VFT2696
For sale here is a Harold S. "Pinky" Gillum 9' 3/2 bamboo fly rod. The rod is in excellent restored condition. All sections are full length. There is a slight set in one of the tips. Lovely honey-toned cane with classic bronze/brown silks. Black and gold tipping at the winding check and male ferrules (actually white thread with an application of shellac, rather than gold thread). Made with resorcinol glue. Oxidized guides (on the smallish side for silk lines). Petite, blued nickel silver winding check. Reverse half wells grip has been cleaned and displays ridging. It is free of hook gouges or other defects. Bright aluminum up-locking reel seat with a handsome lightly varnished wood spacer. Stamped on the locking ring is,
H.S. GILLUM
MAKER
The butt section female appears to be a Halstead ferrule and the rest are Super Zs. This is not uncommon with rods Gillum made for close friends, who also requested rods not be marked on the cane. The ferrules are 17/64 and 11/64. The rod is exactly nine feet long and the fact that every section is equal length lends credibility to this rod being originally made with the Halstead ferrule (typically the Halstead ferrules were 3/8" longer than the equivalent size Super Z). I've also learned that the rod was made for Gillum's neighbor in exchange for television repairs (costly back then!), and stayed in their family for decades.
The action is on the medium side of medium-fast. Unusually the rod casts best with a DT4 or WF5 line. The tips are fairly fine, measuring .071" at the tip tops. The rod weighs 5 1/2 oz. Original bag and tube included.