). Woit's photography is superb and he's covered some of the best fly tackle collections in the country.
Reels from either of the vom Hofe brothers (Edward or Julius), Hardy Brothers, or Meisselbach offer an almost bewildering array of possibilities for a period-correct match. All were sold by Dame Stoddard. I will leave specific recommendations to other collectors better versed in reels than I.
The tarnish on your rod hardware can be dealt with using commonly available polishing products. If you search here at the forum you'll get some specific advice. I use a quality silver polish.
Reels from either of the vom Hofe brothers (Edward or Julius), Hardy Brothers, or Meisselbach offer an almost bewildering array of possibilities for a period-correct match. All were sold by Dame Stoddard. I will leave specific recommendations to other collectors better versed in reels than I.
The tarnish on your rod hardware can be dealt with using commonly available polishing products. If you search here at the forum you'll get some specific advice. I use a quality silver polish.
Re: Trying to identify a rod
#20I really appreciate the library suggestions! My uncle was an antique dealer and recognized my fishing addiction so I started a book collection from his frequent gifts pretty early though it still leaves much to be desired. Thanks again for everyone's help.