This is Hunt 50-5, 8’. Serial# 8073, made in 1980 during Tom Maxwell's tenure at Leonard. Weight is 4 1/3 oz. for a #5 line. Burgundy wraps with purple and red tipping at hook keeper and ferrules. Cigar grip, blued down-locking reel seat with tiger maple spacer, agate stripping guide, ring hook keeper. Original tan bag and tube. Excellent original condition. Rod is straight and varnish is flawless. Ferrule fit is superb. Grip shows some use. Reel seat slide band is tight, but slides down enough to secure the reel.
A nice HL Leonard model 48-4 catskill special fly rod, 7’0” 3-piece, 2-tip but one tip missing built for a #4 line. Serial # 89105. Mint condition. Fast action 4-weight small stream rod. Master builder Marc Aroner made this rod approximately during 1990-1993 for Larry Foster to maintain his Leonard trademarks. A few of the telltale indications that Marc built it: his mortising tool leaves a circular lip at the top of the cut while the standard Leonard seats would have a straight lip. The nodes have been pressed to a very small size. The cane is an oven tempered wheat straw color and the wraps are light brown with green edges and a green double wrap at the ferrule. Carbide stripper, keeper on the wrap flats as well as the serial number (Marc believe Larry put the "A" for Aroner). 4 1/4" slim cigar grip. The reel seat is lightly stained curly maple. The cap and ring are oxidized and the cap has the Leonard stamp "H.L. Leonard Rod Co, The Rodmaker, Since 1869". "Catskill Special" labelled on the opposing side. The varnish is perfect. The step ferrules are oxidized and the rod is straight. Comes packed in a cream colored poplin bag with room for two tips,.
This is one of the classics indeed! A pre-fire Leonard Model 50DF Tournament bamboo rod 3/2-- 8 ft for a 5 wt line. The rod is in fantastic condition and I suspect it has been restored somewhere down the line, receiving a thin crisp varnish coat. The rod is very sound, no repair wraps, no issues with the underlying cane. Most of the wraps appear to be original silks. All sections are full length and straight. Golden straw colored cane. Gold silks with lighter gold tipping at the winding check, ferrules, and tip-tops. The rod features english style, reverse-twist guides. Agate stripping guide and tip-tops. Slightly swelled butt. Ring hook-keeper. Classic diminutive cigar grip in wonderful shape that measures 4 7/8" . Some ridging but no soiling. Nickel-silver cap and ring reel seat with a butternut spacer. Witness marks on ferrules. The rod weighs 3 5/8 oz. The action is that lovely medium fast dry fly action that we all love about the 50 DF. Comes with original bag sans hang tag, The bag have frayed bottoms that have been rudimentary fixed by the previous owner. I would be more than happy to fix this. Also includes original tube with brass fittings.
This a more powerful version of the popular 50 1/2 model. Think big waters, big winds, big fish. A very rare pre-fire Leonard find these days. Handles lines ranging from #6-8 with great versatility. Harold Reynolds era with 1940’s gray bag with hang tag intact. Burgundy wraps with black accents. The condition is great! This rod has only seen light use with very light hand soiling and ridging to the grip and some cracks to the wraps due to casting. The ferrules are tight and the rod is straight. Some fraying to the top the rod bag.
Note what Marty Keane wrote about this rod in his magnum opus ”Classic Rods and Rodmakers” - "Sensing a need to offer a slightly stronger #50DF, the #4099 came forward, and from it one of the great Leonard classics, the #4099 1/2, a three-piece 8 1/2-foot model, originally a tournament rod, weighing 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 ounces - usually closer to the 5 1/4 - 5 1/2 ounce weight. This rod, in my opinion, deserves special mention as a superior instrument, especially for use when large flies, strong winds, and big water must be covered for long periods of time. Its comfortable, slightly thick grip is wisely designed and the powerful tapers allow the angler to make difficult casts with a minimum of effort. The #4099 1/2 has amazed everyone who has performed with it, and it remains a favorite throughout the country with amateur tournament casters and trout fishermen alike."
Here is a unique and unusual Orvis rod model - the Midge Nymph. Excellent condition. This 2/2 rod comes with 2 different length tips. One tip makes this a 7 1/2' rod and the other tip is 3" longer for fishing nymphs. Medium-slow action. All sections are original and straight. The downlocking reel seat has a walnut spacer and cap and ring. Tan color cane done in a 3 up node pattern. Resorcinol glue. The main wraps are burgundy with a carbide stripper and chrome guides. The step ferrules are oxidized black. Soiling of the grip. Serial #81288 on all three sections as well as the original tube label. Original tube but non-original bag.
The rod has an amazing provenance and belonged to the grand old man of Scandinavian Fly Fishing, namely Preben Torp Jacobsen - the famous danish author and veterinarian. His name and year is etched onto the pocket cap. He wrote about this very rod in his book ”Torrfluefiske” comparing it to a Stradivarius violin.
The rod itself is a Orvis Midge bamboo fly rod, 7'6", 2-piece, 2-tip, and made for a #5 line. Serial #73392 with a listed weight of 3 5/8 ounces. Light use with hand soiling. Medium-slow action. Tan color cane done in a 3 up node pattern. Resorcinol glue. The main wraps are burgundy with a carbide stripper and chrome guides. The step ferrules are oxidized black. The grip is a cigar with very little front taper and a large square-end. The reel seat is an aluminum down lock screw lock with a pocket cap. The spacer is Walnut. The rod packs into a non-original two pocket tan cloth bag and Orvis original aluminum tube.
This is the Pezon et Michel Ritz Super Parabolic PPP, Master (Lambiotte Type) bamboo rod, 8'3", #5-6, 2/2. Made in France (not a Sharpe's or Farlow's rod built on a P&M blank). The rod is in excellent original condition. Staggered ferrule design with original bamboo plug; green wraps tipped with red; in original P&M red satin bag and plastic tube with brown cover and P&M patch. Ritz style grip (long) with a slight flare towards the rear. Champagne aluminum screw-lock reel seat. The rod weighs 5 1/4 oz. The fit and condition is great.
The classic European Trout Rod! Ritz Super Parabolic Fario Club 8′ 5″ with staggered ferules , alloy snake rings, smooth soiled cork handle with black alloy screw in reel fittings, green whippings tipped in red. Included is a original red satin rod bag. A rod heavily used with the brand markings faded and some set. But is ready to fish for many more years!