Some history of the Powell family of fly rod makers......

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://www.classicpowellrod.com/Home_Page.html

Sadly I never meet EC Powell but I did meet his son Walton and grandson Press.

I did sell their graphite rods which were very nice....

[Lance Gray]

Bill,

It is a great site. Been there a couple of times. I never new EC (too young), but my grandfather did and well - I have some of his rods.
I have many - too many to count, from EC to Press's rods. In fact, a guest (guide client) that fishes with me allot from San Diego - Larry S., just gave me a Walton Powell Graphite Rod that he bought back in 1976. It is in mint condition with two tips. A great rod - thank you Larry again!!

What was cool is that Walt back in the day - he rarely assigned line weights to his rods. You see allot of 5-6-7 rods of his. What I like about Walt was that he was such a master caster and thought everyone else could do what he could do with a rod. When people bought rods they would ask him - I want a 6 weight, or a 5 weight or even a 7 weight - Walt would sell them the same rod. He would tell them " put whatever you want on it", It was great.

Working for Walt and Press was an experience that I look back fondly. Great men and great fly-fishing!!

[Rich Morrison]

Thanks Bill - I'm glad you guys like the site. It's been a lot of fun and I'm so pleased to have a part in making sure this information is not lost to newer genrations of fly fishers.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Great Rich

I am starting to gather info for a history of the fly fishing retailers in California for the past 100 years.

There were very few fly shops. Most fly fishing supplies were sold in hardware and sporint goods stores.

I need to get going to talk with some friends who are getting pretty old now so i can get more details down in print.

After a while I would like to work with some people to make a documentary film about this.

Kind of like Rivers of a Lost Coast.

.

[Rich Morrison]

Great idea Bill - I feel the same way about the Powell story. I've had a number of the family contact me about the site and I'm also thinking about a book about the Powell rod story. I know Per Brandin, the well known cane rod maker, is working on an EC Powell book. I am looking forward to that and I'm waiting to see what the content of that is like to make sure we are not duplicating efforts.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Victor R Johnson has written a nice paperback book about the history of the Fenwick Rod Company that is extremely well done.


Title is 'Fenwick'

by Victor R. Johnson Jr.

Forward by Don Green

EP Press in Vallejo, CA

ISBN#0=9740531-1-2

$24.95



He also has writen 2 other books: 'Fiberglass Fly Rods' and 'America's Fly Lines'

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I think the Powell family has a history that they wrote up a few years ago that I read somewhere.

Over my 49 years in the fishing tackle business in Sacramento I continually got feedback on the Powell family and rod company and fly shop.

Some of people in the industry worked at the Powell Fly Shop in Chico, CA.

EC Powell split cane fly rods are worth a lot of money now.