Greetings
I just posted 2 pictures of Harnell Blanks that I am trying to get information on. I am trying to get the original thread colors and the original guide styles that would've been put on these rods when they were new.

Does anyone know any history on Harnell?

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Thanks in advance.

They had two combinations. One was 209 plain gudebrod with 326 Plain Gudebrod over, the other wasy 209 pain gudebrod under with 358 plain gudebrod over. For quite a while they used Varmac reel seats and guides they they used Perfection WCGs or WCGRs

This is a timely post as I was just given a rod in ill-repair with no identifying marks except the Varmac reel seat(Varmac RS-3). However from the pictures posted it looks to be very similar. It has two reel seat/grips, one with a gimbal and one with a rubber butt cap. The overall length is 77", the tip diameter is about 3/8th of an inch and the butt of the rod measured in front of the cork foregrip is about 5/8ths of an inch across. There are no guides or tip top on it and it looks to be solid fiberglass.

What type/use of rod is this and what would you recommend for guides and top (size and style).

Thanks! Rodney

Hi Rodney. Not sure what you have. The Harringtons did not produce Solid glass rods. They were tubular fiberblass thought they were made on mandrels that were quite thin. They are know for greater than normal wall thicknes and the taper of their blanks was determined by the shape they cut their patterns.

It sounds like we out here used to refer to as a Boat rod. I know that is pretty non discript but without seeing the plank it is hard to say anything else. If you are looking at rebuilding it to match up with the Varmac RS you might consider Perfection SS guides and maybe a Mildrum carbaloy top which was the style in the age of the dinasour(I know that age well) If you want to up date it they there are hundreds of options that you can consider depending on the action of the blank.

JESTER : -
I have a "HARNELL" rod (original) - - 9 ft. - - 2 pc. - - surf rod. I bought it several years ago.
Its black in color. -- - has a metal chrome plated reel seat like a "Jarmac" -- - white
composite handle and foregrip. - - - The guide wraps were O.K. but showed some wear; so
I decided to remove them and re-wrap with original colors. The guides are "Perfection"
WCGR. - - - for thread I used "Gudebrod" #209 (Goldenrod) for underwraps; and
#326 ( Scarlet ) for guide wraps; as these colors matched the decorative butt wrap.
I have no idea if I will ever use it; as here on Chesapeke Bay almost all fishing is done by boat.
For fishing from shore spinning rods are usually used. For surf fishing per se it would neccesary
to go about 70 miles EAST to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. - - - -
Maybe this will help; hope so.
HERES WISHING FOR GOOD FISHING

jocko

Would you be able to snap a shot of the decorative butt wrap to give me an idea of what the design is? Shoot me an email if possible.

Hey Doc, Thanks for the info, that is a starting point. Not sure if you meant to say "plank" or "blank", but plank is not a bad description for this rod. This type of rod is a whole new animal for me as all of my rods to date have been fly rods and almost all of my fishing has been freshwater. As far as the action of the blank is concerned, long before I can get to the 1/3 flex point, it is bending all the way to the foregrip. On boat rods, or the new ones using rollers? What kind of reels and line are used? And I assume you are not really casting, but more trolling. Is that correct?

I not sure what I am going to do with it as I don't live all that close to the ocean and don't have access to (affordable) blue water fishing. This might have to be a future project.

Rodney