Antique Fishing Rods History Primer
Did you know that fishing enthusiasts are called anglers, because rods in medieval England were called “angles”? Thus, people who used them were called anglers. These ancient rods weren’t made from the modern fiberglass or graphite composites. They were made of light, durable wood, such as ash and bamboo, and had butts made out of maple and grips made out of cork.
The first split bamboo rod was made in 1845 by Samuels Phillips, a gunsmith in Easton, Pennsylvania. Charles De Saxe was awarded a patent for a rod in 1854. From then through the end of the 19th century others, such as Thomas Chubb and Henry Pritchard won patents for guides, tips, seats, ferrules and other parts.
More than Bamboo
In addition to bamboo, early fishing rods were made of hickory and ash. Producing these fishing rods wasn’t easy. The makers had to be careful when removing the wood from their tree of choice to ensure they cut between the heart and the bark.
The rods were wooden, but many of the components were made from other materials. Pritchard patented fishing line guides in 1859, which were constructed of rings soldered to metal collars wrapped around the rod. Other guides, known as bell guides, were attached the rods via fine twine or brilliantly colored thread. Ferrules (the sleeves connecting a rod’s sections) were most often made from metal, while the grip and reel seat (by the late 19th century) were braided in celluloid.
Dating the Rod
Many rod manufacturers of the late 19th century, such as Charles Orvis and Benjamin Nichols engraved their initials on the butt cap of the rod. These fishing rods often included city and date of manufacture. If your “find” doesn’t have this information, you can determine the date in other ways. Post-Civil war rods will have a “wedding band” above the handgrip. Ferrules that have raised trim bands indicate a rod made in the 1860s.
Length is another method of dating a rod. According to Frank Forester in the 1859 issue of Fish and Fishing of the United States and British Provinces of North America, the ideal length of a trout rod is 12 feet and constructed of “hickory, lancewood or bamboo with a solid butt of ash”. In 1885, Henry P. Wells argued the point in Fly-rods and Fly-tackle, stating that “ten feet, or ten feet six inches, I believe to be quite sufficient to give to any single handed fly-rod.”
Antique Fishing Rod Brand Names to Know
Most collectors focus on antique split bamboo rods from the late 19th century and early 20th century. Recently, the fiberglass Wonderrods by Shakespeare have become popular. Certain names to look for, particularly for split bamboo, are Orvis, Granger, Dickerson, Thomas, Heddon, among others. Thomas Chubb rods from the late 1800s are quite collectible, as are rods by Abraham Coates made in 1888, with the reel incorporated into the handle.
Names don’t guaranteed value, though. Be sure the rod is in good condition, and check for accessories. An antique rod that still has its original cloth bag and rod tube is rarer and therefore more valuable.
