The E.F. Payne Rod Co. was founded in 1898 in highland Mills N.Y. Ed Payne established his rod building manufactory after leaving the recently sold Thomas, Edwards and Payne Rod Co. which was sold to US Net & Twine. Thomas, Edwards and Payne manufactured the Kosmic Rod and the Walton Rod was being made in Maine by Fred Thomas. Although Ed Payne began as a gunsmith, reel maker, in partnerships with Philbrook as Payne and Philbrook, he became the ferrule smith while at H. L. Leonard and began making rods while at Thomas, Edwards and Payne. It wasn't until he founded E.F. Payne Rod Co. that he would make rods of his on construction.
By 1904 or so Ed Payne was joined by his 10 year old son Jim as apprentice and only 10 short years later Ed Payne passed away in 1914 leaving his son Jim a legacy and large shoes to fill. Jim had become quite accomplished as a rod maker and the exquisite rods of his fathers design continued being made without interruption. Less than 2 years later Jim began his experiments in flame tempering of the bamboo and once perfected the darkened cane rod which became his legacy was born. Jim offered his rods in 2 finishes, i.e. the lighter cane of his dads style and the darker cane of his and in 1925 he worked on using an oven to perform his magic toning process and once perfected dropped the lighter cane from his rod line. Jim Payne continued to make rods under the Payne name until his death in 1968 and left behind a legacy in rod making still discussed with reverence today.
E.F. Payne 3 piece rods
Note: All weights are for the Skeleton Reel Seat simply add ½ oz for the Payne Uplock Seat designed by George Halstead with Jim Payne.
Model-Length--Action/line size--rodweight-----Catalog year
196---7'------------------2 7/8-3 1/8 ozs.--unknown
197---7'6"-------DF-5-----------3 ½-3 5/8 ozs.----1975
198---7'6"-----Fast DF-6--------3 ¾-3 7/8 ozs.----1975
200---8'-------Light DF-4-------3 5/8-3 ¾ ozs.----1975
201---8'---------DF-5-----------3 7/8-4 ozs.------1975
202---8'-------Fast DF-6-------4 1/8-4 ¼ ozs.-----1975
204---8'6"-----Light DF-5------4 1/8-4 ¼ ozs.-----1975
205---8'6"---Med or Fast DF-6--4 ½-4 5/8 ozs.-----1975
206---8'6"---Med or Fast----5-5 ¼ ozs.------------1950
206---9'--------------------4¾ ozs.---------------1931
207---9'--------Slow--------4 3/4-4 7/8 ozs.------1950
208---9'---------DF---------4 ¾-5 ozs.------------1950
208L--9'--------------------5 ¼ ozs.--------------1931
208---9'--------------------5 3/8 ozs.------------1931
208LH-9'--------------------5 ¾ ozs.--------------1931
208H--9'--------------------5 7/8 ozs.------------1931
209---9'-------DF-----------5 ¼-5 ¾ ozs.----------1950
210---9'----Med or Fast-----5 ½ ozs.--------------1950
210L--9'--------------------5 7/8 ozs.------------1931
210---9'--------------------6 1/8 ozs.------------1931
212---9'-----Medium---------5 5/8-5 ¾ ozs.--------1950
212---9'--------------------6 ½ ozs.--------------1931
214---9'6"------------------6-6 1/8 ozs.----------1950
214---10'-------------------6-6 ½ ozs.------------1931
Dry Fly Salmon Rods
216---10'-------------------7 ½-8 ozs.------------1931
216---10'-------------------8 ½ ozs.--------------1936
218---10'6"-----------------8 ¾-9 ½ ozs.----------1931
218H--10'6"-----------------9-9 ¾ ozs.------------1931
218L--10"6"-----------------8 5/8 ozs.------------1936
Later Dry Fly Salmon Rods with 400 series model designations first shown 1936
401---9'2"------------------7 1/8-7 ¼ ozs.--------1950
406---9'5"------------------7 ½-7 7/8 ozs.--------1950
410---10'-------------------7 ½-8 ozs-------------1936
411---9'8"------------------7 5/8-7 7/8 ozs.------1950
416---10'2"-----------------9 ¼-9 ¾ ozs.----------1950
Two Handed 3/2 Salmon Rods Doublebuilt/ Salmon Rods/ Wet Fly Rods
221---10'6"-----------------10 ½-11 ozs.----------1950
222---11'-------------------13 ozs.---------------1936
222---11'-------------------12 ½-13 ozs.----------1950
223---11'6"-----------------13 ½-14 ozs.----------1950
224---12'-------------------15-16 ozs.------------1931
224---12'-------------------16 ozs.---------------1936
224---12'-------------------15-15 ½ ozs.----------1950
225---12'6"-----------------17 ozs.---------------1936
225---12'6"-----------------16-16½ ozs.-----------1950
226L--13'-------------------17 ¾ ozs.-------------1936
