A couple of questions about prices...

[Gaines'BowBum]

I've been looking around, trying to find a decent and cheap boo rod... Not the easiest of tasks. Trying not to go over the 200 dollar mark. I found a near mint condition South Bend 346 going for $180 is this about where this rod needs to be?? I was thinking it needed to be a little lower considering it is a mid level SB, but I don't know too much about the boo value.

I also came across another near mint condition 9ft, 3/2 Heddon Black Beauty going for $250. I thought I remember reading that the going rate for a 9ft Heddon BB was closer to $200. Is $250 a little high?? Or is it justified because of it's condition??

Also, the Heddon has 2 different length tips. The guy said that they came this way. Did they?? Or was one broken and repaired?? Thanks again...

Appreciate the help guys...

-Alex

[PapaDoc]

In a similar quest, I am finding prices relate to length of rod, that is, a shorter rod tends to bring bigger prices. I found a couple of 9' s that are very affordable whereas the 6.6-7.6 are premium even on the vintage production. As to two different length tips, there were some made that way but it messes with my sense of tapers....but what the hell do I know.
I know a bunch of the guys on this section will help you out.
Have you gone to the Classic Cane board? Really helpful to me, particularly the "collecting" and "classifieds" as you get some great descriptions.
Don't go trading your Olympus for split cane!
PapaDoc

[Buck Henry]

Alex,

$180 for a mint condition SB 346 in not an unreasonable price, assuming it is an 8.5 foot version and in mint condition as stated. You should be able to find a 9 foot 346 for a bit less, but if it truly is mint (meaning dang near perfect), then $180 is not unreasonable. The 346 is a pretty good all around big water rod. I have a 9 foot 346 and it is my go to Hooch float tube rod.

Concerning the Heddon, $250 for a good condition Heddon model 17 Black Beauty is also a reasonable asking price for that rod, as it was one of the most popular rods Heddon ever produced. But I would be very wary about the rod coming with two tips of different lengths. Papadoc is right, some rods did come with different tips (i.e one wet, one dry) but I do not recall the Black Beauty being offered in that configuration. You might want to check with the guys over on Clark's Classic Rod forum on that one.

BTW, if you have your heart set on a 5 weight bamboo trout rod in the 7.5 to 8.0 foot length, you are going to need to up your budget a bit higher in order to buy one that is in ready to fish condition.

[Gaines'BowBum]

Yeah PapaDoc, the Olympus is not going anywhere... It gets used too much. Right now I'm leaning towards the South Bend. It is an 8.5 ft 3/2.

Hey Buck, what weight line are you throwing on yours??? The Hooch and the Toccoa (if I can ever make it up there) are where I plan on using it most. Here are a few pics of the SB... Looks like pretty darn good condition, only problem is the 25.00 shipping seems high.

Let me know what you think... Good starter rod???

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p140/ajaume/SouthBend2.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p140/ajaume/SouthBend.jpg

[Buck Henry]

Alex,

I like SB rods and think they make great Boo starter rods. I own two SB's and use them quite often. One thing to remember about SB; Wes Jordan of Orvis fame ran the SB production for many years before going to Orvis. So all SB rods have a bit of Wes Jordan's pedigree associated with them. I personally rate them over Monty's and most H-I rods.

Mine 9 foot SB 346 throws great with a 6 weight, so it is possible that you might be able to throw a 5 weight with that 8.5 footer. But I would count on it being a solid 6 weight rod. BTW, that rod looks familiar, who you buying it from?

PS: I'd offer him $180 shipped and see if he bites.

PSS: make sure you ask how well the ferrules fit!

[fishnpreacher]

If any of you guys are looking for a bamboo rod, let us know what you're looking for. There are a lot of bamboo rods out there that can be had reasonably priced. If you want to go the route of refinishing, you can save even more.
I have a 346 SB (only 1 tip) that I got for less than $60.00, then refinished it. Refinishing isn't hard to do, it is a little time consuming, but lok at the savings!:money: :money:

[PapaDoc]

I have no idea how to refinish. What are we talking about? I guess it would vary with each rod. How did you learn to do this? Thanks for the suggestion.
PapaDoc

[kayakerguy]

Also, the Heddon has 2 different length tips. The guy said that they came this way. Did they?? Or was one broken and repaired??
Alex, according to my book "Heddon, the rod with the fighting heart" All of the fly rods they made, had the same length tips. Many of the rods came in different overall lengths (8', 81/2', 9', 91/2'), but all the tip sections for a given rod length were equal. So yes, the rod has been broken & repaired.
On a related note. Recently I was in search of a mint Hedden model 35 Peerless. I found it, unfortunitely
I had no idea what a truly mint #35 would sell for. It sold for 869.00:yikes: Now I'm looking for a "good condition" #35 Peerless.

I have no idea how to refinish. What are we talking about? I guess it would vary with each rod. How did you learn to do this? Thanks for the suggestion.
PapaDoc
I first got the idea and learned from an article in a fishing magazine. It was about winter projects: restoring old bamboo rods, or something like that. I bought an old japanese bamboo rod off of ebay (this was when ebay was still new) for around 15.00, and went to work. It was a mess and it wasn't much better when I finished with it, but it was fun enough for me to get another one and do it again. These days there are a lot more books and dvd's to help you get started.
Mark

[fishnpreacher]

PaPadoc, refinishing is just that, refinishing. I generally strip everything except handle and seat off the rod, remove the old finish and start over. Learning to wrap guides is easy, getting them "just so" takes practice. After wrapping all the guides and ferrules, its off to the dip tank. Mine is nothing more than a piece of 2inch PVC pipe with a stand made of pipe. Fill to the right level with varnish and dip the rod section. The hard part about dipping is waiting. Removal rate of dipping a rod is about 2 minutes per 1-1/2 or 2 inches or rod, longer at guides and ferrules. I have an old reel rigged up to remove the rod.
Once clear of the varnish, it goes into a drying cabinet. I built mine from 1X6 wood with a heavy base and a single 60 watt bulb in the bottom in a porcelin holder. This maintains about 100 degrees. Put all dipped sections in the dryer and forget about them for 10-12 hours.
After drying, some buff and wax, some don't. Pretty much done at this point, with a little cleanup of guides and ferrules. Nothing hard about it, just a little time consuming.