Does anyone know about the early history of the Fenwick Rod Co. ? If someone has an early catalog or brochure, I would love to know the model numbers and types of rods being made back then. Any personal memories that you might have of these early rods would be wonderful as well. I thank you for anything that you can provide that will help solve this mystery.

You can find most of this in the Volume 5 #5 issue of RodMaker in Andy Dear's interview with Jimmy Green (Jimmy passed away just about 10 day ago).

Fenwick was a very small concern until bought by Sevenstrand. In those days, Fenwick used blanks produced by the Grizzly Company. The Clock family bought Fenwick from Sevenstrand and shortly afterwards merged it with the Grizzly Company. Don Green was the guy behind the Grizzly blanks, and Jim Green, of tournament casting fame, was employed by Fenwick. Together, the two are generally credited with developing the world's first production graphite fishing rods. Jim Green developed the first integral tip-over-butt ferrule, known to most as the Fenwick Feralite Ferrule.

Fenwick was sold to WoodStream in later years and Don Green left to form Sage. Jim Green stayed on for many more years.

Sometime in the late 80's or early 90's, Fenwick wound up in the hands of OTG (Outdoor Technologies Group - Berkley, Mitchell, etc., now known as "Pure Fishing"). At that point they ceased producing their own products and became a branded name used on products produced overseas.

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see if you can find a copy of "fiberglass fly rods" by victor r. johnson.
it gives a history of fenwick rod company from 1954 to 1974. it is an interesting history. sadly, the company was not very profitable according the the P and L from 1976. they were late in the switch to graphite and never recovered from that mistake.

i have an FF79 which dates to about 1970. these blank were kind of a transluscent brown. later rods which had numbers like FF 755 were of a different kind of glass that was brown but opaque. the fenwick rod company was, in that era, the most prolific seller of glass fly rods.
they are available on @#$%& for decent prices, with the shorter rods commanding more than the longer rods. my 8' 6wt FF 79 is a nice rod
but when you get to that length and wieght graphite is a better performing rod due to its lightness and power. others may differ because that is such a subjective thing.

I know their factory was on Bainbridge Island, Washington. SAGE now is in the same building/buildings. John Butterfield

Actually Fenwick was on board first with graphite, but continued making high quality fiberglass rods up until their sale to OTG.

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I thank all of you for your help and I have ordered the two publications mentioned above. I have also posted a newspaper article on my web site for anyone who wants to read about the "Newly opened Fenwick Rod Co."

[users.infoconex.com]

Sincerely
Don Edge

Don, Most of what was written in response to your posting is correct. I was a 20 year employee of Fenwick and worked there during the period from Fenwick's sale by the Clocks to Woodstream through the move to Spirit Lake , Iowa.

All the answers to your questions will be included in a new book about Fenwick that Vic Johnson is now putting the finishing touches on. It will cover the whole history and all the folks involved.

Best regards
Vic Cutter

I have a FF79. I am a begining fly fisherman. Is it a good rod to start with or is it something that I should keep as a souvineer?