Share your examples and thoughts on E.C. Powell rods

[rsagebrush]

I digress but I have an 8'4" Walton Powell rod that takes a 4/5/6/7 line, I prefer it with a 5 or 6 though (although it does cast the other lines well) and I assume it is solidbuilt, it's the only bamboo rod that I can consistently cast the whole line with, I don't think it would have been improved being hollowbuilt, in fact I'm sure of it because Walton told me so I'm sure he learned a lot from EC. I did have a 81/2' Maslan Hollowbuilt for a 5/6 weight but preferred Walton's rod it felt better in my hand. All the Powells, Yerxa and Maslan rods were pretty nice.

[Flyman615]

Thanks, Al, for sharing the photos and the narrative on your early E.C. Powell.
Much appreciated!

Scott

[cdmoore]

A 7.5 footer far from home and right at home. This one has the less common cap and ring over cork. A beautiful wild rainbow— possibly even a descendant from the McCloud up the road from Red Bluff—is camouflaged in the fallen leaves. Blue sky and crisp air. Cold water and the sun light fading fast. Purple Haze still working. I am indebted to two excellent forum members for this opportunity.

[Flyman615]

Beautiful photo, thanks much for sharing.
Wish I could find an ECP with that grip and reel seat. Very nice indeed!

Scott

[ARTHURK]

Buddy Powell 3/2 4wt super smooth taper that can throw a long line as Buddy would... the line just ‘drifts’ into the distance ....hope it is Ok. Love Chris’ rare lighter model and the shorter ones shown here



Cheers
Arthur

[cdmoore]

Great to see one of Buddy's rods, Arthur. He might have ended up the Jim Payne of the Powell family were it not for his accident. His tapers were a bit different, but the look is classic and a terrific complement to his father's work. I'll try to get pics up of mine here pretty soon. I'm very sure that Aldo Leopold's rod at the AMFF is one of Buddy's rods.

[Salar4me]

I have a 9'6" EC Powell 3/2 5.5oz 7/8wt which had been advertised as an A taper. Obtained from a board member a few years ago. Although used primarily on Great Lakes Steelhead streams chucking a bit of weight, really comes to life without it.




Also have a 9’ not sure what taper obtained with a plethora of sins including a replaced reel seat and serious fracture on one tip (repaired) and broken 2nd tip (repaired and fishable but indeed needs a scarf).

[ARTHURK]

Great to see one of Buddy's rods, Arthur. He might have ended up the Jim Payne of the Powell family were it not for his accident. His tapers were a bit different, but the look is classic and a terrific complement to his father's work. I'll try to get pics up of mine here pretty soon. I'm very sure that Aldo Leopold's rod at the AMFF is one of Buddy's rods.

Hi Chris, glad you helped in Per’s book too. Wow! I didn’t know Aldo Leopold ( one my heroes as I love Nature Based Solutions & regenerating wilderness) owned a Buddy Powell. Per sold me this rod and it seems it was owned by David Seidler who won an Oscar for ‘The King’s Speech’ ( I now have 2 Seidler rods another of which is a rare Eustis Edwards;-)). According to Per, David found my Buddy Powell in England and that might explain the male ferrule caps. Thanks for highlighting the different taper designs... I am now curious & hoping to find a shorter, light trout hollow EC to compare in future. I now regret not casting a bunch of ECs when I visited GGACC twice over the years...hahhahaa. Looking forward to seeing your Powells!

Cheers
Arthur

[east-walker-river]

Recent purchase. Listing mentioned a factory refinish. Maroon wraps similar to Walton Powell colored wraps? Bought rod to fish but intrigued by it's long history of use and the stories it could tell!

Listing description..

"An EC Powell fly rod, 9', 3-piece, 4-tip, built for a #7 line. 4.8 ounces. Refinished with a repair wrap in two places, one on a mid and the other on a tip, done at the Powell shop. The second set of tips appear to have been added at the time the delamination issues were being fixed. There are intermediate wraps between every guide. Unused since then. Slow action. Chestnut colored cane done in a spiral node pattern on the butt, but not elsewhere. Wrapped dark brown at the keeper with a band of yellow and black. All of the other wraps are maroon/brown. Agate stripper and chrome guides and tip-tops. The ferrules are polished bright. The grip is 6" long and shaped in a full wells profile. Typical powell uplocking screwlock with the logo stamp. All sections are full length and straight. Olive poplin bag and original aluminum and brass topped tube."

[Flykuni3]

My single EC, but a goodie, one of those scarce 7'6, 40s-50s rods. Here on Calif's Lower Owens river, with DT5 line on a 3" St George. It's a really good, balanced outfit. Likely the B taper, medium-fast and a fine casting stick for trout fishing here. It is light in hand and responsive. I usually don't like highly sculpted grips, but will live with this one. Have fished it with a DT4, but honestly the five might have an edge.

[cdmoore]

Mmm mmm MMMm!

