13.5' Sage Spey Rod for a eight-weight line. Four piece, sack, and tube. New, $710. Ah, this was my favorite rod for mid-to-late summer on the Wenatchee, and it will cast a variety of lines from the recommended eight to six or nine. It is a  joy to rig up and go out for a day's casting on a mid-sized summer stream.

Well-used but not abused, Sages keep their varnished wraps indefinitely, and cork can be cleaned up with soap and water. But why bother?

Sage 7136-4

Price: $350

Specialty one-handed steelhead rods, custom made, each 11-foot, three-inches, two pieces, with cloth sack

Gary Loomis blank. White Creek (Sauk River) special. 11 feet, 3 inches. Rated for a 10 weight, at least. Blank made for noodle rod fishing, but adopted by me for one-handed use on the Sauk when the river is very high and a long cast is needed with a line that sinks very fast. Wraps are black nylon tipped with scarlet. Will accept a fighting butt extention.

Landed lots of steelhead.

$220

Sage blank and expertly finished in the Sage wrapping style. Eleven feet, three inches again. A bit lighter and easier to cast with than the Loomis. Nine- or 10-weight lines probably fish best, yet stiff enough to deliver a good punch on a big river. Another in the backside White Creek Series of mine. Will accommodate a fighting butt  for those that like them, but the rod itself will butt nicely without an extension added.

My favorite in this series.

$250

Also for sale

As new, 9' Sage GFL 490 DS Graphite II, two piece one-handed flyrod for a 4-weight line, it will cast a line several sizes  heavier without audible protest.  Designed for trout, this rod can be pressed into service for late summer steelhead, silver salmon, and searun cutthroat trout.

It is easy to cast and beautifully finished in dark brown wraps, as are all the Sages. Smooth, easy rod, and will cast tirelessly almost all day. 

Rod, sack, and tube still in its paper wrapper. New, about $375.

Price: $250

HARDY LINE OF STEELHEAD ONE-HANDED BAMBOO AND FIBERGLASS RODS

Back in the '60s, it was the rage among steelheaders to use Hardy products, especially their reels. (Some would say it still is.) Jon Tarintino was world's distance fly casting champion and the Golden Gate Fly Club was world-famous for its tournaments, which Jon usually won.

Jon was a businessman and wooed Hardy with propositions. One was to introduce to America a line of both bamboo and the new fiberglass material rods a line of products that were specially designed for the West Coast angler. The would cast long distances in the wind and on large rivers. Naturally, they would carry Jon's name on them, along with the famous logo of Hardy Bros. My friends and I quickly went over to them, and put aside our whippy Eastern rods designed for mostly small, tamed water. For several decades many of the top ranked steelhead were caught on the new Hardy tackle.

But bamboo became semi-obsolete, with the introduction of graphite and later boron rods, and soon fell into disfavor, even though there are diehard anglers even today who will fish nothing but fiberglass (just as there are others who still fish exclusively with bamboo).  For these discriminating anglers, I offer my hard-used steelhead rods manufactured out of both materials several decades ago. Besides they are relatively cheap, fun to play around with, and still perform decently.

They may amaze the anglers fishing around you with their beauty and proficiency. And they will still catch big fish.

BAMBOO

Hardy 9-foot Neocane flyrod, inscribed "Hardy Bros., Alnwick, England NE 9627. Jon S. Tarintino 9'"  two-piece, with Hardy green sack and Hardy tube. Red and white wraps, black and silver reel seat. Slight set in butt, which can be straightened out for display purposes, but sadly returns with use, but doesn't seem to harm performance. Good shape and handsome to look at.

$650. Free shipping

South Bend 9-foot cane rod, three-piece, with extra tip. Has been nicely refinished in olive and black wraps. New black and silver reel seat. Factory tube and sack. [Reel shows for illustration purposes and not included in price below.]

Price: $130, plus shipping costs

Another 9-foot South Bend cane flyrod, but with only one tip. No sack or tube. Refinished in Orvis colors, that is, maroonish brown. Original twist-to-lock reel seat, which can be seen in the photo to the left. [Reel shows for illustration purposes and not included in price below.]

