Fishing Forum

One of our semi-retired pastimes is hitting auction and garage sales with intent to sell on eBay to fund our fishing habit...

In an auction in Idaho we picked up a lot of older rods and reels, 3 of which are particularly intresting. Photos below. If you are familiar or have info on any of them I would love to hear about them...


1 is an old Bristol metal rod that is extendable. No other info on it

2nd is a very cool short, stout rod. It has a wooden trolling like  handle that is 27" and a rod section that is 38" with 3 ferrules. Very heavy. It has a label that is mostly gone, but I think it reads "National Fiber Glass" I want to go catch somthing on this one.

The 3rd is a very cool glass rod made by JC Higgins and sold by Sears. Also a very short rod.

I also included photos of three reels that were in the lot

Shakespeare driect drive model EH
Red River model v-7345
Olympic 720A

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I believe the "pool cue" is a saltwater "boat rod" generally used for deep jigging with a conventional (round) reel that's like a casting reel but stouter and intended for dropping, not casting. It would be suitable for deep jigging lake trout, for example.

If the handle section on the extendable steel rod is removable, I think you may have it on backwards, because if my memory serves, that's an early fly rod, believe it or not.

The JC Higgins "drop seat" rod is an early casting rod, obviously. Meant for one of those three reels you have. They were absolute horrors to cast, needing heavy wooden lures like Heddon 5/8-oz Zara Spooks. Any cast that didn't backlash was a miracle.

I agree that the Bristol may be a telescopic fly rod or actually a fly or spin “pack rod” by the way you put the handle on, in the picture it would be in the spin position. If it does come off and you can reverse it so That the reel seat is on the bottom that would be the fly position.
Just a thought/ guess.

Mildog's answer is better than my first one. My first fly rod was one just like that - or similar - I don't recall if mine had a reversible handle, but it was a collapsible steel rod. It was exceedingly awkward to cast, and if it got bent a wee bit too far, the rod would kink and be ruined forever. That was in the early 1960s. I remember how hard I scrimped to be able to buy a real "glass" fly rod. It came in a packaged set with a reel and level line, in 9-weight. I used it with big poppers for bass and it was orders of magnitude easier to cast than the steel one.

Thanks guys for the info. The bad thing about buying this stuff to resell is I end up keeping to much of it 'cause its just to dang cool to sell.

I had a old metal fly rod like that for creek fishing years ago, the handle was fixed though.

We have the same hobby, I stopped going due to covid inflation. Maybe I'll see you around in a few years!