It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 07:20


New Topic Add Reply
Author Message
Post 28 Sep 2017, 01:46 • #1 
Sport
Joined: 06/07/17
Posts: 38
Location: US-AK
Just picked up this St. Croix today and almost didn't buy it, took the swing for $15.
I've spent the last six hours trying to find out a little info on this rod, it would be nice to know the model.
So a bit of info about this fly rod which I think is a frankenrod-
The blank looks dark brown indoors or in photos but true color is more of a dark maroon. It has what looks to be a white Mylar shrink-fit base with Chinese red wraps on top. This fly rod is one ugly duck!
The reelseat is aluminum with Bakelite spacer and cork grip.
It has the St. Croix vertical decal with another above it that has 1948-1978 and a small logo in between the dates. Minus the length and wt the rest of the badging appears to have been intentionally scratched off??

I think I've looked at every pic of St. Croix fly rods on the net and nothing close to this ugly duck!
I forgot to add that somewhere along the way someone pu a sweet glop of epoxy on each guide foot! Any thoughts on removal.
Is this an Anniversary Edition? All original?
Any thoughts or input would be appreciated-Thanks

Image

Image

Image

Image


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 08:49 • #2 
Guide
Joined: 06/08/16
Posts: 327
Location: US-MI
William and Robert Johnson had been working in lumber and mining camps, and then as dishwashers at the Raddison hotel in Minneapolis when they decided to start making cedar grip landing nets. When aluminum nets came into vogue, their net business went under. Brother Douglas joined them and in 1948 with $5 capital, started making jointed bamboo (not split) poles for a local hardware store. First in Unity, WI then Park Falls, WI and became one of America's great rod companies.
By the time your 1978 rod was made, they were doing multi-millions in annual sales.
I would guess that their earliest glass rods would have been made in the mid to late '50s but that is only a guess.


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 09:30 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
Says " 8' " on rod, so is tip short?? Both sections should be same length.


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 12:22 • #4 
Sport
Joined: 06/07/17
Posts: 38
Location: US-AK
Magicwrench, I understood the 782 to mean the rod is 7'8" long and a 2 piece, the 8' is is right on the very edge of where the other badging was scraped or worn off. The 8' has me scratching my head because the rod is in fact 7'8" long.
Are you thinking the 2 is for two tips? It could well be a two tip. The Bakelite reel seat is a little perplexing as well for me as I would think most rod companies went away from using that material by 1978.
I'm just guessing that this is an anniversary or commemorative model paying homage to the past and using materials from an earlier period..........** I forgot to add in my first post that it has metal ferrules.**

Image

In this pic you can see the wrapped ferrule and if you look close you can see the glop of whatever someone put on the guide feet. This last pic shows a truer color of the blank than the previous pics. I have not seen anything close to this color of rod blank put out by St. Croix.

Thanks


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 12:43 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
If tip and butt same length, you are probably correct, 782 means 7'8" 2pc.

Lots of snakes end up with some vanish goo on the feet, or, like you said, someone could have stuck something there.

Nice rod, I have seen that color before. If you don't like it I will take it off your hands :)


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 13:09 • #6 
Sport
Joined: 06/07/17
Posts: 38
Location: US-AK
Magicwrench,
Yes, tip and butt are the same length. And the goop was defiantly put there by a previous owner. Any thoughts on cleaning it up? So you think this is a factory rod? I'm thinking it is because if someone was good enough to do those wraps they wouldn't have mucked them up with epoxie, it's the color of the wraps and hardware used that's got me scratching my head.
I'd give you the rod, but being way up in Alaska the shipping would be expensive and take so long that you'd miss fall fishing with it this year!

I did call St Croix yesterday and they don't know what it is. And I asked him if they were coming out with a new fiberglass fly rod series to go with their new Casting series and it was a solid no!

I'm open to any tips or tricks to clean this funky rod up!

Thanks-Ron


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 16:35 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
IMHO certainly factory. If that goo is epoxy heat it kindly with a hair dryer a peel/pick it off.

A 6/7 rod of that length is ideal, will throw big stuff, still kind on the arm. The offer remains open.


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 19:05 • #8 
Sport
Joined: 06/07/17
Posts: 38
Location: US-AK
Thanks for your insight majic I've come across many of your posts in my searches on this forum and value your opinion. An interesting rod in many ways!
And I will ponder your offer...........

Any idea on the model # of this rod?


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 19:08 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
Zero ideas on model #


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Sep 2017, 19:54 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
The rod is either a mix-and match repair or a late production 'glass "model" that was small production as well. It, or at least part of it, is from 1978 or later as indicated by the sticker, the waning years as graphite was phased in. Possibly they were using up old stock and fittings in anticipation of discontinuing 'glass production--the bakelite seat and metal ferrules being 1960s or earlier. It does have characteristics of rods they made over the years, but I'd be skeptical that it was a commemorative model in any significant way, since the late 70s graphite was the coming thing and good riddance to those clunky old fiberglass rods. Many of us here didn't look at it that way, but the marketplace did. It looks entirely ordinary as a blue collar priced St Croix rod of the era in 1960s cosmetics but of later production (or, again, mix and match repair). Hardware store sporting goods counter rods. It isn't special, but many such rods from St. Croix and others were solid all purpose fly rods for 6, 7, or 8 weight lines. The fact that this was a common, run of the mill type.the length being slightly unusual, doesn't make it any less likely to be a very useful rod. Even that, though--fly rod measurements were often nominal and varied from the stated length slightly because of the reel seat or ferrule type. If it says 8' though, plus or minus 1/2 and inch would be more likely. Did you measure it fully assembled? Is there any sign of a broken tip, such as a refit and wrapped tiptop or remnant signs of a wrap where the uppermost snake guide would have been (typically 5 to 6 inches from the tip top). Guesses aside, will be a fun rod to fool with.


Top
  
Quote
Post 29 Sep 2017, 13:46 • #11 
Sport
Joined: 06/07/17
Posts: 38
Location: US-AK
Whrlpool,
I made three errors with this rod, first was instead of spending time looking the rod over closely I went to browsing the web.
Second, the length is 8', I "measured" the rod by standing it next to another rod :0. After reading your post I grabbed a tape measure and it is 8' 3/4" in length.
Third, in the rods greasy, dust covered condition with a Martin reel attached I assumed the reel seat was Bakelite, in fact, after a good cleaning, it is painted aluminum! It has an odd paint that also gives it an odd texture or feel.

And your also right in that this rod isn't special in any one sense, but it has an interesting mojo, the more I handle it, clean, measure and look at it in the sunlight the more I like it. But the reality is that it was a truck rod that spent many years behind the seat and is scratched, rubbed and heavily used (loose ferrule).

I do think it's an anniversary model though with the 1948 to 1978 logo on it, I still can't read what it says even after cleaning my bi-focals twice, but can make out a 30.

Image

So, in conclusion, I think this is a model 782 8' 2 pc 30th anniversary rod. Kinda cool!
Thanks to those who helped!


Top
  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

New Topic Add Reply



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
Google
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group