An excellent E. F. Payne model 205 fly rod, 8'6", 3-piece, 1-tip, built for a #5 or #6 line. Serial #6140 and weighing 4 7/8 oz according to the hangtag. 1950's rod with finial ferrule plugs. Fairly fast action. This rod appears to be in original condition and virtually unused. I could only see a little tiny bit of cleaning on the grip but given the lack of wear elsewhere I suspect that it could have been to remove soiling from basic handling or perhaps some lawn casting. Wrapped brown with black edges. Extra bands of yellow and purple at the keeper and ferrules and tip tops. This rod checks all the boxes, Perfection stripper, snake guides, the ferrule oxidation is superb, the varnish is very good, and the rod is very straight. As mentioned the 6" western-style grip has been cleaned leaving a tiny bit of roughness. The reel seat is an aluminum up lock screw-lock with a Spanish cedar spacer. The nut is stamped "Payne", "reg U.S. Pat Off" and on the reverse "made for Abercrombie and Fitch Co". This rod also appears to have been made with one tip, which Payne did do from time to time. Comes in the original bag with the hangtag and the tube with grey felt in the brass top and a large red Abercrombie & Fitch sticker on the tube.
