What Rods Have You Parted With Lately?

[cutthroattroutnm]

A thread on the Forum that asks, “Got a new rod lately?” goes on (in it’s second [at least] manifestation) for nearly 3000 replies, and over a third of a million views.

As I completed my sixth decade on this planet, and am now firmly ensconced in the blissful state of retirement, I find I want to fish much more than I want to collect rods. Not that I ever thought of myself as a collector, but when the assemblage got up to a few dozen, it had to be more than just fishing with bamboo that motivated me, at least at some level.

Recently I’ve begun the process of culling the herd, giving rods away to charities mostly. Up in the Colorado mountain communities, there are many deserving groups, from music festivals, to hospitals, to associations like Adaptive Sports that do many, many fine things for their local communities. All seem to have auction fundraisers, and so besides donating some of my own-tied flies, my cane rods are starting to be on the auction menu. A couple of my Granger 9050 Specials (restored to stunning beauty by Pete Carboni) are the next to depart the collection. I’m hoping someone will fish them, but even if they’re just displayed in someone’s great room, that would be okay as the proceeds (usually quite generous – a Doug Kullick rod I donated last summer auctioned for $2300!) are for a worthy cause.

So, what rods have you parted with lately?

[red 1]

Have not parted with it yet, but it will be the first rod I have given away. It will be a Heddon 125 that I plan on having restored this spring as a gift I will give to my nephew; who I have taken fly fishing and would really appreciate the rod.

[bassman]

Cutthroat, what a great way to move the rods along. Since there is also a thread of there being a dirth of buyers out there now it's a way to help some great causes and clear out some rods used mainly for dust gathering. Glad you're in a position to do that.

[headwaters]

A very classy way to accomplish deaccessions, Mike! I'm sure the Colorado mountain communities' non-profit groups will appreciate it. And, it gives some of us an attractive option to consider.

Rupert

[PYochim]

I have parted with four graphite rods over the last ten years. Three (five weights) along with reels were donated to Wounded Warriors and the last I heard were getting good use. I did unload three cane rods over that period also. I am right where I want to be in the rod department, 5 canes and three graphites.

[thegubster]

I need to trim up my little collection a bit, I'll confess but I'm not in the mood to begin giving my rods away just yet.

The last year found me selling one rod and somehow acquiring two more. It's a temptation I hope will fade before too long but that's not looking too promising!

So, to the subject of your topic. Most recently I rid my collection of a very lightly/gently fished 7 1/2' 2/2 4wt Marc Aroner. Then "somehow" I found myself the owner of the 7'9" Walt Carpenter 5wt that was on the forum.

I try to lighten my load but fail all too often! Funny how that happens...

Jeremy.

[salmonid1]

As a supporter of the American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, VT, I have been donating at least a rod a year to help in their fundraising efforts. Surprisingly, sometimes they end up in their permanent collection -- pretty cool, and a way to be fondly remembered. Not to be ignored is the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum as well. Carmine Lisella

[CDCdun]

Cutthroattroutnm and others...I applaud your donations! In a day when it seems the majority of the population wants to sell their used and abused junk on Craigslist for way too much money, it's nice to see someone donate items they no longer use to a good cause!

Jake

[fisherman911]

I went into my tackle room around December 1st and realized I was becoming close to a hoarder so I let go of:

Art Weiler 193, F.E.Thomas 7.5 Special, Orvis 8' Battenkill 8&1/4oz., Heddon Bill Stanly 8' 1&3/4 and an Orvis Trout 7.5". I have also sold a bunch of medalist reels and spools and one rod I built myself. I will probably try to sell some other rods I built just for the cost of components and a little more plus a bunch of thread and some components.