Price: $80, plus shipping costs

Sweet little 7.5-foot bamboo flyrod, two-piece, for probably a seven weight line. New reel seat and, please note, spinning guides on second section designed to shoot a lot of line out of a stripping basket. Probably of Horrock-Ibbotson manufacture from the Sixties. Good shape, pretty wraps (mine). No, Hardy reel does not go with it.

SOLD

Price: $60. plus shipping costs

FIBERGLASS

Jon C. Tarintino designed two-piece fiberglass flyrods manufactured by Hardy Bros. of Alnwick, England, with spigot ferrule and pale brown wraps tipped with cream. They come with brown Hardy sack and Hardy tube. One is designed to cast a nine or ten weight line, the other a line or two sizes smaller. A nice pair to own, one for early season and heavy water, the other for mid-summer and fall, when rivers drop. [A Hardy St. Aidan reel is included in the picture for perspective purposes only. But one may still be available on our reels pages.]

This pair has landed many steelhead. Hardy put decals on their rods after they had varnished their rods, so they may have worn off or worn thin and be nearly illegible. The reel seats are first-class and in good shape. Guides, including tiptop, are chrome steel, and stripping guide is tungsten.

One rod has the factory wraps intact, while the other has been refinished in darker brown nylon.

Price: $180, or $300 the pair, plus shipping costs

Another Hardy fiberglass rod, this one 8.5 feet, and casts a seven or eight weight line nicely. In best shape of them all. Sack but no tube.

Price: $150, plus shipping costs

Rare and in excellent shape. Hardy fiberglass midge rod, six-feet, for a six weight (but will cast a heavier) line. Good shape. I remember well my first steelhead taken on it and how powerful the rod is that it would be easy to snap a six-pound leader, so I played the fish with a lot of line out in the river and shortened it only at beaching time. Hardy sack and tube. Note cork reel seat and sliding rings for weight economy. Rod weighs under two ounces and qualifies for midge rod casting and fishing contests. It was designed by Jon to compete with Orvis, who made such an impregnated bamboo rod for Lee Wulff. Caught my first dry fly summer- run on it.

[Reel shown only for size and illustration purposes and not included in purchase.]

Price: $200, plus shipping costs

Orvis graphite 10.5 foot flyrod for a nine or a ten line. A real powerhouse for deep, heavy water fishing. Note nifty reel seat. Factory rod, with wine colored wraps and black trim. Sack but no tube. Would be excellent for salt-water fishing, such as casting big flies for coho.

Price: $250, plus shipping costs

Orvis powerhouse. A nine-footer for, oh, a twelve. One of the original graphite rods made for Orvis, with intentionally visible thread wraps just above the logo as part of the design.  Braced tiptop, just like on trolling rods. Rubber plug in end of reel seat to accommodate a fighting butt. [Not supplied. And reel not included.]

Price: $190,plus shipping costs

Probably a Winston fiberglass blank with a Hardy-type reel seat and full Wells grip. Eight feet, nine inches-- a favorite size for Winston and a nice compromise between a nine-foot rod and a eight and one-half foot one. Plenty strong. Casts an eight, but will accommodate a nine-weight line nicely. Custom wraps (mine) are orange, with black tips. Very serviceable rod for all-season fishing.

Sack but no tube.

Price: $160, plus shipping costs

Fenwick Eagle graphite 8-foot flyrod for a six-weight line. Comes in a cloth covered metal case suitable for travel, plus sack. Very handsome and nearly new. Great for trout fishers.

Price: $200, plus shipping costs

"Lamiglas Engineered Graphite 9' GF108 BL Wt. 2-1/4 oz/Line #7 or# 8"   Half wells grip with  down locking metal reel seat. Wraps are black with red trim. Two-piece. Handsome rod with carbide stripping guide and braced second guide. Sack but no tube.

Price: $90, plus shipping costs

Fenwick HMG graphite, two piece, GFL 120-9F, 10.5 feet. Black blank custom wrapped with black and white nylon, all guides Fuji single-foot ceramic centers. (See picture left.) Long full Wells grip. Black metal reel seat with rubber plug that will accommodate a fighting butt (not supplied). Green cloth bag, with black metal tube, lacking screw cap. No reel included.

A rod custom built for Bob McLaughlin, about 1975. It will cast a nine or ten-weight line, or heavier shooting head backed with running line. Lots of butt for a big fish in deep water.

Price: $100, plus shipping costs.

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