Post by Chee Yung on Jul 22, 2005 15:57:15 GMT 8
Hi BoBs 
Here is my first attempt at a Rod Story (to be corrected by experts
) ;D specially for Uncle Wong 
... and FC who didn't attend the Picnic 
Brotherhood of Bamboo are invited to post their own cane stories for some lively exchange ;D..Thanks in advance
Rod Story 1: Leonard Catskill 8' 3 piece 2 tips #3/4wt
Based on the ferrules, die stamp and taper, this rod is believed to be made in the 1920s when the Leonard Rod Company was under master rodmaker Rueben Leonard. Rueben’s father Hiram established Leonard’s famous Catskill tapers featuring fast tip medium action dry fly rods during the turn of the 20th century. Rueben was a tournament caster who created the famous Leonard Hunt/Tournament 50DF taper 5/6wt rods and established the ‘Golden Era’ of bamboo fly rods as famous makers like Payne, Divine & Edwards trained in his shop. Other famous contemporary makers like Tom Maxwell (T&T) and Ron Kusse were also with the Leonard Rod Company before setting up on their own.
This rod was sold by Bob Corsetti and beautifully restored by Joe Pachaca , a food dye specialist who helped create most of the food colouring for Heinz Foods, who had replaced one of the tips and the existing reverse snake guides with a stripping guide with blood red agate fittings for ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ fly fishing ( I’m in the process of obtaining back the originals from him if possible). The rod was reluctantly sold by Joe and somehow circulated to the hands of University of Vermont medical professor Marc Tischler who eventually sold it to me.
The rod is made of perfectly straight blond cane strips glued seamlessly from tip to a swell butt with full intermediate wraps in almost transparent golden yellow silk and tipped with black accent silk wraps. The tapered cigar grip terminates with a butternut spacer and nickel silver cap and ring wearing the beautiful patina of aged silver. The cap and ferrules are stamped with the Leonard die stamp and patent numbers. One interesting feature is the small silver alignment dots at the nickel silver ferrules, showing how practical use merged seamlessly with craftsmanship.
I have fished this rod with 4wt WF and cast with 3wt DT. It is extremely elegant with the 3wt line and is a very sensitive nymphing rod with the 4wt. In the past 3 months it has handled the usual palm sized cichlids, lampams and jaguars with nary a set and will follow me home to the Larut Hill streams later this year to hunt the golden Tengas and hopefully some small Kelah.
Leonards like this start at about US$1500 with shorter mint rods and Tournament 501/2DF/ Hunt selling at US $3500 and rising.
Cheers
CY
Here is my first attempt at a Rod Story (to be corrected by experts
) ;D specially for Uncle Wong 
... and FC who didn't attend the Picnic 
Brotherhood of Bamboo are invited to post their own cane stories for some lively exchange ;D..Thanks in advance
Rod Story 1: Leonard Catskill 8' 3 piece 2 tips #3/4wt
Based on the ferrules, die stamp and taper, this rod is believed to be made in the 1920s when the Leonard Rod Company was under master rodmaker Rueben Leonard. Rueben’s father Hiram established Leonard’s famous Catskill tapers featuring fast tip medium action dry fly rods during the turn of the 20th century. Rueben was a tournament caster who created the famous Leonard Hunt/Tournament 50DF taper 5/6wt rods and established the ‘Golden Era’ of bamboo fly rods as famous makers like Payne, Divine & Edwards trained in his shop. Other famous contemporary makers like Tom Maxwell (T&T) and Ron Kusse were also with the Leonard Rod Company before setting up on their own.
This rod was sold by Bob Corsetti and beautifully restored by Joe Pachaca , a food dye specialist who helped create most of the food colouring for Heinz Foods, who had replaced one of the tips and the existing reverse snake guides with a stripping guide with blood red agate fittings for ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ fly fishing ( I’m in the process of obtaining back the originals from him if possible). The rod was reluctantly sold by Joe and somehow circulated to the hands of University of Vermont medical professor Marc Tischler who eventually sold it to me.
The rod is made of perfectly straight blond cane strips glued seamlessly from tip to a swell butt with full intermediate wraps in almost transparent golden yellow silk and tipped with black accent silk wraps. The tapered cigar grip terminates with a butternut spacer and nickel silver cap and ring wearing the beautiful patina of aged silver. The cap and ferrules are stamped with the Leonard die stamp and patent numbers. One interesting feature is the small silver alignment dots at the nickel silver ferrules, showing how practical use merged seamlessly with craftsmanship.
I have fished this rod with 4wt WF and cast with 3wt DT. It is extremely elegant with the 3wt line and is a very sensitive nymphing rod with the 4wt. In the past 3 months it has handled the usual palm sized cichlids, lampams and jaguars with nary a set and will follow me home to the Larut Hill streams later this year to hunt the golden Tengas and hopefully some small Kelah.
Leonards like this start at about US$1500 with shorter mint rods and Tournament 501/2DF/ Hunt selling at US $3500 and rising.
Cheers
CY
