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Post 30 Mar 2019, 16:24 • #1 
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I have become interested in late 1940s to mid 1950s spinning rods. Can anyone recommend a good reference guide to brands and models for this time period? Thanks for any suggestions.


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Post 31 Mar 2019, 12:13 • #2 
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The two in the masthead photo are Arjon (Swede) cane, and a 5-star Garcia 2610B.
And sorry, can't answer your question except to hunt rod by rod.
The Mitchell museum website has Garcia rod catalogs, abridged.


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Post 31 Mar 2019, 17:28 • #3 
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I can't name a straightforward look-up reference source, but piecing things together is fun anyhow. There's some info right here if you use the search function. In this discussion, more focused on reels, see posts 17 and 18 that name some books of the time period. viewtopic.php?f=33&t=51549


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Post 31 Mar 2019, 20:11 • #4 
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For the dates you picked, Airex glass, including solid glass, and Uslan cane were strong contenders in the US spinning tackle market, and while not a monopoly, certainly supplied the lion's share.
They also had the license to build the French Luxor reel as their Bache-Brown Mastereel (though the French-built reels are night-and-day better).
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I have a '51 Ward's catalog - I'll check it, as well.


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 31 Mar 2019, 21:22, edited 3 times in total.

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Post 01 Apr 2019, 08:36 • #5 
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here we go, Wards offered 4 spinning rods in 1951
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One cane, one steel, one tubular glass, plus SB 469 cane spin/fly combo
(I have a SB 469 stashed in original condition, sock and tube - tip set which can be worked out - they make a great 7' 7-wt fly rod).

In contrast, Wards had 6 pages of fly rods, 13 models in cane, 2 models in steel, and 9 models in glass.
Excluding salt rods, they had 7 pages of bait rods, 15 glass models, 15 in steel, 1 in cane.

I'm betting there's a very good chance Airex supplied the cane and tubular glass spinning rods, and True Temper (American Fork & Hoe) is good bet on the steel.

1954 is when Hardy's flip-bail patent expired, and most every other reel on the market before then (excepting Shakespeare's patent infringement below) was a half-bail.
Mitchell was manufacturing their first flip bail in 1951, and in 1952, their market took off.
There are enough half-bail Mitchells out there - they made 270,000+/- (worldwide), so people were buying spinning tackle in the late-40s/early-50s - my BIL's father had a half-bail Mitchell 300.
Though the original CAP half-bails predated the 300s, 1954 is when Mitchell released the 304 with CAP marking and finally with full bail.

But spinning was still in its infancy, and the other brands you might find in the early market include Dr. Howald's Shakespeare, likely Conolon, possibly Silaflex - if anyone has catalog info, please contribute.

Here are the reels Wards offered in 1951, Shakespeare's patent infringement (D), plus Airex and Humphrey's Colorado reel.
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Post 01 Apr 2019, 13:54 • #6 
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thanks to Skip, adding 54 Ward's spinning rods, 3 pages now, and 11 models.
Actionrod, definitely Shakespeare in spades, SB, Heddon, True Temper, and we probably need to add Phillipson and Wright-McGill
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Post 02 Apr 2019, 07:08 • #7 
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Thanks to everyone for all the great information shared. It will certainly provide pathways forward in my searching and collecting.


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Post 02 Apr 2019, 10:17 • #8 
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Greg, you're welcome - it was a fun exercise, and we collected some more information on fly rods at the same time.
When you get more together, bring it back here and educate us.


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Post 02 Apr 2019, 11:17 • #9 
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I will. I'm trying to recreate a fishing outfit as similar to what Bergman discussed in Trout from the 1952 edition as possible. Just for a fun, nice to be out--don't mind if you don't happen to catch anything--outfit to play around with and see how it works.


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Post 02 Apr 2019, 11:28 • #10 
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what reel are you planning to use? A 1949 CAP half-bail would be pretty cool
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Growning up, my older daughter's favorite creek rig was this 1937 Luxor with 4-1/2' Airex rod - she loved using the half-bail.
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Could also keep your eyes peeled for a Hardy Altex No. 1, which would be really classy on an Uslan cane rod - here's a No. 2, and the best fishing reel I've ever used.
1932 patent, extended by wartime provisions, I always called this the space shuttle of fishing reels.
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Post 05 Apr 2019, 08:03 • #11 
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Short update on my 1950s project. I found a very clean Mitchell 301 with a serial number that places it as a mid 1957 year, 4th generation, production, if the Mitchell Reel Museum website is correct. A little later than the 1952-1953 that I was hoping for, but it will work for now since I need the left hand retrieve model. I'm still looking for an appropriate Ambidex reel that is in good condition, that would let me reverse the handle. I fish a lot of spoons so I've picked up some new Daredevils with appropriate color markings and some Acme Phoebe and Sidewinders to play around with. I was thinking of using four pound Stren on the reel. I know the Stren line started in 1958, but it is a DuPont product so probably as close as I can get for the DuPont mono of the time. I'm working on finding a rod thanks to the information everyone provided. While I search I will be using a 6ft EagleClaw Featherlight that I've had in the back of the closet since the mid 1980s. At least it puts the rod in the correct length, action, and rod manufacturer for the time period. Still waiting for the streams and rivers to lower and the ponds to shed their ice here in north-central Maine to test. Any and all ideas are appreciated.


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