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Post 17 May 2020, 15:26 • #1 
New Member
Joined: 02/24/14
Posts: 4
Location: US - Iowa
A few years ago at a local Izaak Walton League fundraiser, I picked up a Browning Silaflex STD 022975 in what appeared to be great condition.




The shipping tube it was in indicates it was sent to Des Moines, IA from someone at Fly Fisherman Magazine in Manchester, VT in 1976.

This rod is a 2 piece rod, with what looks to my eye to be a tip-over-butt fiberglass ferrule, or perhaps a sleeve ferrule of some sort. Upon taking it home, I assembled it and the male butt end only goes into the tip section 1.125". In the image below I assembled it and dusted the exposed butt with a bit of carpentry chalk to show how much (or how little) ferrule overlap there is.



My question is whether 1.125" is too shallow for seating depth of this ferrule and it could break with normal use? Should I take some fine sandpaper to the tip of the butt section to nominally reduce its diameter to seat farther within the ferrule? (I think the previous owner may have done a bit of that too, if you look at the photo closely you can see a matte surface versus the gloss of the rest of the blank).

Thanks for any advice!


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Post 17 May 2020, 15:43 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Someone who as one may be able to compare. That looks to be a sleeve ferrule, which is easy to see on closer examination--a chamfer of the 'glass sleeve just above the upper wrap, right? And with a bright light, you can probably see the end of the tip section inside the sleeve. Or use a probe up the inside of the ferrule until you feel it touch the end of the tip section. That will tell you how deep the tip section sits in the sleeve--I'll guess about the same amount for the other section. Before modifying in any way, which I doubt is necessary, clean it thoroughly inside and out. A few specks of manufacturing debris, or grit if someone screwed with it, may have snugged the fit just a bit.

That is a nice rod in a very useful configuration.


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Post 17 May 2020, 20:09 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 08/03/14
Posts: 945
Location: central AR
I have the same rod, the ferrule on mine seats at 1 5/16 inches. Hope that helps.


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Post 17 May 2020, 21:21 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/23/05
Posts: 4966
Location: US-MT
Clean it up and go fishing.


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Post 17 May 2020, 22:29 • #5 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
As long as the connection is snug, that is enough ferrule engagement. Looking at the photo, the male fits 40+% of the way into the sleeve. There has to be a similar amount of room for the tip to be glued in also. Clean the ferrule with some q-tips and solvent and you will be good to go. Don't sand the male piece - it is scuffed from engaging the ferrule.

That rod is the hidden gem in the Silaflex rod series. The wraps aren't pretty and there is no conceivable reason to label it STD. Still, that rod is lighter and more responsive than the rods that came earlier or later. Enjoy it!


Tom


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Post 21 May 2020, 19:17 • #6 
New Member
Joined: 02/24/14
Posts: 4
Location: US - Iowa
Thank you all for the sound and detailed advice, and appreciation for the rod (jgestar). I cleaned the male and female parts of the ferrule with mineral spirits and reassembled, which was essentially the same situation. But then I advanced a brass rod into the female end like whrlpool suggested and found what I'm pretty sure is the end of the tip section. Lo and behold it overlaps the sleeve by only about an inch also(!). See below.


So, the sleeve is about 3" long, the tip is inside the sleeve about 1", and the butt section only goes in just over an inch. (Thanks for the comparison arknymph)

Looks like I'll take it fishing, hopefully this weekend, and call it good like majicwrench says. Very much appreciated!


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Post 28 May 2020, 14:10 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
excellent find - I have the 322975 which is the same blank I think, it's a terrific rod. Had to go check, that ferrule is about 1.5" insertion.


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Post 03 Jun 2020, 07:38 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/04/12
Posts: 705
Location: SE Pa
Quote:
Looks like I'll take it fishing, hopefully this weekend, and call it good like majicwrench says. Very much appreciated!

How'd you make out fishing the 022975, any comments on the rod?


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Post 23 Jun 2020, 09:50 • #9 
New Member
Joined: 02/24/14
Posts: 4
Location: US - Iowa
Thanks doug in co for the confirmation on the insertion depth. I have taken it out now casting and fishing, and it is a lively and pleasant-flexing rod (you were right, jgestar), that damps quickly. With yarn or a dry fly on, it is really enjoyable. When I added a sinking bass fly, it felt like that was too much, but that may have been more of a function of the line I was fishing at the time (a WF5 Sylk). I've been meaning to pick up a DT6 (or I suppose a TT6) to try both on this rod, as well as a Fenwick FF79 and Parametric PD-40 7' 6-7wt I have that I'd like to fish more. Any line recommendations?

I fish the Driftless in IA and WI some and while some folks may think a 6wt is too heavy, I think this particular rod would be really well suited for the variety of flies and situations you encounter for trout up there, incl. leeches and streamers <#6 in one pool, hoppers on an adjacent run, then delicate dry flies if a hatch comes off. Super versatile, with a slight advantage toward fishing lighter stuff in my opinion. Glad I got it and plan to fish it for sure.


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