here's one for the old guys....

[brain]

what were a few of the top shelf rod, reel and line setups from the mid 70's, lets say 1975 specifically?

 

[WildTigerTrout]

I believe Fenwick were top of the line flyrods at the time.

 

[salvelinus]

Fenwick for glass, Orvis, T&T, and HL Leonard for cane. Orvis CFO fly reel and a Cortland 333 (I can't remember if 444 was out yet) or Scientific Anglers Air Cel line.

Fenwicks were around 30-40 bucks I think, and you could buy an Orvis Battenkill or T&T Classic boo for $250. Can't remember what fly lines cost.

 

[bikerfish]

some awesome glass rods from that era,Ferdinand Claudio, Russ Peak, Philipson, Vince Cummings, Orvis, and Winston are just some.
Just look at the money some of those rods command today.
As for reels, Orvis and Hardy are the first that come to mind, but there were many other high quality reels from that era, just can't think of them right now.

 

[brain]

i'm trying to put a vintage rig together for an old truck that i recently overhauled. i have little doubt that when it was new there was a fishing rod in it.
i lost a fenwick ff84 this afternoon on fleecebay.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

So you will drive to the stream in the old truck and fish with a vintage set up? I get it. Orvis stuff was pretty much what we considered high end. I think the Orvis Far and Fine came out in the mid seventies and matching a vintage Battenkill reel could be done for around $300.00 on ebay at some point I'll bet. My uncle was the first fly fisherman I saw in the seventies and he had some bamboo rods but they were not high end. My fly rod in 1975 was a red and white fiberglass South Bend bought at a dept. store. Caught my first trout on a Royal Coachman wet in Fishing Creek near Lamar. I was 15.

 

[RCFetter]

In the late 70s, before I started fly fishing, I remember getting Thomas & Thomas catalogs in the mail. I just checked their website and saw they were founded in 1969 so I don't know how popular they were in the 70s.

 

[brain]

bamboo would be cool, but i really don't want to deal with the ins & outs of wood. glass would be just fine. seeings how everything is graphite these days i'm not sure i want a graphite rod for my "way back machine".
with that being said, i'm not planning on using the vintage setup often, but it will get fished.

bell bottoms, disco music and large collars however will not be happening.

 

[pete41]

I may be wrong butt believe Scientific anglers rods,reels and lines were the hip way to go then..also believe the reels were made by Hardy for SA but maybe knot...
No brainer-you just bought the outfit....glassers-good stuff.Okay,maybe that was late 60s,early 70s----Fenwick and graphite pretty much shut them out,then Fenwick went off shore and sage moved in..

 

[brain]

i've been reading about st. croix's imperial xl series of glass rods.....i'am a st croix kinda of person.

 

[gfen]

[d] 9' 5wt [/d]

8' 6wt

 

[Rolf]

gfen wrote:


[d] 9' 5wt [/d]

8' 6wt

The man is right. Back then the six weight was the preferred rod for most folks, especially those just starting out or using just one rod.

 

[afishinado]

Gfen has to be the youngest old man I've ever seen.

Most rods back in the 70's had line designations that read something like 4/5 wt or 5/6 wt. Made sense, since most any rod can handle more than one line weight. The line weight could/should be varied depending on how and where it was to be fished. Today listing multiple line weights for a rod amount to heresy.

A 5wt and certainly a 6wt rod of that vintage feels very clunky to me. I don't get it.... but to each his own. Fish on!

 

[springer1]

i'm trying to put a vintage rig together for an old truck that i recently overhauled. i have little doubt that when it was new there was a fishing rod in it.
i lost a fenwick ff84 this afternoon on fleecebay.

The Wonderods first introduced after WW2 cost many times more than most bamboo rods; Shakespeare basically gambled the company on them. They were no longer "top shelf" in 1975, however, were still respected. The shorter ones (7'6" & under) get pricey now-days, but the 7'9" ones can still be had for a reasonable price and many lighter models of that length do fine with a 5WTF. I have a 1951 model that likes a 4WTF.

With all the brands of vintage glass there are significant heft differences between the various models & grades, especially those over 7'9".

 

[JG63]

My Fenglass 676 (7.5 ft 6weight) only weighs 3 ounces and fires a WF6F (not the 6.5 variety) with plenty of power though at a somewhat slower line speed. Pair one with a $25 Pflueger Sal-Trout (the ORIGINAL large arbor) and boy, you have Ya sump'in!

 

[outsider]

salvelinus wrote:
Fenwick for glass, Orvis, T&T, and HL Leonard for cane. Orvis CFO fly reel and a Cortland 333 (I can't remember if 444 was out yet) or Scientific Anglers Air Cel line.

Fenwicks were around 30-40 bucks I think, and you could buy an Orvis Battenkill or T&T Classic boo for $250. Can't remember what fly lines cost.

I

Cortland 444's were available (and my choice) in the 70's. I still own and use several rods and reels from that era:

Two Orvis CFO reels

Two Orvis graphite rods

One Orvis bamboo flea rod

Two Leonard Duracane bamboo fly rods

One Thomas and Thomas Special Trouter bamboo fly rod

My 'boo rods were and always will be cared for to the enth degree.

During that era I gave away my Fenwick Feralite fiberglass rods, "knowing graphite was much better". What a dumb-azz I was for doing that. I'd love to have them back. I also sold my Orvis Golden Eagle glass rod during that time (7' 4 wt.). Perhaps my biggest mistake. I also bought and sold a Hardy bamboo rod back then. God, I'm feeling suicidal.

Then there are the furs/feathers/hooks I still have from that era; can't replace them!

 

[outsider]

Forgot to mention the obvious: Hardy reels. Still have a Featherweight in almost perfect condition.

 

[brain]

what model sal-trout for a 5/6wt?
i see a bunch of the model 1554s, but have no clue how large or small a reel they are.

 

[gfen]

afishinado wrote:
Gfen has to be the youngest old man I've ever seen.

I resemble that remark.

 

[JG63]

1554 is the one I have. stole it from my Dad (he let me..) in 1973 and have used it every year since. I have about 100 yards of 20# backing and an older green 333 WF6F Rocket taper on it. Simple, easy, light, and strong! It won't stop a train but has NEVER failed on the many hundreds of Smallmouth, Largemouth, Brook-Brown-Rainbow, Crappie, Rockies, Fallfish, Pumpkinseeds, and Bluegill over the years.