Hello everyone. I am a recent Fenwick convert and just smile whenever I think of my FF79 glow stick i got from my casting coach. So I want to grow my collection.

My question is around the serial letter. I know from searching and reading most of the post the letter designates the year is was manufactured and can indicate the appearance of the rod (hand written, printed, more text, line weight designations). I also understand that over the span of a rods production lifespan its action can also vary based on materials, etc.

So my question for everyone is… with regards to the FF XX “double digits” would you pass on the same rod (example FF75) if it had an “H” and wait for another with a “D”?

The reason I’m asking is because I see some post their serial letter when discussing rods and I’m unsure if it’s in context of just rarity vs action or appearance or just pride ( as someone who collects baseball cards and loves vintage cars I completely understand!)

I know from a collectors standpoint, it all matters but do i need to consider this from a fishing perspective or am I just splitting hairs at this point. Personally I just want more fishable glow sticks.

Thanks in advance for answering the questions. Everyone here has been wonderful so far and I hope to be able to contribute more someday.

I’d echo Lunker. If you’re interested in a FF75 and one shows up in good shape at a price you like, get it. And after using it, you still think you’d rather have a “C” - and one shows up - buy it and sell the other; Fenwicks in decent shape sell reliably, and I doubt you’d take a loss. But if so, $20 or so for an education or a year’s “rod rental” doesn’t seem like a bad deal.

I have several models of 60's, 70's 5ish/6 wt rods on the 7.5' to 8' scale, most of them Fenwicks. Starting over i might just buy every decent looking, decently priced FF79 i come across. i have four. gave away a couple. for MY fishing they are great dry fly rods with many uses -- big rivers, small, in between, big trout and small. i do not regret having the other models (75-4, 755, 756, 786, 806) but i might swap the bunch of them for a few more 79's! i have 79's from B to J models. B and J might be the best casters, but the differences are quite subtle to my eye.

Personally speaking, I've come to prefer the 2nd generation over the 1st but they are all wonderful fishing tools.

On the other hand, don’t pigeon-hole yourself as having a preference too early, just because you found a rod or two you love in the XX or XXX models. I tend to think of myself as preferring the two-digit models, definitely like my FF70 over my FF705, and expected to like the FF60 over the FF605, but nope, almost always grab the FF605 when the niche arises. All the vintage Fenwicks I’ve tried have been good rods, and I wouldn’t necessarily shy away from any one that seem useful just because it’s of the “wrong” series.

Great points on the three digit models! My first Fenwick was the FF807 which I love and it’s been great for spotted bass and carp fishing.


I tried someone’s FF756-4 today and it was very nice as well. Travel rods are amazing.

The other fun part about all these new rods is finding the correct reel to balance them all. I prefer them tip heavy an inch or so above the cork.

I love the look of the course pumpkin colored cloth weave of the earliest models and I have a couple (earliest version) and I have the duplicate (brown) models of each one too. They cast pretty similar as stated above so no concern there. I like the FFxxx models too just as much. Just get out and fish them.

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I have a couple of Fenwick's coming my way. I'm so excited to use them! Just got a cheap FF75 2pc and paid a bit for an FF75-4pc but I love the idea of having a rod permanently in my car. Hopefully will get to try them all someday. Fiberglass is so much more fun than graphite, I've been lead astray all my fishing life!