vintage glass flyrod

Question
Hello,and thanks for your time .I recently was given an older(looks to be 50's-60's)fiberglass rod.It has no markings as far as ratings etc.only a Seattle sporting goods label but is marked Dawn Holbrook rodmaker on the butt cap.I am told Mr.Holbrook was known for his bamboo rods,but no one I have talked to seems to know if he did work in fiberglass as well or if the reelseat/cap is a component he sold separately.I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on the age of this rod or info on the maker.Thanks again,DB

Answer
Hi Doug,

Yes, Dawn Holbrook was a well known rod maker in the Seattle area and appears to have been active in the craft 40-50 years ago.  His rods tend to be numbered and he apparently also taught rod building classes.  From what I saw in my searching, he was considered a builder of higher quality rods.  He also was most famous for his bamboo rods.  Like most of us who build rods I am sure he also built on fiberglass and possibly even graphite in later years.

Your guess on age is close but probably more like 60s-70s. He produced a limited number of rods during his career so I would assume the rod is somewhat rare and has a reasonable value to those familiar with the maker's work.  I do not have any idea what the value might be.  You could try posting an inquiry on www.ifish.com and see if any of the locals in the Seattle-Tacoma-Portland area know more.  Also, you might try posting on www.fiberglassflyrodders.info and see what those folks know about Holbrook glass rods.

Thanks,  Joe