So Andy - is the wrap strictly functional (holding the rod together) or is it a style (color and pattern). Without taking away from the obvious talent necessary to do it, it seems one could make either argument. Maybe something of both? Roy

Wow. Are there layers of silk put on before the guides? Hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like the guide feet are sitting on the silk.

Indeed, there is a skill level involved from wrap to finish that is extraordinary.

I’ve not seen anything like the wraps over the ferrules and I love it.

Hello


Yes the blank is wrapped under the guide feet as well,the real mind teaser is you can't see where the under wraps start and end,same for the open spiral that's continual as well.

The next time I'm outside shooting photo's I'll see if I can get some better guide pictures.

Anybody Recognize The Bakelite Reel Seat Insert or the Hardware ?

Tight Lines And Mystery Rod Loops
Andy M

I recall seeing this rod at a few of our gathering it’s real sweet.

Hello
Yes I fished this Rod in the morning of one of our Core Group Outings on the Housatonic not long ago.
The Reel Seat has allot to be desired in reel holding power, so as you can see I had those yellow wire ties holding the Holmes Perfect Reel on the rod with a DT Cortland 444 Peach coiled within.

The Rod is a true 7 weight ,not the best casting rod I own,it's actually a chore of sorts to fish,You See At Times Many of Us Fishing Tackle Collectors Really Enjoy The Added Challenge Of Fishing With The Antiquated Equipment We Cherish So Deeply.

Trust me on my last Outing a week ago Casting 18' Leaders, 8X With Size 28 Caddis My 7'6" J Kennedy Fisher and My Orvis Battenkill were doing all the reaching out to those well educated weary Farmington River Trouts.

But as with all our fishing tools it comes down to the right tool for the right conditions a stream.
This rod is fun for dragging streamers through the runs and hooking the occasional fish.

As Least you didn't Say Chubb everything looks like a Montague to you Southern Massachusetts Fellas.
Yes good advice Dr P ! I was hoping to stir some archeological interest.
The Fixed Hood has a screw attaching it at the rear,without removing it I'd guess the blank has a wood dowel inserted or it's possibly attached to the Bakelite ????

We often revert back to the Bamboo Makers for answers to Fiberglass Questions,I'd venture to guess that whom ever did the thread work on this rod had Silk Wrapped a few Bamboo Rods in His or Her time.
In my time collecting fishing rods and tinkering them up,I've seen a Monty or two,never saw a Monty with a silk wrap and never saw this reel seat on a Monty. ????

Wonder since they won't allow fiberglass to be mentioned over on that other site,if we could just sneak in a question about the reel seat with a few pictures,I'll bet they say it's a Chubb that's what they always say when they don't know.
Maybe someone with an In with the Moderators over on that other site might just see if they would in the interest of fly fishing history OF COURSE make an exception with a 75 year old glass rod ???

Tight Lines And Don't Hold Your Breath Loops.
Andy M

Hello
Thank you very much for your research !!! That's just amazing I've had this rod for decades and never got past wondering whom possibly made it.

It's danger HOT here so I've been hiding out in the very cool by comparison rod shop the last few days.
Going through my stuff putting together another offering for the for sale forum.

I'll be taking pictures for this weeks offerings so I'll get some better pictures of the rod and post them soon.

Wow this is so very much fun,it reminds me of the early days of Fiberglass Fly Rodders when it was all about the history of the classic rods we were all fishing,Rather Than, who's zooming who to get atop the latest trend of cheap knock off import sales.

All Kidding aside Chubb-Montague has put up a tremendous number of fishing rods.
Some of the better rods that came out of the Custom Rod Shops rather than the Factory are Absolutely Amazing.

Thanks again Dr your input is Very Refreshing and Very Much Appreciated.

Tight Lines And Silkien Loops
Andy M

Hello
While Chubb may have applied for the Silken patent the Silk Wrap technique was in practical use and a process used by many rod makers of the day.

The First Rod I ever saw with a Silk Wrap was a early Hawes rod that came in many years ago with a broken ferrule, a split female.
I didn't notice the silk wrap until I heated the ferrule to remove it,you see the blank had actually been silk wrapped with a natural thread so it was completely invisible for all intensive purposes.

We learn by our mistakes or at least most of what I learned was by doing, trial and error.
These days you just punch up your favorite supplier and he or she does an amateur version of the task process in many cases that could be considered more a how not to.

My first encounter after some hair pulling with a silk wrap turned out very well ,I ended up removing the silk wrap on the blank about 4" below the ferrule and had to do a Silk Wrap repair before I could replace the split ferrule.
Naturally you could see the repair but I'm sure in a years time when the Varnish Mellowed it all blended better and matched much closer.
Never had any complaints.



