This winters project rod(s)

[AgMD]

I just picked up a pair of Chubb 10 1/2' fly rods. One is Calcutta cane and the other is wood, probably lancewood. My guess is they are both late 1800's /early 1900's.
The cane rod is the more interesting of the two. Two mids, two tips, everything full length. Spigot ferrules, flip ring guides, rattan grip. The NS ferrules are formed into hexes where they join the blank. It also needs a major restoration. I believe the tips have the original wraps and that the mids and butt have been re wrapped. I would like to try and strip the tips while preserving the original wraps and then match those wraps on the mids and butt.
The wood rod is also interesting but it is short a few inches at the tip and that section has a few repair wraps ( not pretty ones either), one is over a splice which is way too short to be trusted.
I have put the cane rod together and it does redefine "soft wet fly action" but this was made thirty or more years before dry fly fishing caught on in the US. I guess I am going to need to tie up some traditional Bergman wet flies just to do the rod justice.
AgMD

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[hsweren]

Can't wait to see the finished project. I'm sure they will look as good as new.

[DRYFLYPHIL]

Wow Kim, sound interesting!! I'm sure after your finished with them, they'll be really something!!

Keep us posted on the progress of those potential beauties......DRYFLYPHIL ;D

[AgMD]

Thanks for the encouragement. Here is a pix of the other end, maybe. As you can see from my first post I know nothing about sizing pix --
AgMD

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[AgMD]

Son-of-a-gun -- it worked.
I think you can see that the red and green wraps on the tip are in pretty good shape even though the varnish is falling off the cane. My guess is that the tip wraps are original. The wraps are continuous -- right under the guide strap. On the mids and butt the wrappings are done in a two piece wrap. Also these wraps are less than professional and the varnish is way too thin, particularly over the wraps. These have started to come undone as a result. My knowledge of Chubb rods is pretty sketchy at best, but I believe that red and green were a common Chubb pattern. Maybe the tips are original. Now the trick will be to try to find a matching thread color / CP combination. I assume that CP was used because green thread with out CP turns black when varnished.
Based on the era these were made I suspect that CP choices were limited to lacquer or shellac and I understand that both were commonly used as CP. That should narrow the search. Which ever was used, it will be stripped with the varnish since both are disolved in alcohol.
In an effort to save the wraps on the tips, I plan on stripping them with alcohol. I have never stripped an entire section that way. I have stripped a few small areas for repairs but never a whole section. It should be interesting.
A few of the ferrules need to be re set and fortunately they are not pinned. The few that do not need to be re set are pinned and I am going to let them be.
I have started fooling around with some metal polish which you can see at the end of the reel seat and one of the ferrules. All the metal is heavily scratched but polishes quite brightly in spite of that. I think everything is NS.
I am more than a little bit pumped up about this one. It is by far the oldest rod I have ever worked on and everything is full length, complete and in good shape. It will be a hoot to fish it.
AgMD

[AgMD]

An update on the rod and my nutty plans.
I tried stripping on of the tips with alcohol. I have seen varnishes that would melt if someone brought a strong drink in the room. This ain't one. I have scraped/chipped the varnish from one tip and used alcohol to strip one guide as a test. It does work, but it is wicked slow.
The nature of this rod demands that it be fished in the manor for which it was designed. In fact it is horribly suited for anything else. Wet flies and streamers fished down and across. So I began researching some old fly patterns in some modern editions of books from the late 1800's. I have a few in mind.
I suspect that this rod will fish with a 6 wt line and if it does I will fish it with a silk line. For a period correct reel, the closest I have is a 3 1/2" 1912 check Perfect which would be 1912 --> 1917.
A bit late on the time scale, but I think a good weight to balance the rod.
My first instincts were to pass on the notion of silk gut leaders and gut snelled flies. But --- since anything worth doing, is worth doing to excess -- I have some gut leaders coming from the 'bay.
Somewhere around here I have one of those old aluminum leader soak boxes although I need to put some new felts in it.
I also have an old leather leader wallet with felt pages which should be a good match to the era.
I even have a top hat and old black suit coat which should look just dashing streamside. Worthy of a wood cut illustration.
I am NOT giving up on my modern waders. There is a point at which a passion can become insanity.
AgMD

[DRYFLYPHIL]

KIM, your out of control!! (LOL) But it sounds fun, and enjoy it ;D
Can't wait to see the rods when your finished......DRYFLYPHIL