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Fenwick Voyageur fly rod
Post 03 Jun 2021, 16:29 • #1 
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Location: US-MN
I picked up this vintage Fenwick 8'6" model 856 5 piece fly rod today with the tube. This doesn't have the soc for it unfortunately. I was wondering if anyone knew if these were mass produced or only made for a certain time? There is a number on the sticker that reads N with a bunch of numbers on it. Not sure what that number all means on this rod? Any help would be appreciated. I do know it's from around 75 - 76.











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Post 03 Jun 2021, 16:59 • #2 
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Location: Holly Springs, NC
Yes, the FF856-5 is a factory Fenwick rod. N237612 is the serial number. As you noted, the "N" indicates the rod was made around 1975. The Fenwick glass rods only had the uplocking, cork skeleton reelseat for a couple of years.

The FF75-4 and FF756-4 were probably the most popular of the Voyager multi-piece fly rods. The FF856-5 is a very tough find, especially at a reasonable price. The rod looks in good shape, despite the missing rod sock. Nice buy!


Tom


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Post 04 Jun 2021, 08:40 • #3 
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Interesting. I have a dead mint 856-5 with a FF serial number. Original bag, tube and sticker still on the cork. I believe these FF rods were from the sixties. Correct me if I'm wrong.


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Post 04 Jun 2021, 11:59 • #4 
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Tom hit the high points and as noted its way cool that you found the hard one to locate...an FF856-5 in great shape...SCORE

Very cool find

and Tom thanks for the info.

Scott


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Post 05 Jun 2021, 01:23 • #5 
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Hellmtflies wrote:
Interesting. I have a dead mint 856-5 with a FF serial number. Original bag, tube and sticker still on the cork. I believe these FF rods were from the sixties. Correct me if I'm wrong.

FF indicates the model number. FF is short for Feralite Fly, meaning a rod blank with a tip over butt glass ferrule(s). The serial number is a single letter followed by a number (as shown in the third photo above).

The Feralite fly rods with two digit serial numbers first appeared in 1963 (e.g., model FF70). The three digit model numbers (e.g., model FF706) first appeared in 1974. Fenwick introduced graphite in 1973 - the new fiberglass designs had to wait. Feralite glass was made from 1963 through the late 80s. Fenwick revives their glass rods every 10-15 years.


Tom


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Post 13 Jun 2021, 09:16 • #6 
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My mistake. The model # is FF856-5 and the serial # on mine is P18221. I thought mine was from 1966? But you are saying that the tree digit models #'s didn't come out until 1974? Tom, where can I verify that? I have Johnson's book on Fenwick . Is it in there? If so I missed it.
Mark


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Post 13 Jun 2021, 19:16 • #7 
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Yes, the answers you want are in Johnson's Fenwick book.


Tom


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Post 14 Jun 2021, 01:12 • #8 
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Joined: 06/16/05
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Hellmtflies wrote:
The model # is FF856-5 and the serial # on mine is P18221. I thought mine was from 1966? But you are saying that the tree digit models #'s didn't come out until 1974? Tom, where can I verify that? I have Johnson's book on Fenwick . Is it in there? If so I missed it.
Mark

I usually just call up this thread that discusses it.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=499&p=23460&hilit=Fenwick+serial+decoding#p23460

“P” should be 1976-77. I always thought “K” (1972-1973) marked the beginning of the three-digit models, which makes sense, since my FF705 is an “L”.
Incidentally, it looks like “H” might mark the beginning of the Voyageur label since my FF70-4 “H” has it, but not the “G” FF80-4 (unless, of course, they only labeled the shorter rod as Voyageur then, although they put the label on my FF756-4 by the time “R” came around).


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