Early Orvis Graphite Rod Question

[pvsprme]

A friend just gave up fishing due to declining health and gave me all his gear including some older Ross and Orvis reels. The rod that interests me is an 8'-6" unsanded graphite in a six weight. Marked on the butt as a "Limestone", 2-3/8 or 5/8 oz. On the blank it says "Orvis" and "Graphite" which leads me to believe it's a very early model. Haven't cast it, action resembles a Scott G I have; soft tip with a progressively stronger butt.
Looking for any information or thoughts on this rod, thinking it might pair nicely with a "true" 6 weight line, maybe a DT like a Cortland peach or Rio LT Trout in DT.

[Ard]

Hi Robert,

That butt should also have some numbers stamped on it. The numbers will denote the year and month of production. Rods made before 1984 are all made from the First Generation graphite that Orvis produced. These rods came onto the market in 1974 as prototypes and by 1976 were showing up all over the country. Rods produced after 1984 were from another run of material and while Orvis strived to maintain the same action I have had both rods side by side loaded with the same exact lines and there are subtle differences between the older and newer rods. I prefer the first generation rods.

I bought a 7'9" Far & Fine in 1979 and have used it more than any other rod I own. I've caught so many species of fish on that rod that it would be boorish for me to try listing them all. Safe to say from brook trout to Atlantic and Pacific salmon as well as salt water and warm water species.

If you ever doubt their strength.................


I was swinging an Ard's Nine Three for trout on a rainy morning and got a good bite. That's a Battenkill 3/4 clicker on the rod there. It was pretty exciting when the fish took off, I was fairly sure it wasn't a trout when it left the run.

Incredible rods! if you decide you do not want the Limestone Special do keep me in mind, although I don't have many applications for light rods here I would never turn an early Orvis away. Check that date,

Ard

[audax]

The earliest Orvis graphite rods apparently did not have date stamps on the butt. But the number of models in the first offerings was relatively small, and I don't know if the 8-1/2' Limestone was among them. Orvis brought out two other #6 models, the 7-1/2' Trout and 8' Trout, in the beginning and had that line weight covered. In any case, they came with just two seats, both with clear anodized hardware and cork fillers. The difference being one was downlocking, the other just sliding rings. This is going back far enough that the rod tube probably has the letter designation for line weight ("HDG").

At a later date, which I want to say was early 1990s, the date stamps disappeared from the butt caps. These rods had black aluminum feel seat hardware, seat fillers changed to wood, and the downlockers became uplockers mated to reversed half wells grips.

I would therefore guess that this rod is a very early production model,...or one off the line 15+ yrs later.

[pvsprme]

Ok, here's a couple pictures; writing on the tube is as the butt cap, just very hard to read. It does give the line size as "Six", not HDG. Looks like 1181 on the butt cap, so I presume that'd be November, 1981? Downlocking reel seat.
Thanks Audax.
Ard, the man who gave it to me is a special guy; only a couple years older than me (I'm 63) but in poor health and has thyroid issues along with COPD which are kicking his @$$. Says he can't get out to fish anymore, especially in winter. I'm hoping come spring he may feel better if the doctors can get his thyroid issue dialed in and with the better weather he may feel like fishing again in which case he gets it all back.
Nice Silver, bet that was fun.......

[Ard]

Trust me on this, that is a very fine rod to own!

I've never seen one with the old school line designation letters on it but won't argue their existence. And yes that's a November 1981 rod. I have always wanted that model and have no excuse other than the performance of my 7'9" Far & Fine for now owning one. I've watched a couple mint examples on auction but had to question my reasons for buying a vintage single hand rod given where I live and how I fish.

I believe the rod would be very well matched to a Hardy Princess or if that diameter causes you to hesitate a CFO IV will do nicely as well. I use different reels on my F&F but bought a Featherweight for it originally. All the reels are similar size and weight and I just love the rod. I could litter the forum with pictures of fish large and small that I've caught using my old Orvis. The largest was a silver a full 34" in length, from butt cap to stripping guide. They are fantastic rods!

[pvsprme]

I also have come to really appreciate older graphite over the years. Current favorite is a 9'6" six weight Scott G that will just do it all, from 6X tippet for spring creek trout in a special place (use this as there are fish over 30" in that ditch) to swinging for Steel on the Trinity & Klamath. I've been neglecting it last couple years as I've started in the 2H game but it's still my favorite SH rod ever.
As to reels, he also gave me an English made (Hardy?) Battenkill that should do the trick. He also gave me a Ross Gunnison but it's a 3 IIRC and just maybe a bit large, have to check.