[Flykuni3]

[/quote]

... it was owned by David Seidler who won an Oscar for ‘The King’s Speech’ ( I now have 2 Seidler rods another of which is a rare Eustis Edwards;-)). According to Per, David found my Buddy Powell in England and that might explain the male ferrule caps. Thanks for highlighting the different taper designs...
[/quote]

David is an old pal o' mine, we fished a good bit together in So California and at the Hot Creek Ranch. He once yelled at me for horning in on his honey hole there, ahaha. There were caddis on, and I had on the proper emerger, and took a riser from right under his nose. He yelled, and I laughed. He gave me a stage play to read, and I thought it was a fine bit of writing, but impossible to mount in LA: who would want to do a play about British royalty, and their old problems from long ago? I had few suggestions on where to send it. A while later he casually mentioned how his play was being made into a movie. And then said who was involved. I think I gasped out loud. Then he invited me to the premiere at the classic Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. He had a whole row for himself. It was a great movie, was much impressed. Told him as we walked out, "Hey this movie is going a long way." He replied, "Your lips to god's ear." Then we went to the after-party at the Roosevelt Hotel across the street, where the first Oscars were held. It was casual but fairly high up on the scale. And David's script won the damn Oscar as I watched on tv. But back to the party.

I was enjoying a tequila on the rocks with David, leaning against a big planter there. A rumpled fella was to my right, David was to my left. I leaned to my left to David and said, "Hey, is this Weinstein next to me?" David nodded. Later, a very leggy Heather Graham walked in, ahem. And much later, Weinstein appeared in the news for very bad performances. And that's my story.

[JoeBolt]

Delicious cork & RHW setup, flykuni3! And beautiful photo. Add a Geo. Lawrence creel?!

[Flykuni3]

Ha, if'n I wore a creel in California I'd be attacked by fly fishing socialists (kidding people kidding)

[bearbutt]

I was enjoying a tequila on the rocks with David, leaning against a big planter there. A rumpled fella was to my right, David was to my left. I leaned to my left to David and said, "Hey, is this Weinstein next to me?" David nodded. Later, a very leggy Heather Graham walked in, ahem. And much later, Weinstein appeared in the news for very bad performances. And that's my story.

LOL--best thread digression here in YEARS.

bb

[east-walker-river]

My single EC, but a goodie, one of those scarce 7'6, 40s-50s rods. Here on Calif's Lower Owens river, with DT5 line on a 3" St George. It's a really good, balanced outfit. Likely the B taper, medium-fast and a fine casting stick for trout fishing here. It is light in hand and responsive. I usually don't like highly sculpted grips, but will live with this one. Have fished it with a DT4, but honestly the five might have an edge.

That's a beautiful picture worthy of being on the cover of a fly fishing magazine! The Lower Owens has its challenges but so much fun to fish.

Thanks for sharing!

[JoeBolt]

Ha, if'n I wore a creel in California I'd be attacked by fly fishing socialists (kidding people kidding)

Hilarious! For cold California beers only!
Enjoy.

[pmtaylor16]

I have several and a few rare sized ones, first the more commonly known:

EC Powell 8 1/2 Hollow build 2/2 B Taper 4oz 5wt, casts like a dream and puts a smile on my face.

EC Powell 8 1/2 Hollow build 2/2 A 1/6 Taper 4.2oz 5/6 wt for casting accuracy, a joy to cast for me.

EC Powell 9' 3" Hollow build 2/2 4.7oz 7/8wt B Taper, casts as long as I need for the Summer run. This was Jim Adams favorite rod and I let Herb from the Trinity fly shop cast it and he was amazed at it's ability, Herb is not a Bamboo guy and he loved casting this rod.

EC Powell 9 1/2 Hollow Build 2/2 5.2oz 7/8wt C Taper Steelhead, love to cast this rod and watch the "reserve power" kick in when the line seems to be falling, suddenly it gets an extra boost of energy and goes farther and love to hook steelhead with this rod.

My 2 rare size ones:

EC Powell Maslan build, 9' Hollow Build 2/2 5.6oz C Taper seems to be an 9wt rod and maybe it was designed as a Tournament distance casting rod? if not it's obviously for a bigger line for bigger fish rod.

EC Powell 9' 8" Hollow build 2/2 5.1oz either a B or C Taper and casts a 6wt floating shooting head marvelously, I've yet to try other lines I want to try but because it needs a repair in the cracked/loose reel seat, I'm waiting. I was at the GGACC and was talking with some EC Powell experts and Jim Adams said EC made some 9' 8" rods for some Canadian fellows and their needs. Here's a few pics of the 9' 8" rod. Tight lines.

[pmtaylor16]

Does anyone have any pre-WWII E.C. Powell rods they would be willing to share photos of here on the Forum? Or, perhaps, a rod or two by Buddy Powell?

Also any Powell rods with differing original reel seats and/or grips would be nice to see. THANKS very much in advance for any and all contributions to this thread!

Scott

Scott,

I have a 1930's EC Powell 9 1/2 A taper 5 3/8 oz 5/6wt 3/2 with the Cedar core, but not a hollow build. This rod went back to the EC Powell shop at some point to get a repair to the mid section(one mid is about an inch short indicating probably a female ferrule glue failure of some sort, but it also got a new correct size mid section and a new coat of oil, as EC used for finish on his pre war rods. This 1930's rod has a downlocking reel seat, instead of the more common uplocking.

I have to say this 3/2 rod changed my mind about 3 piece rods, this rod casts 90ft with relative ease/not pushing hard and I love the feel/action of the bamboo "catapulting" the line forward. I thought that distinct feeling/action was only found in 2 piece rods. I have to be 100% honest it's good to be wrong sometimes, when I first purchased this rod and took it to the river for my first try with it, it was nice, but I was not impressed, but I was using the wrong line and recently I took it out with the line that made the rod come alive and WOW, just loving to cast it now. Here's a few pics.

Pete

[ibookje]

No idea when it might happen but I’d love to cast some Powell rods one day