Welcome aboard the best Fly Fishing website around Brewster.

Can't tell you a whole lot about your Shapespeare 1312, but will share with you what I have experienced with them. Originally available in 9' 3/2 configuration, and available in what would be today rated from 5 wt and up I believe. Most of the ones that i have seen did better with a 6 wt line. I have "heard" of a couple that were supposedly 8'6" but my guess is that the tips were short on those. The tips had a tip top and 3 snake guides on them and a couple that I had were wrapped in jasper if I remember correctly, but at my age, with as many rods as I have gone through in the past few years, it could have been anything....

Lots of folks refer to the Shakespear, South Bend, Montagues, H-I's, and a few others as "production rods" and don't assess them with any real collector value. I see it as a nice rod that you could restore, refurbish, or whatever as need be and provide you with a lifetime of fishing pleasure. When we talk about "production rods", I often wonder where that puts Orvis, who has probably made significatnly more bamboo fly rods than any other company?

If you can get access to Michael Sinclair's "Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook", you may be able to find out a little more about your boo rod.

At any rate, welcome to JC's and Deanna's FAOL, and to a host of wonderful folks that are here to talk about, help with, and think about the thing we all love....fly fishing.

(by the way, watch out for a fella named OHIOTUBER, he'll do his best to get you hooked on bamboo even more than you already are!!!)