Yes, yes- I hear the hisses and boos re ‘spinning rod’!! Sheesh… but where I fish- the High Country of Colorado (and North Park specifically)- taking a spinning rod as back-up to the fly rod can often mean the difference between sitting out a day-long howling wind or actually making a cast or two.
Anyhoo- I recently acquired a W&M Water Seal ‘Hand-Crafted’ bamboo spinning rod from eBay ($34!!!) and have just returned from a 5 day trip to my favorite waters.
The rod- old as it is- functioned wonderfully.
I have a question… the rod is signed P. M. Okano
Does anyone here have any info regarding this man? (I assume a man). Did he build rods after W&M closed in 1960?
I fish small waters with light tackle. The second cast with this rod produced an 8" Rainbow; the fourth cast resulted in a PB 19" Brown so fat I couldn’t get my hand around him! (I wanted him to be 20" but the tape doesn’t lie) 
Any help with the name Okano is greatly appreciated. TIA, Steve
I’ve been thinking about the same thing - this summer has been the windiest I’ve ever seen in the mountains, and I would sure have appreciated a spinning rod a lot of times.
Stede,
First and formost, welcome to the Board! Secondly, if you’re going to fish spinning rods in addition to the fly rod, good to go classic!! Bamboo!! Good on you!! Have no idea on the rod or the builder, but others will!!
Thirdly, (ok … .that’ll be all ) the new guy brings donuts and makes the coffee so we can all sit around the old pot bellied stove, tying flies and telling lies!
Welcome aboard!!
Betty the very proud … the very HRH
OK … fourthly … promise … this’ll really be all!! Have you tried contacting Wright and Mcill? Email: info@wright-mcgill.com They may have some information available!
Thanks for the welcome, Betty! (presents four dozen assorted virtual doughnuts;)). And thanks for the link; perhaps they have a historian-type who’ll take the time to check it out. I had thought they closed their doors in '60, maybe someone there has access to some original records.
Herefishy, I started packing the ‘back-up’ years ago, after many frustrating days when using the fly rod was just plain impossible due to wind or terrain. Fishing small waters often puts me into deep brush or narrow ravines, and the wind is usually howling through them… ‘purists’ will scoff, but sometimes the 8.5 foot 5 wt. is just simply the wrong tool for the job:-?!
Wright McGill is right here in Denver! Just off of I-70 and Colorado. They have a retail store on the east end of the building. One of the guys I go to church with still works there and is old enough that he probably made that rod. :lol:
It was a bit breezy Saturday. I was up by Ward. Thought I had the world by the tail because I was casting downwind. Then the wind did a 180* swap coming out of the east about the time I let a nice cast go. The lake was glass smooth this morning, though.
Never heard of a W&M Water Seal spinning rod. Would love to see some pictures.
What length is the rod? How many sections?
The W&M Water Seal fly rods were manufactured up until 1960. Two models the F.A. and F.B.
The F.A. was the higher grade with a Monel reel seat and ferrules. The F.B. ferrules and reel seal were nickel silver.
The F.A. was wrapped maroon, tipped yellow with the F.B. being the reverse.
These rods were impregnated, unvarnished. Great rods for bass or heavy trout or windy western rivers.
The signature on your rod was most probably executed by the owner.
I suppose he could have ordered the blank form W&M and dressed the rod himself or possibly special ordered it with his name applied?
Anyway, most interesting to hear of a Water Seal spinning rod!
Bob
Stede,
Welcome from Pa. and thanks for the virtual doughnuts (not as fattening as the ones I normally eat!). Nothing to add about your acquisition. I never take a trip out West without including my spinning rod. A spinning rod with a spinning bubble and 9 ft+ leader and fly can be so deadly on the lakes that it probably should be outlawed! And like you say, it may be your only option. While camping in Utah I fished one particular lake every morning with the spin/fly set up, and every evening I would take a 30 minute hike to the far side of the lake to a cove where I could wade out and use the fly rod. Enjoyed both systems immensely. Btw, my first rod was a Bamboo spin/fly combo rod. All you did was reverse the handle. I wore that rod out and broke it twice in one day on large mouth bass!LOL!!!
Best regards, Dave S. (fishdog54)
Hi Bob- The rod is 6’9" and two piece. The guides are wrapped maroon with yellow ends, like the FA series. The butt and tip sections are varnished, with the PM Okano signature under the varnish. I’ll take pics tomorrow whilst the sun shines and post them here…
Stede,
Does your rod look like this one?
Strange but there is a small discussion about this rod on another Forum.
This one is 7’. Could more easily be used as a fly rod, to my eye anyway.
Bob
Ooooooo … doggies! That is really kewl!!
Just curious why someone would rate this thread with one star??
Why even bother?
Bobby, that’s a sweet rod and in better shape than mine! Same red plastic butt cap but the reel seat is all different; mine has two blued steel sliding rings and the line guides seem more appropriate for a spinning rod than yours… let’s see if I can load some pics…
Sorry about the pic quality! The ‘gaps’ apparent on the reel seats are actually reflections from the checkered knurling on the rings. The cork butt is that shiney 'cuz I used the toothpaste cleaning trick on it- it was very grimey and stained when I got it and I thought a touch of cleaning was in order; it came out like new.
Stede,
I’m thinking your rod was built by Mr. Okano on W&M Water Seal blanks?
The reasons being your rod is varnished over impregnated blanks, Mr. Okano’s name is applied,
and the spinning rod handle with sliding rings is (I believe) custom applied?
Most interesting. I’ll try and determine if W&M built a spinning rod using these components.
Thanks, BQ- I’d appreciate any info although it doesn’t really matter; I just like to know everything I can about anything I’m connected with. Some unkind folk who love me say I’m anal that way…:lol:
I sent a query to the addy kindly supplied by HRH Betty (tips his hat, ‘thangya kindly ma’am’) for Wright & McGill; this is the response I got from Scott, Product Manager-
“Wright McGill Co is still alive and well after 85 years. We are still located here in Denver and family owned by the McGill family.
Eagle Claw is one of the brands owned by the company and since Eagle Claw is the most famous that is what most people refer to us as.
We will make a large number of rods and reels under the Wright & McGill brand, all at the higher end. Check us out at www.wright-mcgill.com or you can even become a friend on Facebook.
I love the fact you still have one of our old Water Seal Bamboo rods. They are getting more rare every year. The fact that it still fishes well is a great testimony to those rods hand made right here in Denver.
The Water Seal rods were first made back in 1952 and were the only true bamboo or cane rods made with the Wright & McGill name. They were made only until 1954. The start of the Korean war made cane hard to obtain and that was the real start of rods switching to Fiberglass.
There is not a lot of information from those days left so I cannot really tell you much about the actual maker, PM Okano. The company moved several times to different building in Denver and most of those old records were lost.”
Sooo… anyone heard of a bamboo rod maker in Paris, France- name of Perrot?