For those of you not familiar with the early rods actually made by Goodwin Granger himself, you may be surprised by the overall design and appearance of these DeLuxe rods. Yes, the beautiful wrap pattern looks very much like the later Second Era "The Goodwin Rod(s)" and the still later Favorites. Black and white jasper silk windings framed with literally hundreds of yellow/gold intermediate wraps. And if that wasn't enough, The First Era DeLuxes also sported the most intricate signature wrap ahead of the grip check.
I'm going to begin this thread with a single distinctive DeLuxe from my collection. I have shown this rod here on the Forum before, having purchased it years ago from Hoagy Carmichael. I believe it to be an early Tournament rod. It's a 9-footer, but weighs only 5 1/4 oz. The guides show no wear at all and the rod is packed in a WWI surplus OD twill bag with a brass-capped tip tube. Note the thumb relief on the grip...perhaps among the first ever applied to a fly rod and pre-dating such on Paul Young's rods and others. Also note the dated, two-sided hang tag and the incredibly complex signature wrap above the grip..
A second DeLuxe is this well-used 9'0" 3/2 DeLuxe at 4 3/4 oz. and unbelievably original overall. Ferrules are 17/11 like later 9043s. The red varnish shows some chips and checks, but no over coats; short half Wells grip with a mild contour. This wonderful old trout rod is still straight and sound and the ferrules still produce a satisfying "pop" when disassembled.
Finally, here's a very rare 8 1/2 ft. "Light Trout" DeLuxe made, sold and used in an era dominated by much longer rods. It weighs but
4.26 oz. and has those beautiful 15/10 'waisted' ferrules. The second tip was replicated by my pal, Scott Whitman, who even found the correct male ferrule and 1915 Pat. tip top. THANKS, Scott!!
I hope you enjoy these century-old Grangers and perhaps others will surface!
Scott Z.
