New Arrival - 02/29

HL Leonard Fairy Catskill Bamboo Fly Rod 8'6" 3/2 #3

2384


An HL Leonard Fairy Catskill bamboo fly rod, 8'6", 3-piece, 2-tip, and built for a #3 line. The rod weighs 4.4 ounces on my scale. 1930's vintage rod but it has been refinished at Leonard and not used since then. The action is very slow. The rod has the usual Leonard wheatstraw color cane in a three up node pattern. The rod is wrapped in 326 red with intermediates and the Catskill signature wraps. However during the refinish Leonard substituted a ceramic stripping guide where the original would have been a snake guide. Black stainless snake guides and large hoop tip tops are also not quite "period". One tip is 1/2" short as the tip top must have broken and been replaced. The step ferrules are polished and have the "pot belly" correct style for the period. The male ferrules on the tip appear to have been lightly "chucked" to make the fit tighter. The rod is straight and the ferrule fits are good. The medium cigar grip is 5" long. The reel seat is all nickel silver with a slide band and pocket cap. The die stamp on the pocket cap reads "The / Leonard Rod / HL Leonard Rod Co / Makers" in a cartouche. I spoke with an earlier owner of this rod who had lived in NYC and had several brea-ins to their loft, and, on the advice of the police, he engraved his name on the shaft of the nickel silver seat (where it would be covered by the reel foot). He related the story to me about taking this rod to Italy about 50 years ago and catching fish on it. He recommended the rod for delicate spring creek fishing. The rod bag is a later 1960's replacement from Leonard with the leather pull tab. The tube is original with large brass hardware.

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