Vintage Bamboo Fly Rods, Reels, and Tackle

The following are ‘Vintage’ rods, reels, and other classic tackle that I have for sale. If you have an interest in any of them, be sure to contact me for availability and any questions you may have, or if you need photographs.. This inventory is subject to change as additional rods & reels are acquired and others are sold. Reasonable offers will be respectfully considered. Buyer will pay postage.

-Dr. Paul Hermann Reels- Never before offered reels from his family... Contact us if you have an interest in owning a fine Hermann Fly Reel. All reels are mint/unused condition with the original red bags. Dr. Hermann was a prolific Atlantic Salmon fisherman, and his specialty was crafting elegant and functional salmon reels.
Salmon Reels: Made with polished aluminum or nickel silver rims, black side plates, and an amazing drag system that will stop any salmon, these reels are mint, never used, coming from Paul's family, and include the original red felt bag. Paul made his salmon reels with a 2:1 multiplying ratio.
Salmon Reel: #093: Features Satin Aluminum rims, RHW... $2650

Last Hermann D.F. Salmon Reel-Sold

Dr. Hermann only made 12 of these Dry Fly Salmon models, and this is the last of those models. It is made for Left Hand Wind, has the normal 2:1 miltiplying ratio, polished rims, and black side plates. This model was made slightly narrower than the normal salmon reels. It comes with the original red felt bag and is the last D.F. reel to be sold by the Hermann family. The serial number is 102. Price is $3200 plus shipping. SOLD

Hermann Salmon Reel

Coming straight from the Hermann family, this salmon reel has serial number 093 and features satin-finished rims, 2:1 retrieve ratio, RHW, adjustable drag system, and black side plates. The original red felt bag completes this reel. Price is $2650 plus shipping.

A Boxed set of Paul Hermann reels has arrived...

Friends, this is only the second boxed set of Paul Hermann reels to come to the market. Straight from his family, this set consists of a Baby Trout Reel, and a Salmon Reel. They both are all metal (aluminum and nickel silver) with the very rare white handle grasp. Only a handful of his reels were made with the white handles, and to have 2 of them in the same set is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Lined with burgundy colored ultra-suede, this box is made from an orange colored hardwood which is completely covered in olive leather. The craftsmanship of both the reels and the presentation box is superb. If you want to fish them, the Baby reel can be used either Left or Right Hand Wind, and the salmon reel is Left Hand Wind. Neither reel has been fished. They have been cherished by the Hermann family and are now available for immediate purchase. The price is $10,000 plus insured shipping via FedEx.

Care Instructions for Hermann Salmon Reels

The following instructions are from Dr. Paul Hermann, in his own words:

Paul Hermann MD 1995

This 2:1 multiplying reel is handmade from the highest quality solid bar, 6061 T-6 aluminum.
All bearing surfaces are made from high grade bearing bronze and stainless steel. Each reel is hand fitted and lubricated before shipping.
To oil reel:
Remove oil cap, turn reel on it’s side and fill with good grade machine oil. Slowly turn reel handle until oil disappears and refill. Replace oil cap very securely, as it can be easily lost.
Anodized reels may be used in salt water. Nickel silver reels are recommended for fresh water use only. For salt water use, flush and dunk in fresh water at the end of each fishing day. When you return home, carefully remove front face plate (5 large screws). Use a screwdriver that perfectly fits the screw heads. With the face plate removed, the spools can then be taken out and flushed with water. Blow out spool and dry, then spray inside with WD-40 oil. Re-oil moving parts and reassemble.
DO NOT turn the reel handle backwards to test drag. This puts unnecessary strain on the gears. Test drag only by pulling line from the spool.
This reel will hold at least 150 yards of 20 pound dacron backing. Spool changes are not needed for different fly lines if you use interchangeable loops on your fly lines and backing.
Reversing a reel to left or right hand can only be done by someone who is familiar with this reel and process. Each left or right hand reel has the drag lever parts made so that the motion to increase drag on a right hand reel is counterclockwise, while the motion to increase the drag on a left hand reel is clockwise. Multiple mirror image parts must be replaced to accomplish this change.
Each handmade reel is coded with it’s own serial number and is special to me, as are the fisherman who use them. The design of this reel evolved over 20 years of my own salmon fishing experiences. This reel incorporates all I ever liked about the classic reels of the past in modern design with a strong drag system.
With proper care, this reel should last through a lifetime of great salmon and bone fishing.

Paul Hermann, M.D. 1995
(1946 - 2016)

RODS:
The following Bamboo Fly Rods are currently available. Some are extremely rare and/or in demand, so please contact us to check on availability and for additional information. Prices do not include shipping.

New: 8 1/2' Payne Model 204

This is the lightest 8 1/2' model made by the Payne shop, and casts a #5 line beautifully. It is a 3-pc, 2-tip rod in excellent condition. All sections are full length and straight with tight-fitting ferrules. It has the normal brown main wraps tipped black. The wraps on the 2 butt guides are a slightly darker color so are probably replacements. The red/orange agate stripper is original, as is the light green bag and brass-capped tube. The pink string and the tag ring are present but the tag has been torn off. Also, the bag has some stitching on the bottom as the sections wore holes over the years. It is an early rod, bearing the "Sold By A... & F..." stamping and the handle is made from 1/4" rings which pre-dated the 1/2" rings. This rod has the special screw up-locking reel seat which was an option over the standard cap & ring style. It is a very easy-to-cast rod with a WF-5 line. Priced at $1800 plus shipping.

