# Rod from the 60's, fancy wrap back then, I thought.



## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

This is a rod I wrapped back in approx 1965 or 1966. I started wrapping in my garage, but it got to busy, so I rented a small room next to a barber shop on old Hiway 146 in Baytown. The business grew so fast so I took in a partner, Richard Marshall, and later he bought me out and changed the name to Marshals Rods and Tackle. This was a fancy custom wrap rod from the 60's, fancy wrap back then, I thought.LOL
Compared to todays standards, this one is nothing, but that is all we had to work with. Gold carbide guides, "pistol grip handles", Fenwick blanks, later on brown Lamiglass blanks I believe Not many patterns, beside the chevron, and diamond wraps. This rod still has the original decal, Bailey's Custom Rods, Baytown, Texas. A funny now true story, but not at that time, a saltwater guide came in one day and wanted two 7' rods, so I charged him the going price of $20.00 so about a week later he came back and wanted 10 more. He picked them up and about 6 or 7 days later this man brought in a rod and the tip was broken off and wanted it cut down and fixed. I looked at the rod and asked where he got it and he said from a guide he went fishing with. So I slowly worked my way around to ask him what he had paid for it and he said, $30.00 So ya know the next time the old salt water guide came in and wanted 10 more, I said new price is now $30.00 That old "booger" never batted an eye, paid for them and later I found out he now was getting $40.00 each for them.!!!!!
See pics below, thanx.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

I wasn't but 10 then but I do remember seeing custom made rods. They were not plentiful and if you had one it would turn a head. That wrap was stud bling, still looks good.


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

In 1965, while attending U of H, I went to work part-time at old Memorial Baptist Hospital downtown. One day a young lab employee came in showing a rod that he had built. It was built on a yellow Fenwick blank and had a ten inch rear handle. He called it a popping rod. I had never heard of such a rod. On the rod he had done a green and yellow diamond wrap which I had also never seen. I could have died of envy at that time. I made myself a promise that some day I would learn to make my own rods.


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## Terry G. (Jul 17, 2006)

heheh , neet story and it just goes to show ya there is money to be made.


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## Harbormaster (May 26, 2000)

This is all I could find so far! Until All Star came along we wrapped all of our own rods!

Second from the top is one of the yellow blanks from Grant Elsings my dad wrapped!

Some of the reels from the era also...I can't find any old Mitchell 300's!


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## baytownboy (Jul 24, 2009)

I still remember the first grapfite rod I had. It was made by a man in Ft Worth and called Skyline Graphite Rods, it had orange and black wrappings. The man was building them in his apartment I believe at that time. Richard Marshall and I went to his "factory" for a tour, late 60's or early 70's.
The first time I ever used that rod was on Lake Livingston and my friend and I were worm fishing at the back of the pipeline in some little creeks. I had caught 12 or more bass and my friend was being skunked by my graphite rod that he said would not make that much difference because he was the "pro so to speak" and I was the rank amature at worm fishing. So approx 3 or 4 more fish caught, he said give me that dam rod. In about 30 minutes or so, he had almost caught up with the amount of bass I had. Bass limit was 15 at that time. So on the way out of Livingston at the new Wal Mart, we stopped for a cold drink and so he could go to the restroom. Well I'll be dam, he comes walking up to the truck with a new Skyline graphite rod!!!! true story.


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## Martin Kellner (Feb 21, 2011)

BaytownBoy, I remember your shop. By the time I was old enough to take myself there it was Marshall's. I grew up getting my hair cut next door at Reno's. I wish there were still more shops like that open around town.


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