Leonard Wright's Rod????

[GRASSNGLASS]

Leonard Wright has always been one of my favorite authors. So when I recently picked up this heavy weight Phillipson rod the note on the tube has me wondering if the rod may have belonged to him. Hopefully one of our fishing historians here may have some thoughts on the types of rods he fished.

(In my opinion his book Fishing the Dry Fly as a Living Insect is certainly worth reading.)

Incidentally the rod is in beautiful shape with only a few tiny marks on the finish. (Missing the fighting butt if anyone knows where I might find one) What I thought was really neat was some of the marks on the finish turned out to be fish scales.


Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks,
Barry

[Hellmtflies]

Unknown to me. He is one of my favorite authors too. It would Surprise me that he would own or fish a rod that heavy. I'm curious as well.

[Eperous]

... It would Surprise me that he would own or fish a rod that heavy.

He might have fished for salmon; I don't know that and only guessing... but he owned a place on the Neversink, upstream of NYC's Neversink and close to their Rondout Reservoir... he was friends with the late Bill Kelly (William H. Kelly, aka Catskill Bill, in the CFFC&M Hall of Fame) who fished both of these reservoirs and would not be surprised if Wright did also...

Wright wrote, and co-authored, several books, all nice reads in my opinion but clearly his Fishing the Dry Fly as a Living Insect at the time was revolutionary in many ways... among other works he wrote, but not all, are his Neversink and Fly-Fishing Heresies... as a Neverink flyfisher, I've read the first forementioned book several times...

Ed

[cwfly]

Mr. Wright did fish for Atlantic Salmon.

[creakycane]

I have a letter from Len Wright (Dec 91) where he mentions he will be passing the time before trout season for a month in “the Keys” in Jan 92. No mention of the fishing, though I got the impression it involved some sport. In a prior letter to him, I mentioned the fishing we were doing with little stone flies in Jan/Feb of most years (southern Appalachia), and that’s why he mentioned his Keys trip during ny’s closed season.

[Holland]

While fishing the Timber Coulee this spring, I had just tied on a new fly and flipped it upstream and was getting my fly line organized to make a proper cast when I inadvertently moved the fly. The fly was instantly hit by a small brown; I laughed and yelled “the sudden inch!”

[Ed Pirie]

In Leonard Wright's book, "Fly-Fishing Heresies," there is a chapter titled, "Long Live the Long Rod." Leonard Wright was quite dedicated to fishing long fly rods, not the short rods that have been so much in demand for many years now. He writes about the better use of the longer fly rod even on small streams as opposed to the shorter rods. Most of my older Heddons are 8 1/2' and 9' rods and I prefer them on our brooks here in Vermont over some of my Orvis rods that are 7.5' and 8'. I have a nice Heddon Model 20 that is a 9' rod with a #2 ferrule size. It was from the early 1930s and is set up like a Model 35 with the walnut spacer in the grip and a agate stipper guide. It also is set up with an uplocking reel seat as opposed to the usual down locking reel seat on most Heddons. A very pretty rod with just the #20 designation on the rod and no other script or writing. This rod is my favorite on our small brooks and streams as well as on some larger streams here. It is also very nice to fish out of a canoe with as you have a lot of reach and some nice casting. I am thinking this rod was some sort of a light trout configuration.

Ed Pirie
West Topsham, Vermont

[paulkenyon]

It's some time since I read Leonard Wright's book with the care and attention it deserves. But here are some thoughts based on a brief review:

Is it possible that Barry's (GlassNGrass) rod is the one referred to in chapter 7 'Long Live the Long Rod' in Leonard Wright's book Fly-Fishing Heresies ? On page 89 there is a picture with the caption "The author fishing across stream with a favourite 91/2 footer..."

Wright remarks: "I am now going through a trial-marriage with a 91/2-foot glass rod that weighs about the same" - as his 81/2-foot bamboo rod that weigh 41/2 ounces.

The writing on the tube containing Barry's rod describes it as a 91/2-foot glass rod, with an extension butt. The extension butt is missing.

It's not clear how it was attached to the reel seat. From personal experience, it may have resembled my 'Captain Bodge' solution - a spent 12 bore cartridge case !

Wright goes on to say that he is searching for a ten-footer with the same qualities.

[GRASSNGLASS]

Thanks for all the thoughts on this rod.

Certainly appears Mr Wright had an interest in longer rods. This particular rod is a ten weight and weighs 5 1/4 ozs.

Here's a picture of a 4" fighting butt from my nine foot Phillipson Salmon Rod made for Abercrombie & Fitch.
Fits this rod perfectly, but maybe a different color, length
or style than the one that came with the Wright Rod.

Because the rod is a Registered model I'm trying to find out if there is a list of original buyers of the Registered Rods. I've reached out to Rick's Rods who purchased all of Phillipsons old stock and hopefully they may be able to help answer my question. Also hoping they may be able to replace the fighting butt.

Thanks,
Barry