Walton Powell bamboo fly rod

Hello All,

I have recently found a fly rod that was given to me some years back by my father. The rod belonged to his father who was an avid fly fisherman. My dad is not a fisherman and does not know a single thing about the rod. It is a 8' 6" Walton Powell bamboo fly rod in what appears to be perfect condition, still in the original tube and soft sheath. It is 3 pieces with 1 extra tip. On the butt of the reel seat it is inscribed "featherweight", and on the base of the rod shaft it says "a Walton Powell rod". The reel seat is red with gold hardware and the handle is cork. I am looking for any information about this rod anyone may be able to offer. Thank You =).

Sincerley, Brad "Stillwater" Bone

Go to features on the main page,(click on the faol icon in the upper left corner of this page) then click on the bamboo section on the left, then go to bamboo archives from the link on the bottom of the page, then go down to ec powell rod co.

Eric

thanks Eric, I've already read this article and while it did inform me it is also fairly vague. Any other info would be great. Thanks again.

Brad -

First of all, welcome to the FAOL Bulletin Board, and greetings from SE Idaho.

Second, I don't know much about bamboo or anything about that particular rod, but I do know that for a LONG time Powell was one of the premier rod builders in the country. What you describe may well be a "one of a kind" example of one of the finest rods of its day ??!!

Third, you might also post your inquiry on the Rod Building Forum below, where it might get a bit more attention from some folks who are much more knowledgeable than most about such things, and who will know to refer you to other websites that may have information on that particular rod.

Fourth, if you really don't want to be bothered with all this, send me a Private Message. I'll send you my mailing address and plenty of bucks to cover the postage and insurance.

John

The Walton Powell is a very nice rod ~~ and 8'6" is not a bad length. You can get more information at the Classic Fly Rod Forum ~~ there is a section there to post looking for more information on makers. Cherish the rod ~~ but more than that cherish your father who shared a little legacy with you.

I forgot to add a couple of things...

Do not sell the rod until you know its full value (the Classic Fly Rod Forum will help you there)...

And make sure the rod is bamboo ~~ Walton Powell was one of the first to develop the Hexagraph rod ~~ a graphite rod made to look and cast like bamboo.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rev Rob

And make sure the rod is bamboo ~~ Walton Powell was one of the first to develop the Hexagraph rod ~~ a graphite rod made to look and cast like bamboo.

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I doubt it is a hexagraph. The early ones that Walt was involved with were a dark green, almost black color that didn't look like bamboo, except for the shape. They weren't painted to look like bamboo for some time after they were developed.

There is a guy in California, Jim Clarkson, who has a shop called Raptor Rod Works. Google "raptor rod works" to get the website to get the phone number. Jim is the owner of all of Powell's original bamboo inventory and still builds cane rods made on Walt's blanks. I believe he built rods with Walt some time ago. If he can't help you, you can't be helped.

Also important to note is that Walt Powell was a decendant of EC Powell (I can't remember if he was his son or grandson) so his rods are different than EC's and, although pretty valuable compared to many, not as much as EC's. Hope this helps.

Just Google Walton Powell and all kinds of info is there.

one on e-bay for example
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Walton-P...06231876r18320

Good Luck
DuFf