Brooklure Chief fly rod..

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OCauto
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Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

Suspect this fly rod might have been produced for a Company (Spiegel?) but I can not find anything on it. It appears that the Brooklure label might been applied over the original makers label. It is a very nice 4 piece rod, in like new condition. I want more info on it if any of you can shed some light on it for me.
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by wrong99 »

Photos?
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OCauto
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

No photos now, it is at my friends house and he is going through his books trying to find info on it. I took it to him because he is in the rod repair business and I was sure he could identify the maker. It appears to be of reasonable quality because of the agate guides. I will post photos when I get it back.
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john elder
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by john elder »

bamboo or glass?
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OCauto
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

Sorry, it is Bamboo...Brooklure is on a label and Chief is written on rod facing the tip
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by wrong99 »

The Brooklure series of trade rods were indeed made for Spiegel's, from the mid 1930's to WWII. If the CHIEF name is written "toward" the grip, it was built by Horrocks-Ibbotson Co. If the CHIEF name is written "away" from the grip, it was made by either Montague or Union Hardware and, without photos, it is impossible to say which one of the two it was.
Mark
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

I will get pictures later, can't find my friend right now.

The word "Chief" C is towards the grip and F is towards the tip. other pictures of Union Hardware Hardware fly rods indicate that they stamped or inscribed their name in the reel seat. This one has no markings of any maker. I can't determine if Union Hardware would have marked the trade rods or not. Searching other forums hasn't produced any other Brooklure "Chiefs" for some reason.
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

Pictures at last

Image
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wrong99
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by wrong99 »

Because this was a "trade" rod made for a retailer (Spiegel), the rod would not have been marked with the manufacturer's name, regardless of who built it. I believe this is a Union Hardware-made rod. Probably built just prior to the war, but it's also possible it was built just after.
Mark
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

Okay, my buddy has a couple of Union Hardware rods in his shop and none of the hardware (ferrules and stripping guide) matches the hardware on this rod. My research although limited on rods, does not show any Union Hdw. reel seats like this one either. I hope you are right Mark and I can quite wondering. Except for the loose ferrules this rod appears to above normal grade for a trade rod. Of course it does not match well with any Montagues either. I appreciate your help Mark

Al
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by wrong99 »

I've seen dozens of identical Union Hardware rods built for other retailers and have personally handled dozens more. The ferrules, winding check and reel seat are, without question, Union Hardware components. UH used several different styles of reel seats and ferrules on the hundreds and hundreds of different models and styles of rods they made over the years. Your buddy having a couple in his shop is in no way representative of the endless variety of bamboo rods that Union Hardware produced from 1905 to the early 1950's. This particular reel seat, a version of the patented twist-locking reel seat assigned to Charles Terry in 1906, was used on numerous Union Hardware rods for about 50 years. This style of non-serrated ferrule was used about as long, if not longer. Nice rod, but it is what it is.
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by Don Champion »

A little DAWN dish washing liquid applied with a soft toothbrush under warm running water will have that cork handle looking like new in about 5 minutes. All it takes away is the dirt and oil.
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by wrong99 »

Al,
Post your photos to this website (in the Appraisals & Indentification forum) and you'll get a definitive answer to your question by this country's experts. Montague and Union Hardware used components that were VERY similar in design and sometimes it's very difficult to tell them apart. Take some good closeup shots of the ferrules, winding check and reel seat. Good luck.
http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/ind ... 5ddddf5a3d
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by OCauto »

I will do that Mark, and I want to clarify that I do not consider myself as an expert on any kind of fishing rod. I own a few but not an expert by any means.

Here is my dilemma: excerpt from the classic fly rod forum,
"I've done a little research on Union Hardware. By accident, I have a sizable collection of their rods. It all started with this pile of mystery rods in the corner of my hobby room with similar qualities that I could never match up to any marked Monty rods. In particular, the hardware was slightly different, as was the trade name labeling. After finding a few marked Union Hardware rods that matched some of mine, I began digging a little deeper (I tend to obsess about things that I can't figure out). In the past year, I corresponded with one gentleman that lives near Torrington, CT that says the had a conversation with someone that actually worked in the Union Hardware rod shop. The former Union Hardware employee spoke about splitting cane, and installing hardware that they had made there in the plant. I have no reason to doubt this story, and it fits nicely with the theory I've been mulling over for the past couple of years.

"Based on what I've uncovered so far, I believe Union Hardware built a lot of rods from start to finish, including splitting their own cane, making their own hardware, and performing all of the finish work. Based on some of the earliest Union marked rods I've seen, I'd guess they were making rods as early as the 1920's, and maybe earlier. I believe their sales and marketing model was similar to Montague's, where most of their rods were sold wholesale, or as trade rods. Based on the number of these rods I see on eBay, and showing up on this Forum, I'd guess they were giving Montague and H-I a run for their money in the high volume trade rod business for decades".
I looked at many Union Hardware Fly Rods on the Classic Fly Rod forum and very few of the ferrules or reel seats look like the ones on the Chief.
No matter what it turns out to be, I just want to know for sure, just as sure as I am that when we release an airplane to a customer it will not fall out of the sky...
I like it no matter what it is, it has character and it will be discussed for as long as I own it.
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Re: Brooklure Chief fly rod..

Post by wrong99 »

I'm certainly no expert either, which is why I posted the link to people who are. I will say that in the last few years, evidence has surfaced that the Union Hardware Co. was a much bigger player in the bamboo "trade" rod business that anybody previously realized. In fact, big enough to give Montague Rod & Reel Co. a run for their money over a 25-year stretch. This "evidence" will be highlighted in a forthcoming book by Dr. Todd Larson. That's all I'm allowed to say at this time about it. Al, your rod is possibly Montague, although I still see UH when I look at it. I'm curious to see what the boys over in the bamboo site have to say.
Mark
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