FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

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FiberGrass
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FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#1

Post by FiberGrass »

Hi all,
I was lucky to get this beauty just today. It is an interesting rod and unlike other FETs I own or had a chance to cast. It has a decisively parabolic feel to it. Skinny butt section, bends all the way under the grip, fairly strong mid, and tips that are also quite substantial but then taper rapidly in the last 10" or so. I hope the photos tell the story. It is below zero in Minneapolis right now so I will not be able to cast it for at least a week, but it has a very relaxed, smooth, deep flexing, balanced feel to it.

13.5 and 10 ferrules. 3 3/8 oz, tip dimensions right under the spur-type tip top guide ~0.067.

This is the first time I came across an FET that I would consider parabolic. For the FET aficionados out there, have you came across parabolic FETs?
The rod is apparently from 1916 as indicated by a 6 with a dot on the reel seat cup.



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FiberGrass
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#2

Post by FiberGrass »

hopefully these photos will be of better resolutions.




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Cork & Cane
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#3

Post by Cork & Cane »

A friend just acquired a FET 7'6'' The rod was once listed in a Marty Keene catalog, and MK praised the refinishing work and the fact that one tip was "parabolic" and he really like it. In about 3 months we should be able to tell if the fish agree.

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Flykuni3
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#4

Post by Flykuni3 »

I have that rod, or its twin, though mine is wrapped in red silks -- I suppose "semi para" might be my take. It indeed works deeply and powerfully, tosses line well with a minimum of arm effort. I've fished mine but once on the Animas in Durango, and once I found the perfect amount of line (about 25' or so, plus 10' leader), I really liked that deep flexing and how little effort the rod required of me. Great rod, hat's off.

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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#5

Post by FiberGrass »

Flykuni,
That is great to hear. What vintage is your rod?

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Flykuni3
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#6

Post by Flykuni3 »

Am not certain, it has the three rings, or an O in the center. Who knows out there?

Cork & Cane
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#7

Post by Cork & Cane »

I think there must be multiple FET 7,6" Parabolics. Congratulations.
The rod that I saw had a note that the rod came from Marty Keane. So curiosity had us looking in his old catalogs and we found a mention of what we think is the same rod. I will inquire as to any numbers/rings on the butt, and MK did mention who did the restoration for him.

Inquiring minds need to know,

headwaters
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#8

Post by headwaters »

Flykuni3 wrote:
02/10/21 02:47
Am not certain, it has the three rings, or an O in the center. Who knows out there?
Most likely 1910 or earlier.

According to Stewart & Girard's tome, FET rods from 1898-1909 had bulls-eye rings and no number on the end of the butt cap. From 1010 - 1919, they had a single digit representing the last digit of the year in that decade. Sometimes those single digits were inside a bulls-eye, sometimes not.

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Flykuni3
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#9

Post by Flykuni3 »

I haven't fished the rod in years since I had a fine day on the Animas, and another on the upper SJ in Pagosa Springs. I got a streamside still life there, featuring my favorite guy, the Eternal Angler. It's a random photo I found online, and I take him as many places as I can. The pin is the unit patch of the Go For Broke 442nd of WW ll fame. Torch of Liberty held high.

Thanks for reminding me to take her out soon, it's in beautifully restored condition (Walt Carpenter work).

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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#10

Post by FiberGrass »

Flykuni3,
Thank you for sharing the photo. A beautiful rod indeed. Mine is beginning to show signs of varnish meltdown but I'll see if I can preserve it in its current stage by simply doing a really light varnish overcoat. I can't believe it will be another week before I can cast it outside.

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Flykuni3
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#11

Post by Flykuni3 »

Fish on, good luck this next season, fish 'er but good.

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Short Tip
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#12

Post by Short Tip »

I've owned a number of FET rods of this type and vintage. I wouldn't call them parabolic, Fred wouldn't have known what that meant. These are wet fly actioned rods, designed to be slow and powerful. Normally the stripping guide will be closer to the grip than a modern rod, to make the rod work fully. They are designed to cast with just a pickup and laydown, no false casting as that would dry out the fly. Great rods for all types of fishing once you adapt to the action. They do share some similarities with later para rods, as does the FET Streamer rod, but they also vary with their fine tips and smoothly progressive actions. Enjoy your rod, it's a good 'un!

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Flykuni3
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#13

Post by Flykuni3 »

Agree, Short Tip. Thanks for the observation.

