Angle Fish bamboo fly rod

Question
Can you tell me what you know about these, and what the value of 1 would be if completely refinished? I just got 1 off of ebay and it looks really nice but i have read crazy reviews about it some saying that it shouldnt be used for fishing etc...

Answer
Joe
Neither 69 nor 90.
Angel fish is the restorers marking - not known by me or in any other books.
The auction says they might be HI or Horrocks-Ibbotson. If so I could understand the above prices , although I would not pay that much. I would not pay over $10.
The rods you have are Japanese.  I can tell from the poor quality of metal.
Originally sold by the thousands to GIs in a light long box with lures and huge flies from 1946 to the 70s . Mostly considered trinkets by collectors but memorial to GIs , they have little resale or fishing value. I have never seen any written history on them in English except the following. http://www.maxrod.net/article/
There is  a book  on Goggle books, with a little history  and a  limited preview: Bamboo In Japan by Nancy Moore Bess
They are probably not even made from Tonkin cane like most vintage bamboo fly rods .
I have cast several and they are terrible fishing tools.

Luck,
Mac

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