I have always liked Garcia Conolon fly rods, but it has often been complained that they never stay the same over time. I recently acquired two 2-pc. Garcia Conolon 2404 fiberglass rods which illustrates how the same models are often radically different from one another. Referring to the images, here are the differences between two 2404 8ft. rods:
Handles: Both rods sport Allan reel seats, but the cork is completely different. the top rod has a square shaped handle and the other a more traditional round one.
Labels: One is called a 2404-D "Dry Fly Action," and is labeled a Four Star level rod. The lower rod appears to be just a plain 2404 without a letter suffix and appears to be an older vintage before the "Star" quality system was implemented in the 1970's.
Stripper Guide: The stripper guide in both rods appears to be agate, but the upper rod color is black whereas the lower rod is red.
Ferrules: The obvious difference here is that the upper rod tip ferrule is female and fits over a stainless pin in the base section of the rod. The lower rod has a brass male ferrule in the tip section which fits into a female socket in the handle section.
There are other differences which include the wraps and even the rod colors. Another major difference is that the newer rod has staggered section lengths, with the tip section about 6 inches longer than the handle section. The older rod has sections the same length. The lower rod is dirty and not been cleaned, but the finish is a different shade of gold. I believe the upper rod is from the 1970-1979 period and the lower rod is from the 1960's. Even though the rods have many design differences, Garcia maintained the same model designation for many years. The rods are indeed different in their stiffness and the newer rod throws a 6 wt line well, whereas the older rod likes a 7 wt. a bit better. When it comes to Garcia glass fly rods, you need to try them out before believing the labels.
Posted: 08 Nov 2020, 12:43 • 
