I'm doing a short article for our Idaho BASS Federation newsletter and was wondering if anyone could tell me when the Robert's Wrap was first described? I believe I recall 1904...but my memory isn't what it used to be! lol. Any other facts about the spiral wrap would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

George "Ballou" Roth

I believe a fellow named John Scanlan patented it in 1909, but have no idea when it was originated or by who.

About all we know, is that people have been trying to figure out how to rid a conventional casting reel of rod twist ever since such reels were first invented.

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Well who knows for sure!

This is what I do know......Chuck Roberts ran a custom tackle store in Leawood Kansas and about 1977 he claims he came up with the idea. It was a first class rodbuilding store and he was a very good person.He patiented the idea.... I was there and watched all of the paper work come thru.....No one around here had ever done anything like that before.He claimed the idea came to him in a dream....and the KC Star (newspaper) and BASSMASTER mag.(Ray Scott) both did huge articles on it at the time.Look them up.I know there are others that claim the system and others claiming to have patients much earlier but to the best of my knowledge Chuck Roberts is the guy and if he stole the idea.....,well he did one @#$%& of a job marketing it.It's primary use at first was for bass fishing (remember the year) and there was quite a bass fishing craz going on at the time.Touring pro's used it and endorsed it.Roland Martin was one I remember seeing in the shop.It kind of fell by the wayside in the late 80's and ocassionaly I would see one.Now the trolling crowd has caught on and are using them a lot. I hope that helps..

He may have come up with the idea on his own, but he definitely was not the first. Several rod companies as far back as the 1930's produced such rods commercially. Some of them sat the rod section higher than the handle and the line passed from the reel, through a raised foregrip/chuck area and through guides that were mounted on the bottom of the rod. I saw custom builders spiraling the guides around the blank to get the same effect as early as 1972. In fact I know I saw them in '72 because my cousin bought one of the "funny" looking things the same year I bought my first boat, which was 1972.

Not taking anything away from Chuck Roberts, but I'm pretty sure that there's enough history out there to prove he wasn't the first with such an idea.

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John S. Scanlan of Chicago patented the spiral wrap in 1909. It is the only patent of record. Joy Dunlap, a rod builder of quite some reknown, learned the technique from Chuck Roberts. In deference to Chuck, Joy always marked his rods which used that wrap as "Roberts Wrap by Joy Dunlap". This most probably is where the name "Roberts Wrap" was initiated. Rightfully, the name should be "Scanlan Wrap".
I first reported this in an article in Rodmaker magazine. Volume 3 number 5.
Ralph

Hey Guys:

I appreciate all the information. It will fill in the gap nicely. I'll save it for future reference. The purpose of the article is to acquaint the local anglers about the advantages of the spiral wrap. It is interesting to note that it isn't a "new" approach, as some might think. I have converted all "my" rods to the spiral wrap and prefer it, but I do place the guides conventionally, if that is what the client wants.

I've also mentioned that there are different methods of doing a spiral wrap. I use Rich Forhan's Revolver style for moving baits and the O'Quinn method for flipping and pitching. I'm sure there is some cross-over, but these applications have worked well for me.

Thanks again for all your help. Charles...I'll send you a copy when I get it done.

George Roth

I talked on the phone just this AM to Joy Dunlap who named the 'wrap'. He got it from Chuck Roberts at a fishing show. Joy said that he was impressed with the bass rod and Chuck showed him how to wrap it. He gave credit to Chuck by naming the rods that he spiral wrapped, the 'Roberts Wrap'. Chuck had a tackle shop outside of Kansas City, Kansas. Joy said that he hadn't talked to Chuck recently and doesn't know his whereabouts

Joy is still making his famous fly rods. He has his shop set up in his garage as Destin Fly Company. He sounded good at 81 years young and it was like talking to a living legend. He plans to be at the fly fishing conclave at Gulf Shores Alabama in a couple of weeks.

Hope this helps fill in some of the holes. C2

While I don't know for sure,he might be living in Colorado Springs,CO. I have seen flyrods being sold on @#$%& by someone claiming to be the "Chuck Roberts" in question.