Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

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snorider
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#81

Post by snorider »

Wow who made those copies? I like em!
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. T.R.

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doloresboy
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#82

Post by doloresboy »

The original is on the right end. Pete Carboni made all the others. He made me the second one in from the right. One is spoken for a customer, One Pete is going to keep and fish. The last one is an orphan. 4 are 7' rods and one is a 7'3".

We casted all except the customers rod yesterday. Beautiful small stream taper! The original has Winston ferrules of course. One is a step down from an unknown maker and the others are CSE. Didn't matter much.
They all cast great! I'm thinking of bringing mine to the Green River next month but will probably come to my senses. It's really not made for a big tail water.

Dennis, they are all 4 wts. Although I have cast mine with a 3 also.

Matt

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#83

Post by derensfox »

Pretty rods. Are they hollow fluted?

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doloresboy
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#84

Post by doloresboy »

Not Pete's. Don't know about the original. May be. It's the lightest at 2.25 oz. Mine is 2.58 oz.

Matt

snorider
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#85

Post by snorider »

SWEET! Those look great! The Winston 7' 2 5/8oz taper is about the best small stream rod I've ever cast.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. T.R.

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firehole
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#86

Post by firehole »

+1 on the 7' 2 5/8oz. 4wt.

Dennis

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#87

Post by Pentalux »

Nice rods.

If not mistaken believe the very first one was made in '37 for sports writer Peter Schwab - according to an old appraisal done by Keane it was serial number 5704 with nickel silver rings over cork and written on the rod shaft "Peter J.Schwab, the Lettle Feller" from R.L. Winston.

It was noted to be a 7' 2 1/4 oz., 2 pc rod.

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#88

Post by NedZeppelin »

I am guessing I just might be the "customer" and boy am I ever psyched to acquire a rod built by Mr. Carboni and to get to know the great anglers like Matt and craftsmen who work with (and from) Pete. A fantastic bunch of guys who prove once again the people on this forum are remarkable. Matt I would have forgiven you for casting it if you felt the need. . . .

This spring I have a date with a certain nice small Pennsylvania stream in the Poconos that is full of wild browns for which this rod is going to be perfect.

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#89

Post by Booman2 »

Pent, I can confirm the serial# on Pete Schwab's first Leetle Feller. I have his second one as #5747, a 6', 1 1/2 oz. rod. I think I have a photo of this rod and it is inscribed ""Peter J. Schwab" and "1938-12-25."
Interestingly, Gary howells found the term in some Schwab/stoner letters and used it when he was helping put together the first major Winston catalog.

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ibookje
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#90

Post by ibookje »

Nedzep:
Have you fished your rod yet?

Can we estimate how many Leetle Fellers were made?
It was running for more than 50 years. A couple of hundred?

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ibookje
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#91

Post by ibookje »

Keeping the memories of Tom Morgan alive.

My Stalker 7.5ft #4, SF (rod bag) / Montana (rod tube) era.

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Together with my Leetle Feller
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A short video with the Stalker (the angler is the wife of one of the owners of Headhunters Fly shop in Craig, Montana):
https://vimeo.com/27033160

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#92

Post by PT48 »

I got a close look at a very snazzy LF outfit recently. I believe that it was a 7' three weight paired with a Bogdan reel. The really distinguishing factor was that the rod came with a wood spacer as part of the reel seat. Very smart. It was astonishing what that rod could do in the hands of a highly competent angler - all manner of tricky casts to meet the various demands of the small, overgrown stream that we fished. When the fishing was slow on top due to cold water it could even fling a 12 bead head nymph with indicator just to demonstrate that there were fish in the stream (I doggedly persisted with the dry fly). To say that I was highly envious would be something of an understatement.

PT48

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#93

Post by Hellmtflies »

[quote="PT48"]I got a close look at a very snazzy LF outfit recently. I believe that it was a 7' three weight paired with a Bogdan reel. The really distinguishing factor was that the rod came with a wood spacer as part of the reel seat. Very smart. It was astonishing what that rod could do in the hands of a highly competent angler - all manner of tricky casts to meet the various demands of the small, overgrown stream that we fished. When the fishing was slow on top due to cold water it could even fling a 12 bead head nymph with indicator just to demonstrate that there were fish in the stream (I doggedly persisted with the dry fly). To say that I was highly envious would be something of an understatement.

PT48[/quote


:hat

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ibookje
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#94

Post by ibookje »

I think we found the suspect :)

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#95

Post by snorider »

This is a really great thread about what may be my favorite rod style and favorite makers. The only thing missing are the Leetle rods! How bout the 5'6" 1 3/4oz , 6" 2oz , and 6'6" 2 1/8oz 3wts? are they impossible to find? if not has anyone here seen or cast one? I would love to see and hear more about the leetle-ist rods. Pictures would be fantanstic!
Michael
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. T.R.

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ibookje
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#96

Post by ibookje »

50 years and so few rods around?... ???
ibookje wrote:From Ernest Schwiebert's Trout:

Image

In spite of being sold for 50 years or so, there is very little written about this series of rods...

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#97

Post by Marysfan »

snorider wrote:This is a really great thread about what may be my favorite rod style and favorite makers. The only thing missing are the Leetle rods! How bout the 5'6" 1 3/4oz , 6" 2oz , and 6'6" 2 1/8oz 3wts? are they impossible to find? if not has anyone here seen or cast one? I would love to see and hear more about the leetle-ist rods. Pictures would be fantanstic!
Michael
Here are pics of a 6’ 2oz. example. Per Annette at Winston it is a San Francisco rod made in 1971 by Doug Merrick and inscribed in his handwriting.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/147229514 ... res/H3yM2s

snorider
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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#98

Post by snorider »

VERY nice Marysfan! Have you ever cast or fished it? That is a bucket list rod for me, a sub 7' 3wt Winston would be PERFECT for several of my (very) little haunts!
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. T.R.

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#99

Post by NedZeppelin »

I have fished my Carboni Leetle Feller and it is a great, fun rod. Smaller water, flies, and nymphs are its preferred habitat at least in my estimation. Fished it with a Phoenix 4 wt silk line too. Pete builds a perfectly crafted rod.
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Last edited by NedZeppelin on 10/10/18 17:12, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Winston Leetle Fellers: Exactly what are they?

#100

Post by slw »

Reading this thread this morning and seeing Peter Schwab mentioned, reminded me that quite a few years ago FFM published a lengthy letter written by Schwab c. 1948. Here's part of the letter that mentions the first Leetle Feller rod. He was apparently plain spoken. :-)

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