Cane Rod

[BigShayne]

Bought a rod on ebay yesterday for 30 dollars. I am super excited and am hoping for that awesome secret find but I am also scared that I bought a wall ornament. I'll let you know when it gets in next week.

 

[troutdude]

For $30 it's worth a shot.

I wish that I would have purchased EVERY cane rod, that I saw at yard sales in the 80's! They were DIRT cheap, because graphite had just become popular.

 

[GDBrown]

Even if it is just a wall decoration $30 is cheap! I've got one and that's where is stays, I fish with newer equipment but the cane really is pretty.

 

[halibuthitman]

sooooo... what is it?

 

[GungasUncle]

I almost won an auction on a japanese made production cane rod a few years ago. It was made after WW2, when the US had control, and the japanese were beginning to pump out cheap merchandise for the American retail market. Overall they were decent rods - not Paynes or Leonards or T&T's, but good fishing rods none the less - probably better than the South Bend rods of the same vintage - and like most cane rods - it came with two tip sections instead of just one. Wish I'd won that one.

 

[BigShayne]

yeah from the pics I saw this has two tips also. AND this one does not have a cork handle but a rounded cane or wood handle. I reallylike that!

 

[GungasUncle]

Hm - wood handles were kind of an in-thing for some rod makers in the 50's and 60's. I've got an old solid glass boat rod from the early 60's (at least that's what someone who knew more about them than I dated it at) that has turned wood handles and a metal reel seat. I wouldn't be surprised if wood makes a come back, at least with custom rods, especially flyrods. Some of those grips look really nice - especially when they used something like cherry wood, or mahogany or burl walnut. The ones on my boat rod are red oak.

 

[BigShayne]

Check out the pics and see if you can tell anything...

Old Octagon Bamboo? Fly/Fishing Rod Combo - eBay (item 300525623566 end time Feb-15-11 11:10:12 PST)

 

[GungasUncle]

Pictures weren't big enough to really get a good look - It looks similar to those Japanese production rods I mentioned before though. The fish sticker, I can't tell if that's supposed to be a pike or a trout or what...

Looks alright though - when you get it, make sure all the fittings are tight, the guides don't need new wraps, and that all the guides are there - and I'd fish it. I'll bet it's probably a 6 weight...

 

[BigShayne]

OK I got it today. It is a Montague spin/fly combo (ca 1930-40 I think). It's a little beat up but its fishable I think. I took it strait outside and casted it with a #5 line. The line felt too light for the rod. The tip would rappidly bounce through the forward cast if I wasn't careful. Even with the nasty wind and being on grass. I had to put very little effort into the 40+ foot cast. When it gets nicer I will try to put 60 feet out. The rod is a LONG 9 1/2 ft. Which is only a little longer then my normal tfo but it feels really wierd. I also noticed that it felt heavy. Is a cane rod normally heavier then a graphite?

 

[GungasUncle]

Hm, Montague's were work horse rods - usually not real high quality - but occasionally they hunkered down and made some really fancy, real high quality stuff. They're generally on the low end of the spectrum of cane rods - would most definitely fish it, as that's what it was meant for. I'll bet that rod is more of a 6/7 than a 5/6. Try out a double taper #6 if you've got one handy. Not sure how your casting style is - but cane rods usually require a slower casting stroke than graphite, so if you're used to fishing stiff(er) graphite stuff, it can be a little bit of adjustment - but it sounds like you're already doing well with that rod.

And yeah - cane rods are a lot heavier than modern graphite stuff, and heavier than even modern fiberglass. Some people don't like the heft of a cane rod, some do. Got to remember - cane rods are made from woody strips of tall grass, then glued together. They're solid all the way through - graphite/glass rods are hollow tubes with thin walls.

Sounds like you got a decent new fishin rod, I envy you

 

[halibuthitman]

Montagues are also terribly tip heavy, I suggest using a heavier reel like a medalist 1492 1/2... if its still tip heavy you can wrap two colors of leadcore trolling line and then put less backing and your fly line on. if you find you like the action of a cane rod I suggest later getting back on an auction for a Heddon or an Orvis rod... both have good models that can sell for less than $200 bucks, nice to see someone appreciating the old gear-