More than 300 rods are now recorded in the Paul H. Young database that I have been developing. To mark this milestone, I am going to talk a bit about a
particular rod on the list. I like to discover as much of the history of a rod as possible. Often, though, many more questions are raised than answers
discovered by this process.
Here are the particulars concerning Paul H. Young Co. rod #4378, a Para-15, 8', 4 oz., built with two wet tips, a ventilated cork grip, and an oil finish to reduce varnish glare.
There were three choices of tip action for the buyer of a two-tip Paul H. Young Co. Para-15. As Paul Young wrote in his catalog, "one can have 2 dry fly tips of 4-1/2/64, 2 parabolic tips of 5/64, or one of each." The heavier, radically "parabolic" tip is the same thing as a "wet" tip. Many rod buyers asked for one tip of each type to have versatility, while others wanted two wet or parabolic tips (as is the case with rod #4378) because it was the parabolic action that interested them. I even know of one Para-15 that was ordered with two dry tips. The tips on rod #4378 are not specially marked, beyond showing the serial number "4378," but they are both wet or parabolic tips. The rod is what I call a "big" version of the Para 15, designed for night fishing for big brown trout on the Manistee River of Michigan. The ventilated grip allows you to keep a tight hold on the rod when teetering on loose rocks in the dark. In Massachusetts I have trouble finding river currents strong enough and fish big enough to offer a good challenge on this rod.
Rod #4378 was built by Robert W. Summers of Traverse City, MI, while he was a rodmaker with the Paul H. Young Co. Bob Summers confirmed to me that the writing on the rod is his, and said that he made this rod for Robert F. "Bob" Church of Mancelona, Michigan, in the 1960's (personal communication with Bob Summers, December 15, 2003). I have since seen the page from the Paul H. Young Co. ledger on which #4378 is recorded; it was built in 1967. The month appears to be indicated by a number, possibly a "7" followed by "20" (July 20, 1967?).
Bob Church was the real estate agent who found the commercial building that the Paul H. Young Co. moved into when they relocated to Traverse City ("so in a way," Summers told me, "he was responsible for getting me to northern Michigan.").
Bob Church was also a regional author of books and magazine articles. Church wrote a small paperback book titled Fly Fishing the Manistee in which he praises Paul Young and Bob Summers. I was able to acquire a copy of Fly Fishing the Manistee, with Bob Church's address sticker (showing an address in South Boardman, rather than nearby Mancelona) affixed to the page facing the inside back cover.
In the book Church says that he first met Paul H. Young in 1938, a brief handshake meeting on the banks of the North Branch of the AuSable River. But as a beginning fly fisher, Church didn't realize at the time the potential significance of the meeting, and moved along to fish other pools. Many years would pass before Church would own a Young rod.
This Para 15 is the length that Church preferred - he wrote, "I'm persuaded that a long rod (8 ft. or a little more) is a better tool every time." Of course Church, just like the rest of us, made exceptions to his rules. He owned a 7'6" Orvis 99 that he enjoyed very much.
Although this Para 15 was built for Bob Church, Church's name is no longer inked on the rod. Bob Church and Bob Summers became friends with an angler named Malcolm B. ("Max") Seaholm, and the three of them often went fishing together.
Bob Summers told me, "About 1979 Max came to Michigan and I took him to the Manistee River which was Bob Church's favorite river. We all became friends."
On the Manistee River, Max Seaholm tried fishing this Para-15. He liked it so much that he convinced Bob Church to sell him the rod. As the second owner, Seaholm had Bob Summers remove Church's name, and ink Seaholm's name on the rod.
This was the first Young rod that Max Seaholm owned, but it was certainly not his last one. Summers told me that Seaholm owned several more, one of which I noticed a few years ago at a Lang's tackle auction. It was another Para 15!
It took a bit of detective work to find out that rod #4378 was built for Bob Church. The fact that Church's name is missing from the rod sometimes bothers me. I thought about sending the rod back to Bob Summers to have Seaholm's name erased and Church's name put back in its rightful place, but somehow that plan didn't seem to honor the history of the rod as much as I had initially hoped. After all, Seaholm's enthusiasm for this Para 15 became part of the rod's history too. Maybe someday I will ask Bob to add a new line under Seaholm's name - "Originally built for Bob Church."
If I ever get around to sending rod #4378 to Summers, I will have to ask him about another, even more perplexing question. The rod has a screwlocking cork reel seat that looks all original, but the ledger says that the seat should be a "2-band" - a dual ring seat! I have trouble believing that a rod this robust was originally built with a dual ring seat. I suspect that the ledger entry is erroneous. But if the entry is wrong - then how many other entries might be in error? This is the sort of thing that gives an amateur tackle historian fits.
Since Seaholm had the inking changed on this rod, could he have had Summers change the reel seat too? Possibly. I suppose I could ask Bob Summers. "Hey Bob, could you just think back forty-one years ago and tell me whether you built this particular rod with a dual band seat? Yeah, it's got a nice screwlock on it now…" Kind of seems like a foolish question when I state it that way.
