Found Treasure

Question
I was recently instructed to clear and clean a home in my home town in western maryland. while cleaning the basement i found a hand made and hand painted fly fishing pole. Its never been used and come with hand painted wooden lure and bobbers. It also comes in a hand made wooden case. Its all in perfect condition. according to the box its made in Japan after the war. I would like to know a little more information or the worth of the pole.

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

Post WW II occupied Japan saw several different brand names assigned to bamboo rods made there for export and sale.  Most of these rods are considered average at best by collectors.  As with any mass produced product, there are some better than others in every brand just due to the materials at hand and the workers on any given day.  They were purchased by servicemen stationed in Japan and sent home by the thousands.  They are pretty common.

Typically, you can buy these sets in the $25-$50 range as they come on the market.  If yours has never been used and contains all of the original components (box, rod, lures, bobbers, hooks, line, etc) it could bring a bit more to the right buyer.  It would also make a nice gift if you have a fly fishing relative.

Thanks,  Joe