Copper telescoping fly rod?

Was back home visiting the families this past weekend. My dad heard (from my wife) that I was interested in fly fishing. My dad, being an avid fisherman and experienced garage/yard saler, took me up to his collection of rods and reels he bought at garage and yard sales to see if he had a fly rod. He had one bamboo fly rod that was missing at least one piece (I suspect two), had the handle end and the tip end. The only other flyrod looked to be bamboo (was hex shaped), at first, only it was telescopic and upon closer inspection I found it to have a very dark copper color to it. I could not make out any markings on it, but then I did not have much time to look it over more thoroughly. Can't tell what weight it is or even how long it is because the middle section is seized and won't telescope out.

With that highly limited info., were there a lot of copper fly rod manufacturers? If so, then a list maybe too cumbersome, but if not, I'd like a list of possible candidates. I'll probably not fish it and its probably not even worth the price of the scrap copper, but am interested in finding out a little more about it, since it seems to be unique. I'll try to find out more from the rod itself, when I get a chance. I would think the information would be etched or punched into a metal rod, but I am probably too optomistic.

Thank you,
Paul

I have one that the bottom section by the handle is green and is named Bristol 3. If you use some sort of pen lube it should come unfrozen. I bought mine off e-bay for around 9 bucks I think I just wanted to have it. I've casted with it in the yard and it handles a 6wt nicely. I might take mine out to fish someday just hard to say as of now. But if it's something you like or interests you then check it out and keep working with it and it will work there are all so shems around the eyes that lock them into place that you can get some wd or pb blast into and will help out then take some extra fine steel wool and go over the whole rod each section at a time till it slides up and down nicely. Later Matt

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To each there own !

The Bristol telescoping rods were made by the Horton Mfg. Co. of Bristol Ct.
I believe they were steel.
They were known as Sunday rods because they could be collapsed and hidden under a coat. Ideal for skipping church to go fishing http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/wink.gif

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"Nick's heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling" ...Ernest Hemingway




[This message has been edited by dudley (edited 06 September 2005).]

the outside bottom section of mine is steel but the rest is copper. Later.

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To each there own !

Thanks Stonefly and Dudley,

I got a chance to look at it a bit better last night. It appears that it was painted green at some point and I saw some red paint, too, don't know if that was accent or primer. I thought that the green was from the copper's corrosion (which is a green color). It is clearly copper, I found that out the hard way when I accidently pulled the tip portion all the way out, while at my dad's house, when I was fumbling trying to get the center portion to come out. The tip has a slice of the tubing that's ben so that the tip can't come out, under normal circumstances (I assume the remaining pieces also have such a strip). That strip looked like brand new copper, which is how I noticed it was copper and not bamboo as it looked when I first picked it up (it was all dusty and dirty). I still have not worked on getting the center portion out completely, but I can't believe that you guys narrowed the manufacturer down so quickly. I guess copper was probably not the best material to use for a fishing rod. I also guess that they were the only company to make a telescoping fly rod? I would have thought someone else would have made one.

BTW, not to say that Bristol did not make steel FF rods, I am only saying that the one I am in possession of is definitely made from copper.

Thanks,
Paul

Gandalf,
The telescopic rods were not rare. I'm sure there were others made besides the Bristols.
The one that I have is a Bristol, and I happen to read up on them one time when I was researching one of my grandfather's reels. Also a Bristol.

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"Nick's heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling" ...Ernest Hemingway

Do not use steel wool on a stainless steel fly rod, you will destroy the stainless steel surface, causing damage that cannot be repaired.

Stainless Steel is a Chromium Alloy Steel that has been heated to a high temperature, then dipped into a acid bath, to remove all the surface Iron particles.

It you use steel wool on the item, you will destroy the surface layer, causing the iron particles beneath the surface to be exposed, and to start rusting.

~Parnelli

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