tomkin fly rod bamboo

Question
i have one bamboo tonkin fly rod  4 peice   two diff tip lenght the signatur is beaver  how much is it worth  and what do i have to do to it if i want to fish with it   any special treatment for bamboo

Answer
Hi Claude,

Two of the mass production shops, Montague and Horrocks-Ibbotson, made models with the word Beaver in the name.  Montague made a Beaver Run model and H-I made a Beaverkill model.  Both used Tonkin Cane in their rods.  This is just a guess, but I would think it was built by one of these rod makers.

A complete rod from this era would have a butt section, mid section and two tip sections. All sections would be the same length.  It would also have either a fitted form the hold the rod sections or would have a rod bag and rod tube.

If you have one tip section that is short, the best rating you could expect would be Fair due to the amount of work needed to restore the rod to original by fixing the broken tip.  This would place the estimated value in the $30-$60 range depending on actual condition.

If you want to fish with it check the following:

1.  make sure the reel seat is working properly.
2.  fix any problems with the cork handle...use light oak wood filler on bad spots.
3.  make sure all the guides are tight...and present.
4.  make sure the ferrules are clean and fit together properly.
5.  check the rod from one end to the other for damage to the bamboo.
6.  look also for delamination spots (places where the bamboo is coming apart).
7.  check the finish...add a couple of thin coats of clear urethane, if needed.

Asuming it checks out as a solid rod that would be fun to try, get yourself a 7wt fly line and take it fishing.  Most of the older and lower level production rods tend to work well with a 7wt in WF or DT.

If you would like me to look it over, send me some pictures of the rod at [email protected] and I'll send you back comments.

Thanks,  Joe