Hi, Welcome to the Forum!
You have a custom rod blade built on a 50s era Sila-flex rod blank with a Heddon casting handle. The rod wrapping was very nicely done by the builder. Usually B&W jasper thread becomes very busy in conjunction with other thread work. In this case, the builder produced intricate, attractive guide wraps.
That blank was used for the Sila-flex C60F, 6-foot, 1-piece casting rod. The 1956 Sila-flex catalog described the C60F as For the angler requiring a longer rod we offer the superlative C60F which incorporates our 63" blank (weighing 2¼ oz.) in a total rod length of 6 feet. The rod blank was Sila-flex's 'Standard Tubular Glass' model, not the Medallion rod design which came out in the mid-50s. By 1960 the rod blank was still offered, but not the factory built rod. In the 1960 Sila-flex catalog sheets, the BC60F blank is listed as, 1 Piece, 6 ft., Light Action. The BC60F model number indicates a casting rod blank, to make a 6.0 foot rod, with a butt ferrule pre-mounted. The blank was 63" long, 1-7/8 oz, with a 5/64's tip, and a list price of $10.50. In the same catalog sheets, Ultra-Light Action casting rods were listed as suitable for 3/8 oz tournament casting. So perhaps Light Action is more of a 1/2-5/8 oz casting rod. Sila-flex offered factory built rods, rod blanks, and rod kits (all parts, including blank, handles, grips, guides, ferrules, thread). Sila-flex offered a couple models of handle, but not Heddons. Sila-flex rod blanks/kits were readily available to both custom builders and amateurs.
Your Sila-flex rod looks pristine. The paint on the Sila-flex logo and model number is crisp and clean. Usually the paint gets dinged and worn quickly. The Heddon handle on the other hand looks more used, but is still rather clean. The builder may have matched the blank and handle from the start, or may have had the handle remaining from a broken Heddon. While it's possible your father didn't fish the rod because it was too pretty, it is also possible he just didn't like single hand casting rods. For 1/2 oz casting outfits, I much prefer a short, two handed grip.
As far as Gene Bullard goes, perhaps search for rods he built. If the thread work looks similar, you have a good indication he was the builder. If your step brother's uncle lived near Mr. Bullard's shop, that is another potential clue.
Before you ask, the value is purely sentimental. Many custom rod builds retain little of the original value compared to a similar factory built rod. That's just the vagaries of the market. As a result, the most compelling value for the rod is to take it fishing and see how it does. I think it would make a nice match with a Pflueger Supreme or an ABU Ambassadeur.
Tom
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