I'm sorry brother I luv ya and all but let's not start any misconceptions here.
That's exactly how misinformation becomes fact.

Nowhere does it say anything about compromised glue joints,this was a High End Rod Finishing Technique Intended To Strengthen The Bond Of The Splines.
And Help Prevent De-lamination.
Part Of The Blanks Finish Process !!!

We see this Wrap Technique Used Today to Repair Bamboo Rods with Hook Strikes or Minor Repairs or as Over Wraps For Scarfs.
We also see it On Fiberglass and Graphite Repairs to some point as well.

Now it's apparent that what I was afraid of is happening,we are getting off the original topic and we are now going down the History Of The Bamboo Rod Rabbit Hole.

That's Okay to establish some insights to the Silk Wrap origins but lets focus on the rod I posted.

Over the years I've seen a good number of Silk Wrapped Bench made rods,this is the only Fiberglass silk wrapped rod I've seen.
It's also different than any other silk wrapped rod in that the silk is full of color where every other rod I ever saw the wrap was either invisible or one color.

I saw a Aluminum rod made in Japan that was silk wrapped in black thread with red thread for the hardware guides etc.The Rod Was Junk. however now I wish I brought it home.

The Sharing Of Ideas and What If's is great, lets see what if anything we can find about any other Silk Wrapped Fiberglass Fly Rods or any type rod with silk wraps as long as we do our best to keep Fiberglass the core of the discussion

Tight Lines And Fiberglass Loops
Andy M

Fascinating. We have had some historical interest on this before, but I don't recall it developed much to the "transition" years when Montague was hedging into 'glass while still making bamboo. I would love to see more. Maybe this thread will further stimulate the query about silk wrapped rods. I know nothing about Montague before 1960 or any other brand using that particular art of finish. Bamboo design cues were certainly part of marketing strategy to gain acceptance in the early 'glass days.

Here's one that looks earlier than mine, but silk wrapped, can't see/say. Maybe it will give a clue or start somebody looking for more silkwrap 'glass.:
viewtopic.php?p=56882#p56882

Never had a silk-wrapped rod, and my Montague (early 1960s) wasn't done that way. It was an economy model that a little kid could afford.

Great photo indeed. A bend in the rod and a big smile -- doesn't get better.

Hello John
Wow that's nice,what no pictures with the tip ?? I'm looking forward to casting that rod next time we get together so get it finished.

Had a great chat about the Mystery Rod Today with one of our more pleasant members.
You know one of those older Gentleman whom has recently retired
Honest To God He knew who the guy in the picture was and shared some wonderful memories with me.

Just remembered I have some Montague rods I'll see if I can find them,they should be in the Clave Box.
Geese I need to find new homes for all those rods to.
Anybody need a complete collection of a hundred or so classic fiberglass fly rods.

One of the things we found out chatting today is we both have a common distaste hatred in fact for a certain rod Manufactures Rods as a whole.
Neither of us would give a plug nickle for an XYZ rod if our lives depended on it.
Good Thing XYZ went out of business.
Maybe that's why was the punch line,we both laughed full belly.

Well the heat has been so bad here with my health issues I'm stuck inside pretty much until it cools off,hopefully tomorrow I'll get out and get some pictures.
Maybe I'll find a Monty or 2 as well.

Tight Lines And I'll See What I Can Find Loops
Andy M.

Andy M

Thanks for the additional info. Ha! I don't recall when Fisher got started but in 1960 they weren't on the racks of any discount stores in the east where a kid went shopping on a lawnmowing budget because the rods where he bought his Pflueger 1494 were too expensive ! I think the guy still has the Pflueger, good as ever. Actually, it wasn't the best choice for the Monty and he went to a 1495 a few years later.

You know, that is great history about Monty and TT. Now I am wondering if they maintained both names for different product lines over the years. Somewhere along the way the last 10 or 15 years I was given or gave a dollar at a yard sale for a TT 8 1/2' 'glass rod. Never researched it much, just ballparked in my own mind, based on cosmetics, that it was a late 60s early 70s rod. Used it smallmouth fishing on the Penobscot once or twice--where I would usually have used the Monty. It was a decent rod of its type that I passed on to someone else.

Those pictures just resurfaced last month when my brother sent them for family recollection at the time of my aunt's death, age 90. She was with us on that long western camping trip. That's up on the Gros Ventre River above Jackson Hole--if I remember correctly. I didn't get a chance to read her journals of the trip yet. Both my dad and his sister were camera enthusiasts and excellent amateur photographers, so just looking at the pics is too long walk down memory lane. Plus if I have to wait another 15 minutes for the clouds and sunlight to be right for a landscape photo, I'll never get any fishing in.