Very cool, and nice subject for a thread. Over on the bamboo board (CFRF), there is one entiltled Got a New Rod Lately, and is many pages long, even as part 2. Here is my latest - a Barclay 7'2" 3 piece 5 weight - Chris agreed to build me this on the Lil Stiffy blank, and it turned out great aesthetically, and I can't imaging it will not become my favorite "all rounder" rod. Balances perfectly with a Hardy Golden LRH Lightweight. I've lawn cast it so far (weather permitting) with a 406 DT5, a Rio Gold WF5, 406 WF6. It handles them all great, but come Spring it needs fishing time. Rod wraps are reminiscent of the Scott G's, and reel seat wood insert is Cuban spalted mahogany.

Wow, jhuskey, your new Barclay is a thing of beauty! I didn't realize riffs on the Lil Stiffy blank were an option. Enjoy that rod!

I sure hope Chris didn't want me to keep my big mouth shut. Photos are from Chris. The grip is normal size.
Visit Chris's blog on his website for some new rod offerings - no financial interest.

Can’t comment on the Whittemore other than it looks like a ‘70’s rod like St Croix. St Croix produced low-mid grade rods in several candy colors in that time. I had that same 983 in blue. A solid 7wt in good length that offset some of the blank weight. It needed a few more guides but will be a great all around rod and especially good smallmouth rig. Enjoy!

If you post a few more pics, someone can probably recognize the maker of that trade rod. Unless they are getting forgetful about things that far back, which I am.

Darn, I used to stop in at St. Croix in Park Falls when work took me that way about the time they were transitioning (like everybody else) into graphite. I can't get a specific memory of a model line--there was some glass still in Wisconsin general stores back then--that looked that color, but almost certainly there was.
Colors are hard to judge from digital images, not to mention with maybe 40 years weathering on them, but I think that one is somewhat faded and was more like what's shown here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65703&p=346781&hilit=Vince+Cummings+St.+Croix+River+Rat#p346781 Cummings may have had a custom color, but St. Croix probably had a product line very similar. I just can't picture it, but maybe somebody can.

In fact, if you search enough right here you may find a photo of a rod from the same Cortland series. An 8'3" 7 weight is a great 'glass configuration. I bet that one will spiff up nicely with a rubbed on, thin application of conventional spar varnish--plenty of how-to on that here as well.

Obviously I did not get the direction the thread was meant to go, apologies for the highjacking.

Thanks sculpin65 !