any bamboo guys here?

[krayfish2]

You know how it ends going into it. Sucks but hopefully it's offset by the great moments. The young one has been in the boat since he was 3 1/2 months old. He'll be 2 at the end of January and he is amazing. Stays out of the way while watching everything that's going on. The little dude goes from sound asleep to on point at the announcement "got em", "he took it" or at the sound of line being ripped off the water to set the hook.

My first one would jump out and swim after it if he saw a fish jump. You'd have to fight him off once the fish was netted. LoL

 

[Kyle]

maybe this site needs a dog post. or better yet, a brittany post lol. i love brittanys. i never though my profile picture would attract so much interest. but im glad it has. they are great friends.

 

[Canoetripper]

I am an Orvis customer and have my grandfather's 7'6" Battenkill bamboo fly rod. Orvis told me that it was made in 1964. I fish it with an Orvis Battenkill fly reel(disc drag) with 5 wt. fly line.

My grandfather also had two Brittany's. Brothers from the same litter, and they were great gun dogs.

 

[JGR]

my other "orvisView attachment 1641227481 bamboo". this one has red wrappings. same looking rod tube, different color sock. although this one is broken on the second part. this rod was given to me with the purchase of the previous rod in this post. but this rod has no writings on it anywhere. but looks very similiar to my first rod minus the red wrapping
View attachment 1641227480

It's an Orvis "99", which was their lower grade rod typically sold with one tip. They were built on Battenkill two-piece tapers from 1955 (Orvis' 99th year) through 1966. Early examples were fitted with Super Z ferrules and later ones with the standard Orvis ferrule. They all had red wraps. Yours has a reel seat with 2 locking rings, so it was made no earlier than 1962.

Orvis rods were designed to cast silk lines through 1962. They adopted AFTMA line standards in 1963 and modified some of the tapers to better cast the new lines.

You should be able to identify the model of your "99" from the catalogs below.

Scans from the 1962 catalog:





From the 1963 catalog:



From the 1966 catalog:



Hope this helps...

 

[Bamboozle]

That could be a "kit" rod. Orvis offered rod building kits at one time.

Have you tried a DT4 or WF4 with that Nymph? It's got to be VERY slow with a 5wt line.

 

[laszlo]

For years I've been looking for an Orvis bamboo rod as old as I am, Finally found one on classicflyrods.com, A 1954 8 ft Battenkill, throws a peach DT 5 wt real nice.

 

[Bamboozle]

For years I've been looking for an Orvis bamboo rod as old as I am, Finally found one on classicflyrods.com, A 1954 8 ft Battenkill, throws a peach DT 5 wt real nice.

Congratulations!! I'm still hoping to find a particular Orvis bamboo spinning rod built on the DAY I was born but so far no luck...

I own more than a few bamboo rods by a few different makers but I have a particular fondness for Orvis because an Orvis bamboo rod was the first I ever laid eyes on as kid at a sporting goods store in Boston called Stoddard's.

Growing up, the local fly shops I frequented in PA were all Orvis dealers so I lusted for a while until I got my first, an Orvis Flea in a trade for 100 flies.

Enjoy your "new" rod!!

 

[StreamBottom]

For years I've been looking for an Orvis bamboo rod as old as I am, Finally found one on classicflyrods.com, A 1954 8 ft Battenkill, throws a peach DT 5 wt real nice.

My Battenkill 3-7/8th oz & I share a birth year of 1968.

Nice rod Kyle!

 

[Bamboozle]

Nice!!

 

[laszlo]

Nice looking rod

 

[Drifly]

No Orvis rods, but I have cast several their quite nice, I’ve had several from a bunch of different makers but have a particular fondness for square bamboo rod similar to the one in my profile pic. Once dry fly fishing starts it’s nothing but bamboo.

 

[JGR]

My Battenkill 3-7/8th oz & I share a birth year of 1968.

Nice rod Kyle!
View attachment 1641227622

View attachment 1641227623

From the 1968 catalog:




From my notes:
"The 7 1/2-foot, 3 7/8-oz, 12/64-ferrule, medium-action taper was designed by Wes Jordan for 6-weight synthetic lines and intended primarily for use as a basic trout rod. Produced from 1963 through 1992, it was Orvis’ second most popular model during much of that period.

This taper was used for the Battenkill (1963-1992), “99” (1963-1966), Deluxe (1963-1966), Superfine (1967-1974), Wes Jordan (1969-1982), Madison (1969-1992) and “125” (1981-1985) grades & models."

