Does anyone here know anything about old flyrods?

My grandfather gave me an antique flyrod a few years back. I dug it out of storage last weekend and have been looking at it, but I just don't know much about this kind of thing. I'm no fisherman, fish don't tremble in fear when they see me coming, they laugh. Fishy laughter...it really gets under the skin!

Anyhow, this fly rod is bamboo, handmade by a guy named Jay Harvey, and has his name engraved on the base, where the reel mounts. It was custom made by him for my great uncle and has his name on it as well, written in ink under the clear finish and Bishop, Ca. where he lived. There is something else written on it, but I can't decipher it. Looks like some of it may be Jay Harvey's signature. It's 8 1/2' long, three pieces and a spare tip, a cloth storage bag that holds the two tips and then they fit into their own aluminum tube which slides into another cloth bag along with the center and base sections. Then this all fits into another aluminum tube. It's all in excellent shape, aside from the outer tube being a bit scratched and marred, and the little metal base being missing from one of the tips.

I did a search for Jay Harvey on the 'net and came up with a little info...very little. All I found were some other Jay Harvey items, and one guy selling a similar rod for 200 bucks, reconditioned. I can't seem to come up with any info on Jay Harvey himself, such as where and when he was building these rods.

Anybody have any more info on him or his flyrods? -TD

 

find a fly fishing store and have it appraised. keep it in your family