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Post by BTLowry on Feb 25, 2017 10:53:52 GMT -6
Wife picked these up at a garage sale Split bamboo I am guessing? I know just enough about fly fishing to know bamboo rods CAN be worth something but I doubt these are. I would call them fair to good condition Probably be wall decorations One is marked with what looks like MONTAGUE and says something below that that I have not made out Other is marked Southbend on reel seat Mainly just wanting to know what I have. No markings on either one to indicate line size etc   |
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 25, 2017 11:24:25 GMT -6
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Post by flyfishermann1955 on Feb 25, 2017 16:23:33 GMT -6
Yes bamboo. Montague and South Bend were both "blue collar", production rod companies. At 1 time, Montague was the largest producer of fishing rods in the world. Both these companies had an extensive lineup of models, ranging from rods that cost $3.00 and came wrapped in "brown paper" to rods that cost $50.00 (when $50.00 was real money) and came in a cloth bag and a cardboard or metal tube.
Both these companies often identified their rods with a label on the bag/tube and perhaps a decal or script on the rod. The Montague decal usually had the model along the bottom of the decal. I think I can see a decal on the rod that appears to have a wooden reel seat. I would need better pictures to help you identify a model and the age (time frame they were made), as well as assess the condition of the rod and value.
These rods could range from: "wallhanger" to "fishable as is" to "needs some attention/refinish to fish" to some collector will pay you several hundred dollars because it's the last rod he needs to complete his Montague or South Bend lineup. For now, don't quit your day job!
I will send you a PM with my e-mail address. If you want some free help let me know and I will tell you what I need pictures of to help you determine what you have found.
Thanks- Ken
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Post by BTLowry on Feb 25, 2017 16:51:07 GMT -6
I returned your PM
Didn't think I had anything worth a fortune
Mostly just interested in the story behind them
Label says Rapidan on Montague, I have yet to find any other info on the Southbend
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Post by flyfishermann1955 on Feb 25, 2017 18:27:19 GMT -6
The Rapidan is a lower end model in Montague's vast line up. It was a popular model, but not viewed as a "great casting rod". In the 1940s, it sold for $8.50, while the Highland sold for $2.75, the Red Wing sold for $25.00, the Manitou sold for $35.00, and the top-of-the-line Powr-Built 50 sold for $50.00. With that said, as a general rule: shorter rods are more sought after than longer rods. At 7 and 1/2 ft there could be a market for your rod. You can find between 250 - 400 rods on ebay at any given time. Some are valuable (worth thousands) while others are called "tomato stakes".
The decal on your rod probably has a fish caught in the talon of a bird, with Montague across the top and Rapidan across the bottom. If that is the decal, your rod dates to 1939 - 1949.
It appears both your rods are "2/2", which means 2-piece rods with 2 tips. For most rods, both the butt section and the tip section should be "the exact same length".
Is there any writing on the bamboo part of the South Bend or a decal? Can you tell the color of the thread wraps? Realize that over time the color can change and the varnish can make it appear different too. It appears that the bag for the South Bend has a "stiffener" that would hold/protect the tips.
Thanks- Ken
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