Has anyone ever heard of this model?

cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-WRIGHT-McGILL-EMBASSADOR-FLY-FISHING-ROD-8-5_W0QQitemZ260196582428QQihZ016QQcategoryZ11144QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What a nice old rod. Too bad it is mint, I would never fish it!
Keith

I bet it goes to a collector, just a beautiful rod.

Tim

The Ambassador was made from 1956 until 1963.The rod listed for $50 until 1963 and oddly in '63 it was reduced to$49.95.
'56 wae the only year it was wrapped in silk,after that they used nylon
In '56 and '57 it was produced in 61/2',71/2',8' and 81/2'.1n '58 they dropped the 61/2'.
It was produced with two tips until '63 and i believe in '63 it had only one tip ,i think that was the reason for the reduction in price.
i have a71/2' ,it is one sweet rod!

Steve

Thanks again for the information fishingfarmer. Can you tell me what line weights the Ambassador used? The Ambassador is not listed in the catalogs I have.

Howard

Humor me Larry. Tell me that they made an 8 1/2' 5/6 wt.

The '56 and '57 catalog states the line size for all lengths is HDH.
i haven't tried my 8',but the 71/2' handles a 5 wt fine.
Steve

I received a 1961 WM catalog in the mail today. Low and behold the Ambassador is in there. It is listed as a light action rod in the 8' & 8 1/2' length and impact action on the 6' and 6 1/2' rod. So, it may actually be a 6wt.

cofisher,
Does the'61 catalog list a 61/2' fly rod or is that a spinning rod?
Steve

what light action means may depend on how they used the term back then. ''action" usually refers to where the rod bends and not to its power (line weight designation). today we refer to "fast" rods as those that bend mostly in the tip with a stiff butt. such a rod could be a two wt or an 8 wt. not sure how they used the word "action" back then.

many of the glass rods of that era that were designated as
7 wts will cast well with modern 6 wt lines.

congrats. i have been watching. glad you sniped it. i was starting to worry that the two of you were going to have a pissing contest. i don't think you over paid either. that is an especially nice rod.

The Ambassador arrived today in good shape. The plastic is still on the grip and it appears to be totally mint. There are some rub marks on the butt and reelseat from sitting in the sock and tube.

I've never been one to consider not fishing a rod or reel I've purchased. This time it's different. I really don't want to fish a valuable piece of fly fishing history. On one hand, the rod is mint, one of the "best" (subjective) WM fiberglass rods made with two tips. (A rarity, at least for WM). On the other hand, it was made at the time WM was starting to transition to labeling their rods as Eagle Claw and to me doesn't quite have the sentimental value of those older Wright Mcgill rods. (This one is still WM and no Eagle Claw emblem and has a gold uplocking Granger reel seat) and after all, it was made to fish.

What do the collectors say?