fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (tedgolden) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:25:42 GMT

Try to fight a fish in the butt section, use proper landing techniques will go a long way to avoid breakage.

A 92 year old man was talking to his doctor about sex with his new 24 year old wife. The doctor cautioned; "You do know that could be fatal?"

"If she dies, she dies." was the old guy's response.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (ffcol) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:19:58 GMT

The plastic was really brittle and cracked off with just light handling. The rod will be getting fished. I don't really care about the value decreasing. I didn't pay what I would consider a large sum for the rod to begin with (lets say between $200-$300). I cared more about potential value increasing or whether a Heddon collector might appreciate it more than me, which being a #10 probably neither is likley. In the past I have gotten rid of almost every fishing item I have if I notice...

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (BlackHillsBill) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:53:18 GMT

Geez, guys, Bryan intends to fish it,
may even be fishing it as we write and
preach to the choir. We should be with
him, fishing too. No, on second thought,
maybe he would appreciate a little
solitude. On the other hand, I'm glad
Drew explained the significance of grip
wrappers to us.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (tedgolden) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:44:22 GMT

So true Dave, but an unspoiled grip wrapper is combined in some sort of carnal potlatch thing and is somehow transformed into a phallic symbol to those that believe in the power of the package rather than it's contents.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (Ed Pirie) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:40:48 GMT

Good Lord, it's a fly rod - fish it. Unless you are running your own personal museum go out and have fun with it. Like Dave said, "I think they have always been called 'fishing rods.'" Get on a brook and fish it. When you are too old to do this, you will wish you had.

Ed Pirie
West Topsham, Vermont

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (oneculm) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:35:57 GMT

I will try and keep this brief. I think they have always been called "fishing rods". dave

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (tedgolden) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:19:28 GMT

How to have your cake and eat it too? Try this. If you have one of the few rods that still have the acetate wrapper on the grip, want to use it, but are in a quandary about what it will do to the value, here is an exercise you might find helpful: Instead of ripping the plastic, take a couple of Benjamins out of your wallet. Crumple them up a bit and place side by side. Douse liberally with gasolione. Ignite. Poof. Go fishing with that good old South Bend 359 you have always used...

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (BlackHillsBill) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:40:08 GMT

Even so, it's comforting to think you've parked it correctly
so that it won't be ticketed. Vicious darned smallmouths.
They just seem to chew up Heddons. Beats me how
the company managed to last so long, sell so many rods,
and have so many satisfied customers. Bet they swept the
smallmouth problem under the rug. All that aside, I hope
Bryan can still enjoy his mint #10, as I'm certain you do too.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (gearboy) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:37:40 GMT

BHB, Exact as in the 8'6" #2 ferrule. Mine has been used, but I rarely fish it anymore. I did have a #17 BB years ago, also in the 8'6" version. It's a good bluegill rod, as it broke too often at the mid-section on smallmouths.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (ffcol) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:38:10 GMT

Thanks for the info. Bill. I think it is a 49-52 rod with Black/Gold jasper wraps. All writing is straight along the blank. It feels nice in the hand with an Abel BG1. I paired it with a 6wt Windcutter II. Hopefully I will get to toss some Salmonfly patterns this weekend with it and will give my impressions.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (BlackHillsBill) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:54:07 GMT

Bryan, you asked about how to find out the manufacturing date.
The best reference book on Heddons is Michael Sinclair's Heddon:
The Rod with a Fighting Heart. His "Fly Rod Model History Charts"
are invaluable for this purpose, allowing you to see the years certain
wrap colors, reel seats , and grips were used. The #10 "Blue Waters"
was introduced in 1934 "in response to tough economic times." (I was
...

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (gearboy) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:28:12 GMT

I'd park it. I have the exact same rod and it's a dog. I rarely use mine anymore since I got a SB359. The South Bend is much lighter and is far more enjoyable to fish. I also got a SB346 which is nicer than the Heddon but I like the 359 better.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (BlackHillsBill) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:17:38 GMT

______________________________________________
Mac7x wrote, "Would you marry a beautiful woman and
not consummate the marriage? Fish it."
______________________________________________

Boy, am I glad you brought that up. We're celebrating our
fiftieth wedding anniversary in a couple of months, and I've
been wondering when to go fishing.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (nwdlj) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:51:04 GMT

I recently bought an unused, mint Granger GS8030...for $1600 (we won't go into that series of events)....now to fish it brings it down into the $400-$900 range for arguments sake...that means that to fish it will cost me from $500 to $1200 (again, just for arguments sake and I would have to sell it to make any money at all)...and to fish it as a mint, new rod just like it was bought back before the 1950's, just like my granddad and dad have done, is, to me at least, priceless....as my...

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (Marty) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:36:27 GMT

I've been fortunate enough to have 2 rods with the plastic on grips unfished and untouched from somebody's closet. One was a 9 foot Granger special and the other an 8 foot Aristocrat. I made a careful slit in the plastic and have fished the snot out of both for years..... In my opinion the real beauty and history of these rods is in their intended use and one left under glass untouched is a waste of a great historical rod. And Grangers, Heddons, Montague's etc were made in...

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (NorthBranch) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:06:12 GMT

Unless it's a unused 7' Gillium with a mint ag/tube, any rod that's not fished and just sitting in a closet is just a shame. Just my opinion. Considering this is a lower grade 9' Heddon, I would say the collector value, even with the plastic on the grip, is minimal. By that I mean you're not going to get that much more whether it's fished or un-fished. It should be a nice casting workhorse rod, so take it for a spin on the river.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (ffcol) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:55:34 GMT

Thanks everyone, I will "consummate the marriage". My bamboo rod apparently is quite a harlet (I think that was the word when the rod was probably built). She removed the plastic off the handle on her own, so the decision was made for me.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (FWdB) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:43:04 GMT

I'd fish it, for the same reasons expressed by CWood. But whatever you decide, an unfished vintage rod surely is a "nice catch"!

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (mac7x) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:34:16 GMT

Fish it.

Re: fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (cwood) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:58:16 GMT

I say fish it. I dealt with the exact same scenario a couple years ago when I discoverd an unfished #13 in my Grandfather's basement. I thought he would get a big kick out of it getting used by his grandson and decided to go for it. I must admit that it was a great feeling stripping the plastic off and fishing a vintage rod that was bransd spankin' new. Mine is a 9 ft. 2.5f so not quite as versitile as yours. In the case of an old Heddon, it's not about how much less it will...

fish it or store it? New unused Heddon #10 8.5' 2F

feeds@yuku.com (ffcol) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:06:23 GMT

Mostly, I've surfed the site gathering information, learning and spending money, but now I hope to get some direct input from your experience. I recieved a new rod with original bag and tube with plastic on the grip. Being just a #10, I was intending to fish it, but when I got it, took the rod out, took a look at the plastic on the reel seat it caused some doubts. Also, how do you ID the manufacturing date on Heddons?

Thanks

Bryan