bambo fly rod made by kiraku&co japan

Question
my grandpa got this bambo fly rod in 1961 its never been used its in perfect cond whats the value of this fly rod here is the info on the rod kiraku co since 1916 kirabert model no 101 4 pcs bambo fly rod

Answer
Hello Jon,

Sorry for the delay in answering - I actually just returned from a fishing trip in the Smoky Mountains.

Your rod was made in Japan in the 1950's. Japanese rods usually came in a long wood box along with a reel, line and a selection of flies. These were sold by the thousands to U.S. GI's returning from either Japan or Korea.

The rods are just OK for fishing. For collecting, the sentimental value is higher than the collectible value. If 100% perfect with all the "goodies" still in the wood box, the value would still be under $100 to knowledgeable collectors, though I have seen them bring over $100 on auction sites such as eBay.

If it was my rod, I'd use it as a display piece if it has sentimental value and if not, I'd fish with it!

Thanks for the question,

Michael