QuestionMy husband, an avid fly fisherman, inherited a 2-rod set from my Father (one is a fly rod and one is a spinning rod). He says these rods have never been used. We are curious about the year and value of these Winchester, New Haven Connecticut rods - one a fly rod with two tips (the label says: 8 1/2 ft., 6151, and F178L) and the other a spinning rod with no bag or label. Do you need a photo as well as this information?
AnswerGladys,
The fly rod has value , the spin rod - well - find a restaurant and sell it for a wall hanger cause the collectors don't want them.
Books:
Antique %26 Collectible Fishing Rods: Identification %26 Value Guide Homel, Dan. 1997 (2nd edition 2000) add about 30% for age of book.
Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook by Michael Sinclair
The model 6151 is not in Sinclair. Yes a picture of the model number to
[email protected] to confirm. Homel gives the Model 6044 trout fly rod 8'c.1932, with an extra tip, 3 sections a value of $75, 200 and $385 for poor, good, excellent condition respectively. You rod is older probably 20s, but longer . The prices given are close, as longer is less but older is more valuable.
From the Internet, but I have reasons to support it:
The history of the Edwards family and their rods is often confusing because it involved some many different aspects at different times. In 1919 Eustis sold his young company to Winchester Repeating Arms, moved his operation to New Haven, Connecticut, and made rods exclusively for that company for five years; some years later he had a similar lease arrangement with Bristol Rod Co. Eustis had two sons, W. E. "Bill" and Leon, both of whom became involved in rod making prior to the formation of the E. W. Edwards %26 Sons Rod Co. shortly after the Winchester years. After Eustis died in 1931, his sons continued to make rods under the Bristol name.
An email from the author,Patrick C. Garner, The Winchesters are all documented with a number of charts etc in my 2008 edition of "Playing With Fire: the Fly Rods of EW Edwards." The top line were all 61xx rods; the second tier were 60xx rods.
It wasn't a Eustis-made rod but what Winchester described as "Edwards-supervised."
Playing With Fire: The Life and Fly Rods of E.W. Edwards by Patrick C. Garner
Early Winchester rods were advertised as being built under the direct supervision of E.W.Edwards and they are considered high quality rods with significant value today. These rods usually have a four digit number designation beginning with "6" stamped into the reel seat. Edwards ended his association with Winchester in 1924 by which time it appears rods were of lower quality and mass produced.
Winchester sold its rodmaking division to Horrocks-Ibbotson in 1935. H-I/Winchester rods are typical H-I rods (low value and quality) and can be identified by the model name and the Winchester name written on the blank in white ink, with letters running toward the grip. This is a brief description of the excellent information found in Michael Sinclair's, Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook
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Luck,
Mac
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