226---13'-------------------18 ½ ozs.-------------1936
226---13'-------------------17-17 ½ ozs.----------1950
227---13'6"-----------------19 ½ ozs.-------------1936
227---13'6"-----------------18 ½-19 ozs.----------1950
228---13'-------------------16 ½-17 ½ ozs.--------1931
228---14'-------------------20 ¼ ozs.-------------1936
228---14'-------------------19 ½-20 ¼ ozs.--------1950
230---14'-------------------17 ½-20 ozs.----------1931
E.F. Payne 2 piece rods
95---6'--------------------1 5/8 ozs.------------1950
95---6'----DF 3 or 4-------1 5/8 ozs.------------1975
96---6'--------------------1 ¼-1 ½ ozs.----------1931
96---6'--------------------1 5/8 ozs.------------1936
96---6'6"------------------2 ¼-2 3/8 ozs.--------1950
96---6'6"-----DF-4---------2 ¼-2 3/8 ozs.--------1975
97---7'-------DF-----------2 5/8-2 ¾ ozs.--------1950
97---7'-------DF-4---------2 5/8-2 ¾ ozs.--------1975
98---7'--------------------2 ¼-2 ½ ozs.----------1931
98---7'--------------------2 ¾ ozs.--------------1936
98---7'------Fast DF-------2 7/8-3 ozs.----------1950
98---7'------Fast DF-5-----2 7/8-3 ozs.----------1975
100---7'6"------------------2 ½-2 7/8 ozs.--------1931
100---7'6"------------------3 ¼ ozs.--------------1936
100---7'6"------DF----------3 ¼-3 3/8 ozs.--------1950
100---7'6"------DF-4--------3 ¼-3 3/8 ozs.--------1975
100L--7'6"------------------3 ozs.----------------1936
100H--7'6"------------------2 ¾-3 1/8 ozs.--------1931
101---7'6"-----Fast DF------3 ½-3 ¾ ozs.----------1950
101---7"6"-----Fast DF-5----3 1/2-3 ¾ ozs.--------1975
102---8'--------------------3-3 3/8 ozs.----------1931
102---8'--------------------3 7/8 ozs.------------1936
102---8'-------Light DF-----3 5/8-3 7/8 ozs.------1950
102---8'-------Light DF-5---3 5/8-3 7/8 ozs.------1975
102L--8'--------------------3 ½ ozs.--------------1936
102H--8'--------------------3 1/2-3 7/8 ozs.------1931
102H--8'--------------------4 1/8 ozs.------------1936
103---8'-------Fast DF------4-4 1/8 ozs.----------1950
103---8'-------Fast DF-6----4-4 1/8 ozs.----------1975
104---8'6"------------------4 ¼-4 ¾ ozs.----------1931
104---8'6"------------------4 5/8 ozs.------------1936
104---8'6"-----Light DF-----4 1/8-4 3/8 ozs.------1950
104---8'6"-----Light DF-6---4 1/8-4 3/8 ozs.------1975
105---8'6"------Slow--------4 5/8-4 ¾ ozs.--------1950
105---8'6"-----Slow DF-7----4 5/8-4 ¾ ozs.--------1975
106---8'6"--Med or Fast DF--4 5/8-4 ¾ ozs.--------1950
106---8'6"--Med or Fast-DF8-4 5/8-4 ¾ ozs.--------1975
107---8'10"-----------------4 7/8-5 1/8 ozs.------1950
107---8'10"-Med or Fast-DF8-4 5/8-5 1/8 ozs.------1975
108---9'--------------------4 ¾-5 ¼ ozs.----------1931
108---9'--------------------5 ½ ozs.--------------1936
108---9'-----Light DF-------5-5 ¼ ozs.------------1950
110---9'6"------------------5 ½-6 ozs.------------1931
110---9'--------------------5 3/8-5 ½ ozs.--------1950
112---10'-------------------5 ¾-6 ½ ozs.----------1931
Two Piece Parabolic introduced 1936 catalog
7'9"------------------4 1/8 ozs.------------1936
7'1"------------------2 7/8 ozs.------------1950
7'9"------------------3 ¾ ozs.--------------1950
7'1"---3 or 4 WT------2 7/8 ozs.------------1975
7'9"--Reg & Heavy-----3 ¾ ozs.--------------1975
Note: Although not in my catalogs there was a 7'6" Parabolic also weighing 3 3/8 ozs. The Regular 7'9" available in 4 or 5 WT and the Heavy in 6 or 7 WT.
Special Rods 3 piece 2 tips
9'---Bass Bug Rod-----6 ½-6 5/8 ozs.----1950 & 1975
8'6"-Streamer Fly Rod-5 5/8-5 ¾ ozs.----1950 & 1975
9'---Streamer Fly Rod-6-6 ¼ ozs.--------1950 & 1975
8'6"-Canadian Canoe Rod-5-5 ¼ ozs.----------1950
8'---Circular Bend Rod--3 5/8-4 1/8 ozs.----1975
One other rod that was made by Payne Rod Co. was the 4'4" 2 piece Banty.
Gladding became the owner of the Payne Co. in the early 60's and continued to produce rods under that name after Jim died with David Decker as the rodmaker. A short period had the name changed to Decker Rod but it was returned to the EF Payne Rod Co. and was eventually sold to Johnson Wax Corp who also held the HL Leonard and REC, Hal Bacon then purchased the name and it was eventually sold to David Holloman of Sisters OR where it continues building the EF Payne rod.
History of the EF Payne Rod Co and its models
History of the E.F. Payne Rod Co. Feel free to discuss Payne Rods here.
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