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Post 12 Oct 2017, 11:19 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 10/01/17
Posts: 230
Location: Vermont
Just wondering if there are any other Horrocks and Ibbotson fans out there. I'll be the first to admit, a lot of their later rods where bad, but their earlier rods are just as good as anything else I've used from that era. Of the 25 or so fly rods I own 13 are H I's....3 glass, and 10 bamboo. Of those my 7'6" Mohawk Rainbow 3 weight is by far my favorite, and a true pleasure to fish.


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Post 12 Oct 2017, 18:21 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/19/14
Posts: 3925
Location: USA - Illinois
I have seen photos of H & I bamboo rods on CFRF, but have never seen photos of any glass rods. I admit to never using the great search engine of FFR to go looking for any.


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 00:21 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/19/08
Posts: 2462
Location: Seattle, WA
I have a solid glass 6 2/3ft Horrocks-Ibbotson Buddy probably from the 1950's and I like it a lot.


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 09:52 • #4 
Sport
Joined: 03/08/14
Posts: 62
Location: ON, Canada
I had the pleasure of casting the HI Tonka Queen this summer and absolutely fell in love with it. I hope to build one out this winter :)


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 11:21 • #5 
Guide
Joined: 10/01/17
Posts: 230
Location: Vermont
My collection of H I rods takes up most of the wall above my fly tying bench. I'll work on getting a pic up here later tonight. I enjoy fishing both their glass and bamboo rods a lot. I don't fish the 10 bamboo rods as much as I should, but my favorite Mohawk Rainbow is always set up and ready to fish when I get home from work. It's fairly common for me to head down to the river next to the house and fish while I'm waiting for supper to cook.


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 16:52 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/27/08
Posts: 936
Location: Columbia, Mo. USA
sgoodroe----I have own about a have dozen fiberglass H/I rods---most are 7'6" 1470 1/2 Mohawk (all 6 wts IMHO)---one 7 1/2 1307 1/2 Lucky Strike (7 wt IMHO)---- and a Admiral Deluxe 3 pcs. 8'6" (around a 5 wt.). All are tobacco blanks. I did not know that H/I made a rod back then as light as a 3 wt. Interesting.
Gary


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 19:16 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 10/01/17
Posts: 230
Location: Vermont
Gary, none of my 13 H I rods have their line weight recommendation written on them. What I've done is taken every one of them to the river with an assortment of reels loaded with lines ranging from 3 all the way up to 9 weight, in 1 weight increments. My Mohawk Rainbow seemed to be at it's best with a WF3F, and felt a little limp with a 4 wt. It may or may not be a true factory made 3 weight, that I don't know. But on my end of things, if it fishes like a 3 weight, I'm more then happy to call it that until some one tells me other wise. :)
Here's a pic of my H I collection as of today.
Image


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 19:58 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/04/12
Posts: 705
Location: SE Pa
I keep looking for the 3/4 wt 7 1/2, but the only ones of that length I run across are much heavier


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Post 13 Oct 2017, 20:19 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/26/07
Posts: 1385
Location: Ada, Oklahoma
I don't know about the 7 1/2 foot Mohawk, but to me my 8' model is a 6 weight. Several years ago a member of this forum (flyfishforgoldentrout) posted about an H-I rod, the Model 1200 Queen Elizabeth, which he felt to be a true 3 weight. Shortly thereafter I found one of these rods that still had the plastic on the grip. It is 6' 9" long, two piece, and fishes very well with a 3 weight line. I caught quite a few trout on it. The rod was built in 1953. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a lifetime guarantee. So I'm sure if I ever break it, H-I will happily take care of me. ;) I showed it to Aurelio last year and let him cast it; he was pleasantly surprised.

Larry


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Post 14 Oct 2017, 07:41 • #10 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/27/08
Posts: 936
Location: Columbia, Mo. USA
sgoodroe ----a beautiful collection!!!! Does anyone know if the "Admiral Deluxe" is a custom made rod or has anyone else ever heard of one? I think that H?I made some custom rods, but not sure.
Gary


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Post 14 Oct 2017, 07:50 • #11 
Guide
Joined: 10/01/17
Posts: 230
Location: Vermont
I was pleasantly surprised the first time I fished my Mohawk Rainbow. I had originally just bought it as a wall hanger for my collection. I was shocked to discover its action virtually mirrors my favorite TFO Left Kreh 3wt. If you look at the pic of my collection, it would be the 2 piece rod at the very top right of the pic, with the Berkley 510 reel.


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