[SxS]

I traded away a like new beyond beautiful JL Bradley para 13 in exchange for John Pickard's personal John Pickard 7' PHY princess. (the one pictured on his website with the very dead brown trout) In retrospect, I miss the Bradley dearly but the Pickard is a thing of beauty with a nifty history and it fits in well with my growing and someday complete Pickard PHY collection. At the end of the day I don't care that my friend who had just acquired the Pickard off of eBay for next to nothing made out pretty well on the deal. We're still friends, in fact I'm grateful he traded me. Then feeling guilty about having two 7' foot rods in my collection both of which get fished seldom to never, I sold my RA Fick 7' 4wt rod based on a Dickerson taper to a form member shortly after the Pickard Bradley trade. I miss that rod too but I seldom fished it and the guy I sold it to turned out to be a really nice guy who keeps in touch and I bet we even wet line together someday so I'm glad he got it and is enjoying it. Very close to making the decision on selling off my grangers and phillipsons which sit in the closet corner year after year as I fish my newer rods. My wife says I'm a hoarder and perhaps I am, but when time permits I sometimes take them out and just look at them, I always enjoy the smell!

[Flykuni3]

I would only donate a rod to a museum that was very, very old and not fishable. Because I think rods should be on the water. That's just me.

[Tim Anderson]

I have given away, to friends, most of the rods I have made in the past few years. The only stipulation is that the new owners cast and fish them. They aren't collectors items!

Tim

[Doug Murdoch]

I toyed with parting from my 8' Battenkill and my 8'6" Palakona. There was some interest, but I found they had too many fine and happy memories to part with.

My (rugby) knees have been replaced and I am terrified of falling breaking myself or a rod. I have turned to carbon.

I just can't part with my cane, but hope that when I am gone they will go to a good home.

[AK Troutbum]

I just can't part with my cane, but hope that when I am gone they will go to a good home.

Yeah, you and me both. However, the more I look at the collection, the more I think there's probably some room to purge. But I also feel, like what's already been stated, if I do purge, they belong in the hands of someone that will fish them. That is probably one of my greatest fears; when I die, my bamboo rods falling into the hands of someone that won't fish them. Or even worse yet, my wife selling them for what I told her I paid for them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Doug Murdoch]

Lol. Reminds me of Patrick McManus having a nightmare of his wife selling his guns for what he told her he paid.

My 20 ga. M426E Beretta will go to a Buddy.

[drifly]

An extremely nice and generous gesture Carmine. Stanley

[Doublehauler]

A few years ago, I started gathering bamboo rods, I had a few from my Father in law's tackle leavings, and one from an uncle , a well used Granger Special. Not having much of a budget for such stuff I have only a couple of any value. I did have, and still have most of the graphite rods I collected for 25 or 30 years. But I am slowly getting rid of most of the graphites. Donating some , selling others. I had mostly Sages, and only a couple of those were factory rods, I put them together for myself and my son, and others. I have enough bamboo now that I can fish anywhere around home and have the right rod. So the graphites are on the way out. My wife will be more than pleased if I can dispose of them before I make my exit and she has to deal with them. So far half a dozen Sages made it out the door and a Fenwick Boron will soon too. Caught some steelhead on that rod, oh well. Excuse me while I count my blessings again.

Jim J.
Bigfork, Montana

[Heddon20]

I think I'm pretty much done with parting with rods for the time being. I unloaded 3 rods (Tonka Princess, an 8'6" 3/2 Folsom Arms 1515, and a 9' 2f Heddon #14) to help pay for a Thramer made Payne 197 and to just thin the herd a bit.

Since I'm 8 years from retirement, my next rod purchases won't be for another 6-7 years. Planning on getting another 7 1/2' 3/2 4wt and a Payne 198. I have the 197 so I have to get it's big brother

[Eddie Southgate]

Never sold one .

Eddie

[paxlev]

I know that my wife believes, at least now in my rod collecting stage of life, that this should be not worse than a net 0 sum game .... But, it's not as easy doing that (at least for me) as it seems. I just checked my rod list and between the summer of 2015 and now I parted with two rods. A Maca rod, which for me was not to my taste but for many you would be saying what the heck did he do ... and a sweet 2/3 Aroner Hunt pattern. I parted with the Aroner only because it was very similar in taper and aesthetics to a 2/2 Maxell Hunt pattern and I needed some coin to buy another rod. Along the way, my net 0 sum game is off .... Picked up several more rods than I shed ... Maybe I need a new, New Year's resolution ... OK, my resolution, for 2018, is .... LOL .... Ric