New: 9' E.F. Payne Model #206

This 1930's rod is stamped "Sold By H & D Folsom Arms Co., New York" and has the early E. F. Payne logo stamped on the butt cap. It's a 3-pc, 2-tip rod that we restored. It has a medium action for a 5-wt. line and casts almost 'effortlessly '. It also has the rare black walnut reel seat. When we acquired this rod, it had bad varnish, so we carefully removed that and were able to preserve many of the wraps. We used Corticelli 5115 silk and matched it perfectly with the original wraps. The reel seat was cleaned and given several hand-rubbed coats of varnish to yield a soft patina. All sections are straight, and full length with properly fitting ferrules. The ferrules and the cap & ring fittings were re-blued. We also preserved the 3/8" cork rings to prevent them from deteriorating. This rod weighs 4.6 oz. and comes with a light olive bag which may be original and is 1" short, plus the original Payne tube. We have owned several Payne 206 rods in the past, and they are a really smooth casting rod that you can fish all day without feeling tired. We're looking for $1550 plus shipping on this fine Payne rod.

8' Dickerson Model 801611-C, perfect 5-wt.

This highly desirable 3-piece rod comes with 4 tips! The original 2 tips are short by 3 1/2 and 4" respectively, so we made 2 spare full-length tips which match the originals precisely. This rod features gold silk wraps tipped black, blued ferrules, a red agate stripper, cigar shaped grip, and a figured black walnut screw-downlocking reel seat. It also has Lyle's traditional 4 wraps on the butt section, spaced at 7", 8", 9", and 10" above the winding check. This was for measuring trout in the "old days" to determine if they were of legal size. The ferrules fit smoothly and tightly. We polished the rod to clean up some light marks from years of fishing and this rod is ready for more time on the water. We also treated the cork to preserve it from wear while preserving it's appearance. We believe this is a c. 1930's era rod. In those days silk lines were in use, and Dickerson marked this one for a size "C" line (#6). However, with the full length tips, this is a nice 5-wt. rod. Using the shorter tips makes it feel more like a 5/6 wt. rod. Of course, it has that medium action prevalent in pre-war Dickersons (not too stiff)... The original brass-capped tube and bag accompany this desirable model rod. Inked on the bag's hood is: '801611, 4 3/4 oz." This is one classy rod made by one of the most highly respected Master bamboo rod makers. It is priced fairly at $2950 plus shipping.

5 Rods:

The following rods are owned by a longtime friend of ours and he is willing to sell them to you directly: Please call him if you are interested in any of them. His phone is: 617-240-5615. If his mailbox is full, he will see your call and return it as soon as he can.
1. 7 1/2' Hardy 6-wt., 2-piece, 2-tip in excellent condition
2. 6' Hardy 5-wt., 2/1 in excellent condition
3. 7 1/2' Thomas & Thomas "Hendrickson", 2/2 in excellent condition
4. 7 1/2' Leonard Post-Fire, 2/2 rod with serial #1062 in exc. condition
5. 8' Leonard Post-Fire, 3/2 rod with serial #1464 also in exc. condition

Mint/Unfished Sage SLT Model 590-4 Graphite III Fly Rod

This 4-piece rod is made for #5 lines and came to us from the Walter Ungerman Estate. Ungerman was a renowned fly fisher and was captain of the United States Fishing Team. He had written in black magic marker notes on the rod tube and bag indicating the model and line weight. As the photos show, it has never been cast or fished. The original price sticker is still attached to the tube cap. When compared to the prices of new Sage rods today, this rod is well-priced at $475 plus shipping. Your chance to own a fine rod from a world famous fly fisherman.

Early 8 1/2' Heddon #14.

This 3/2 rod has been in my personal collection for about 10 yrs. It's all original and has the gun-metal finished ferrules, red wraps tipped black, half-Wells handle (faintly ridged on a couple of rings), and mottled plastic screw up-locking reel seat. It appears the mid was made 1/2" short. There are some chips in the varnish and it could use some polishing. The wraps at the mid and butt ferrules need some repair. The mid male ferrule needs cleaning to seat fully and the other ferrules are snug enough to fish with. One tip has a slight fishing set. The tip ferrules are .174" (11/64") and the mid is .278" (18/64"). It has the original bag with tag and labeled Heddon Peerless tube. Priced at $175 plus shipping.

9' Heddon Model #17

This is an early model #17 with the name Heddon written spirally across 3 flats and the number '17' inked above the signature wraps. It has black silk wraps tipped orange, an agate stripper, blackened ferrules, and a screw up-locking reel seat with a wood spacer. The half-Wells handle is soiled and lightly ridged but not otherwise damaged. All sections are straight and full length. The ferrules are tight on the mid-to-butt fit and somewhat loose on the tip-to-mid fit. This rod feels like a 6-wt. with a medium action so characteristic of rods from this era. It comes with the original bag with tag. No tube. The varnish has hairline cracks and can be polished or replaced if desired. The ferrules are .190" (12/64") and .293 (19/64"). This would make a great project rod and a desireable fishing rod. Price is $175 plus shipping.

Miscellaneous Tackle

New: 2 Vintage Tip Tubes with 4 Tips

New: 2 Leather Rod Cases - Vintage

Case #1 is a soft case with a carry handle. The strap for the cap is torn . It measures 37" long inside. Price is $90 plus shipping.
Case #2 is stitched leather over a hard material (either wood or metal). The cap strap needs repair. There is no handle. It'll hold rod sections up to 35" long. Price is $100 plus shipping.
Both cases are classic looking!