One thing I know for certain: the words "always" and "never" are not useful terms when talking about Paul H. Young Co. rods.
Here are the particulars concerning Paul H. Young Co. rod #4378, a Para-15, 8', 4 oz., built with two wet tips, a ventilated cork grip, and an oil finish to reduce varnish glare.
There were three choices of tip action for the buyer of a two-tip Paul H. Young Co. Para-15. As Paul Young wrote in his catalog, "one can have 2 dry fly tips of 4-1/2/64, 2 parabolic tips of 5/64, or one of each." The heavier, radically "parabolic" tip is the same thing as a "wet" tip. Many rod buyers asked for one tip of each type to have versatility, while others wanted two wet or parabolic tips (as is the case with rod #4378) because it was the parabolic action that interested them. I even know of one Para-15 that was ordered with two dry tips. The tips on rod #4378 are not specially marked, beyond showing the serial number "4378," but they are both wet or parabolic tips. The rod is what I call a "big" version of the Para 15, designed for night fishing for big brown trout on the Manistee River of Michigan. The ventilated grip allows you to keep a tight hold on the rod when teetering on loose rocks in the dark. In Massachusetts I have trouble finding river currents strong enough and fish big enough to offer a good challenge on this rod.
Rod #4378 was built by Robert W. Summers of Traverse City, MI, while he was a rodmaker with the Paul H. Young Co. Bob Summers confirmed to me that the writing on the rod is his, and said that he made this rod for Robert F. "Bob" Church of Mancelona, Michigan, in the 1960's (personal communication with Bob Summers, December 15, 2003). I have since seen the page from the Paul H. Young Co. ledger on which #4378 is recorded; it was built in 1967. The month appears to be indicated by a number, possibly a "7" followed by "20" (July 20, 1967?).
Bob Church was the real estate agent who found the commercial building that the Paul H. Young Co. moved into when they relocated to Traverse City ("so in a way," Summers told me, "he was responsible for getting me to northern Michigan.").
Bob Church was also a regional author of books and magazine articles. Church wrote a small paperback book titled Fly Fishing the Manistee in which he praises Paul Young and Bob Summers. I was able to acquire a copy of Fly Fishing the Manistee, with Bob Church's address sticker (showing an address in South Boardman, rather than nearby Mancelona) affixed to the page facing the inside back cover.
In the book Church says that he first met Paul H. Young in 1938, a brief handshake meeting on the banks of the North Branch of the AuSable River. But as a beginning fly fisher, Church didn't realize at the time the potential significance of the meeting, and moved along to fish other pools. Many years would pass before Church would own a Young rod.
This Para 15 is the length that Church preferred - he wrote, "I'm persuaded that a long rod (8 ft. or a little more) is a better tool every time." Of course Church, just like the rest of us, made exceptions to his rules. He owned a 7'6" Orvis 99 that he enjoyed very much.
Although this Para 15 was built for Bob Church, Church's name is no longer inked on the rod. Bob Church and Bob Summers became friends with an angler named Malcolm B. ("Max") Seaholm, and the three of them often went fishing together.
Bob Summers told me, "About 1979 Max came to Michigan and I took him to the Manistee River which was Bob Church's favorite river. We all became friends."
On the Manistee River, Max Seaholm tried fishing this Para-15. He liked it so much that he convinced Bob Church to sell him the rod. As the second owner, Seaholm had Bob Summers remove Church's name, and ink Seaholm's name on the rod.
This was the first Young rod that Max Seaholm owned, but it was certainly not his last one. Summers told me that Seaholm owned several more, one of which I noticed a few years ago at a Lang's tackle auction. It was another Para 15!
It took a bit of detective work to find out that rod #4378 was built for Bob Church. The fact that Church's name is missing from the rod sometimes bothers me. I thought about sending the rod back to Bob Summers to have Seaholm's name erased and Church's name put back in its rightful place, but somehow that plan didn't seem to honor the history of the rod as much as I had initially hoped. After all, Seaholm's enthusiasm for this Para 15 became part of the rod's history too. Maybe someday I will ask Bob to add a new line under Seaholm's name - "Originally built for Bob Church."
If I ever get around to sending rod #4378 to Summers, I will have to ask him about another, even more perplexing question. The rod has a screwlocking cork reel seat that looks all original, but the ledger says that the seat should be a "2-band" - a dual ring seat! I have trouble believing that a rod this robust was originally built with a dual ring seat. I suspect that the ledger entry is erroneous. But if the entry is wrong - then how many other entries might be in error? This is the sort of thing that gives an amateur tackle historian fits.
Since Seaholm had the inking changed on this rod, could he have had Summers change the reel seat too? Possibly. I suppose I could ask Bob Summers. "Hey Bob, could you just think back forty-one years ago and tell me whether you built this particular rod with a dual band seat? Yeah, it's got a nice screwlock on it now…" Kind of seems like a foolish question when I state it that way.
One thing I know for certain: the words "always" and "never" are not useful terms when talking about Paul H. Young Co. rods.