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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#14

Post by FiberGrass »

Short Tip,
Yes! After my initial post, I went through the archives on FET tapers and it all makes sense now. It definitely fits the description of the "wet fly" taper. I guess my initial post was sparked by my first impression of the rod and how different it felt from other FETs I own or had a chance to cast. I do like rods that flex deep into the handle so I have high hopes for this one.

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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#15

Post by jeffkn1 »

Short Tip wrote:
02/11/21 22:43
I've owned a number of FET rods of this type and vintage. I wouldn't call them parabolic, Fred wouldn't have known what that meant. These are wet fly actioned rods, designed to be slow and powerful. Normally the stripping guide will be closer to the grip than a modern rod, to make the rod work fully. They are designed to cast with just a pickup and laydown, no false casting as that would dry out the fly. Great rods for all types of fishing once you adapt to the action. They do share some similarities with later para rods, as does the FET Streamer rod, but they also vary with their fine tips and smoothly progressive actions. Enjoy your rod, it's a good 'un!
Perfect explanation, Paul. Couldn't have done it better.
I have a c1905 Dirigo/Special that came out of Sante's estate. It was a minor project that need freshening up and needed a better replacement butt cap. The original had been poorly replaced, which is why I don't know what it was sold as. It's Calcutta and has composite cork for the grip and ring guides. At 9 1/2', it's a full-working action that makes me smile, not because it's 'suited' for wets but because it is a direct descendant of the Kosmics and Waltons that Fred had been making since 1890. I have fished it at Tim and it's indistinguishable from the Kosmic I fished there the prior season. A tad more stiffness in the tip would make for a little easier pickup for surface work but it was typical of what was coming out of the shops of Thomas, Edwards, Payne, and Leonard. You could almost call it a para but it was simply a medium action fly rod for trout, used by people who didn't know yet that dry fly fishing was the coming religion. AJ smiles whenever this rod comes out because this is the common thread that connects the two centuries. Figuratively, it's the Kosmic that he was writing about when he died, and it stands as a good example of why he couldn't write a book on Walton-based rods from the Thomas shop since TE&P were all producing similar rods having Leonard genes.
I don't have a proper photo on hand but this is what it looked like as a work-in-progress.

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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#16

Post by Woodlakejag »

Short Tip/Jeff,
I was following this thread with interest since it was my understanding that parabolics were developed in the 1930s. Thanks for jumping in, great history and beautiful rods.
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Cork & Cane
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#17

Post by Cork & Cane »

Thanks for the education as to "Wetfly/Parabolic", and the theories, they make a lot of sense.
Also Jeff's TE&P observation.
When I can get some pictures of my friends FET i will post pictures.

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thomasrodco
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#18

Post by thomasrodco »

For what it's worth... there are 14 rods in the ledgers from 1937-1958 that are listed as Parabolic.
11 of these were 7'9" rods, 2 were 8', and 1 was 8'6". I currently own one of the 8'ers.
Actually, 2 of the 7'9" rods are listed as having both "Wet & Dry Parabolic" tips.
These are listed right along with Wet fly tapers as well as Streamers, sometimes in consecutive serial numbers, so they were certainly a distinct taper, at least during this period of time.
No way of knowing for sure when they started specifically making paras, since no records were kept prior to '37.
Steve
Last edited by thomasrodco on 04/19/21 18:58, edited 1 time in total.

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RWHoffhines
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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#19

Post by RWHoffhines »

Back in '94 I had a 2pc 4wt that I eventually sold to "tool up" a couple years later (ugh). I'm pretty sure it was a postwar-era rod. Special grade, blonde bamboo, screw downlock walnut seat. It was gone long before I knew the buttcap would reveal the date of manufacture. In fact I jumped on this hoping it might be the rod, but it was 2pc. Anyway, I was quite fond of it. A stable tip and a deep flexing nature, at least I was smart enough to measure the taper. Lo and behold, after I learned a bit about tapers, analysis indicated it could be called a "parabolic". Oddly, it had a pronounced butt swell in front of the handle, so who knows what the intent was. finally got around to making a rod off that taper a couple years ago for myself, it was like meeting up with an old friend again. Not as efficient as a postwar PHY, but an enjoyable rod nonetheless.

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Re: FET 7'6 3/2 Parabolic?

#20

Post by headwaters »

I'm glad Steve weighed-in, because I remembered that A J Campbell's book noted that one of the rarest and most coveted of Leon Thomas' rods was the 7'9" Parabolic. Classic & Antique Fly-Fishing Tackle, p. 140. I thought tomvt had one, and my recollection is that it was one-tipper. Although A J's book says only 13 were made, Steve has confirmed that the records show 14. Hopefully tomvt will weigh-in as well!

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