WFS 276 – A Guide to Classic Bamboo Fly Rods and Reels with Ward Tonsfeldt

     

Ward Tonsfeldt is here to share some tips on finding high-quality classic bamboo fly rods and reels – discover the difference between classic, vintage, and antique gear

We find out what makes a classic rod classic – where to go to value your rod, and a classic rod and reel combo for less than $1000

Ward also explains why they don’t have a shopping cart on their website but offer personal service for each client instead!

Click below and listen to the Bamboo Fly Rod Podcast with Ward Tonsfeldt:

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(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)

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Bamboo Fly Rods Show Notes with Ward Tonsfeldt

05:17 – What makes a fly fishing gear vintage, classic, or antique

05:51 – The Hardy Perfect Reel is one of the classic reels – first made in the 1890s and still being made to this day

08:57 – In the 1920s, steel fly rods were extremely fashionable

09:57 – Ward recently sold a 1950s Orvis Deluxe

12:16 – Bob Taylor rods are what Ward’s clients usually look for

14:13 – One of the most successful Leonard rods is the model 50

16:13 – Ward’s ideal rod setup

         

18:16 – The Wheatley Fly Boxes are classic

18:53 – The Creel and its history

22:33 – Why people go for the classic rods

29:17 – Join The Classic Fly Rod Forum to connect with people that talk about bamboo fly rods

30:22 – The Orvis 2 piece Battenkill 7 1/2 foot rod is a crowd-pleaser and can always be resold

33:34 – In the late 1950s, Hardy came up with the lightweight series

41:29 – Jim Adams is Ward’s good friend

48:14 – There’s a book about fiberglass rods by Vic Johnson

49:02 – Ferdinand Claudio is one of the early fiberglass rod makers

49:49 – Hardy has a series out called the Perfection Fiberglass Rods

50:42 – The Orvis Rivermaster fly rod was pretty popular back in the days

52:14 – The Thompson Reel

1:00:37 – Fin-Nor anti-reverse fly reel

Visit ClassicFlyFishingTackle.com to check out the amazing classic gears they have to offer

Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below

Bamboo Fly Rods Conclusion with Ward Tonsfeldt

Ward Tonsfeldt shared some tips on finding high-quality classic bamboo fly rods and reels – discover the difference between classic, vintage, and antique gear

We talked about what makes a classic rod classic – where to go to value your rod, and a classic rod and reel combo for less than $1000

Which of the classic gears is your favorite? Let me know in the comments.