The half-Wells grip was a scarce option.

 

[Bamboozle]

JGR:

Thanks for the history!!

I love looking at catalogs that tout 6-7-8 wt rods, something that terrifies today's anglers and their "technical" assumptions that trout evolved into Mensa-fish in 50 years and today, nothing but a 2 or 3wt will suffice...

 

[JGR]

For years I've been looking for an Orvis bamboo rod as old as I am, Finally found one on classicflyrods.com, A 1954 8 ft Battenkill, throws a peach DT 5 wt real nice.

Scans from the 1954 catalog:






You didn't mention if you have the 2 or 3-piece model.

From my notes on the 8-foot, 2-piece model:
"The 8-foot, 4 1/4-oz, 13/64-ferrule taper has a medium-action. It was designed by Wes Jordan in the 1940s for the silk lines of the day. Orvis recommended HDH (double taper) & HDG (weight-forward taper) or HCH & HCF silk lines for it depending on the production year—about current synthetic 6-weight or 7-weight lines respectively.

Being a versatile general-purpose fly rod, it was a popular model and they're common on the secondary market.

It was cataloged by no later than 1948 and produced through 1962. During the tapers production life, it was available in Battenkill (~1948-1962), Manchester (~1948-1955) and "99" (1955-1962) grades."


My notes on the 8-foot, 3-piece model:
"The 8-foot, 4 ½-oz, 16/64 & 10/64-ferrule taper is a Wes Jordan design with a medium-action. Orvis recommended HDH or HDG silk lines line for the rod though 1967, which are about equivalent to synthetic DT6 or WF6 lines. From 1968 through 1976, the line recommendation was changed to WF7. In 1977, the recommendation reverted to WF6 line.

It was cataloged by 1948 and was made through 1992. During the tapers production life, it available in Battenkill (1940s-1992), Manchester (1940s-1955) and "125" (1982-1985) grades."

 

[redietz]

From the 1968 catalog:

That logo has long bothered me. I've caught literally thousands of brook trout, and almost none of them have jumped. Last weekend, one of the brookies I caught on Big Spring did so, doubling the number I've seen leave the water on their own vultition.

 

[JGR]

That logo has long bothered me. I've caught literally thousands of brook trout, and almost none of them have jumped. Last weekend, one of the brookies I caught on Big Spring did so, doubling the number I've seen leave the water on their own vultition.

It's the famous Samuel A. Kilbourne painting from 1876.

I've never had a brook trout jump. Maybe some day.

 

[StreamBottom]

From the 1968 catalog:




From my notes:
"The 7 1/2-foot, 3 7/8-oz, 12/64-ferrule, medium-action taper was designed by Wes Jordan for 6-weight synthetic lines and intended primarily for use as a basic trout rod. Produced from 1963 through 1992, it was Orvis’ second most popular model during much of that period.

This taper was used for the Battenkill (1963-1992), “99” (1963-1966), Deluxe (1963-1966), Superfine (1967-1974), Wes Jordan (1969-1982), Madison (1969-1992) and “125” (1981-1985) grades & models."

The half-Wells grip was a scarce option.

Thanks Greg!!
Drinks are on me at the next meet up!

 

[Mashbill]

Really miss that dog ... i cried like a baby. she was absolutely crazy.

 

[Canoetripper]

To add to the thread, my 7' 6" Orvis Battenkill bamboo fly rod was manufactured in 1964. I use it with a Battenkill fly reel spooled with floating 5 wt. fly line.

Does anyone on the board still have one of those ArctiCreel creels pictured above, or distant memories?

I did an internet search and bought something similar a while ago. I am allowed to keep some fish(stocked) at my R&G club. One for supper and one for breakfast is all I ever need.

The creel does a good job of keeping the fish from freezing and also my beer from tasting like fish while in the cooler.

 

[JGR]

To add to the thread, my 7' 6" Orvis Battenkill bamboo fly rod was manufactured in 1964. I use it with a Battenkill fly reel spooled with floating 5 wt. fly line.

Does anyone on the board still have one of those ArctiCreel creels pictured above, or distant memories?

I did an internet search and bought something similar a while ago. I am allowed to keep some fish(stocked) at my R&G club. One for supper and one for breakfast is all I ever need.

The creel does a good job of keeping the fish from freezing and also my beer from tasting like fish while in the cooler.

I still have an Artic Creel I bought in the early 1980s. I haven't kept trout in years, but I remember it working well.