I just grabbed two old Fenwick's off a guy from work that got them from his grandpa. One is a FS80C and the other is FS79C and they both came with old Abu 5000's. Picked both of them up for $140.


The FS80c is a 70'/71' i think, but not sure about the FS79c. The 79 is darker brown and doesnt have a serial # on it and the lettering on the rod is different.


They seem like there in pretty good condition. Should I use them for small rivers/creeks(retro fishin) or just collect them.

They're rare.
The FS 80 is 8'-0" 3/8 - 1 oz
The FS 79 is 7'-9" and lighter power than the above.

Too lazy to dig up what I can't remember. You could prolly Google it.

FS = Fenwick Steelhead
They are of Fenglas which was Fenwick's best fiberglas. S-Glas but faster than Lami's rendition of S-Glas.

Yeah they have length, lure wieght, and line rating on em. But one doesnt have a serial #. Would be kinda cool to know when it was made.


Thanks for the other info.

The ABU's will have traceable "reel foot" numbers.

The FS 79C is a great light steelhead plug rod. I have had several and my last two were both broke by passengers climbing out of the boat and stepping on them with fish on.


Cool find.

Cool. I'll check em out soon. I'm really good at repairing newer abu's. Plus I live close to Johns sporting goods to get parts.


My buddy that collects old salt water gear thinks the rods would be to brittle to use after sitting 40 years.

Might have to try the 79 for small hot shots. I wasn't really sure what technics would be best for these rods. There's no action or power on em.

Tedssportscenter says the 80c would make a good trolling plug rod.(tomic/silverhorde). Might have to try that too.

http://www.tedssportscenter.com/Dectips.htm

In their day they were fast action and yes a plug will swim well off the 79.
That 80 might have been broken if it's not 8 foot.

The 80 and 79 are fine. Looks like the factory tip and tread wraps.


That's cool there fast action. Really soft tips. I guess I'm not use to glass.


Thanks

i bought an FS79 blank a few years back from a guy that was selling off an old fenwick exec's collection. i wrapped it as a casting rod and put a 2500C on it. makes a great small river steelhead/coho rod.

it'd be a shame to hang those on a wall and not fish them.

Just measured. Perfect lengths.

They wont be easy to repair, so if you want to keep them in good condition and hope they do gain in value, then dont use them. 70's was my guess. My dad was a good friend of the Fenwick rep and it was a common rod in the house. Early glass rods had brass ferrules

Thanks. I think one is brass. The 79 has a heavier/different one.

handles on the wrong side, nice set ups

So is your reel Jon.

Fenglas had a no ferrule, Ferrulite™ design.

Oh your right. I was thinking it was the threaded area. I knew it was part of the reel seat but looking at wrong side. Lol

Reelseats would be anodized aluminum.

This is a lil off topic but is a ferrul like a shim for a reel seat. I thought they were something used in fly rod building. I don't know jack about old rods.


I'm in the process of starting/learning to build rods. Got 4 batsons and 4 sage ct to build some time soon.

The ferrule is the male-female section where the two rod sections are joined together

Those rods have "ferrulite" ferrules, meaning the tip section fits over the butt section like almost every rod does nowadays. But that was revolutionary when Jimmy Green introduced that in the Fenwick rod line in the late 60s or early 70s. Those rods were made until the late 70s when Fenwick went offshore. That FS 79C was the absolute shizzle among steelhead drift fishermen in until and even for a while after graphite rods were introduced in 1973. Use that rod, but take care of it. It's a legend.

Sg

Oh dam I feel dumb now. I always put the rods together and never thought much about what the connection point was called. Alwell, I'm always learning when it comes to fishing.


Thanks guys

Thanks for the info salmo g

Old school metal ferrule
Top - male
Bottom - female


Transition era ferrule
One-piece blank was simply cut in half and a plug was fitted to one of the halves


Modern era "ferruleless" ferrule
Female wrapped to prevent splitting

I got a couple of those, bids start @ 450.00

Thanks DD, I was wondering what the metal ones looked like.


The messed up part is I've watch the Batson video on building rods but forgot about the ferrule wrap. Might need to slow down on the pale ales. Lol

The one on the right is a factory modification to the reel seat to make them warmer to the touch. That ad campaign graced the back cover of STS for at least a year. I fashioned a tapered cork reel seat just like it on the very first HMG I ever wrapped.

The one on the left with a cork half-ring is an aftermarket attempt to warm up the grip.

Dang I did get a good deal.

I you're interested in getting rid of the 5000's let me know. Love those reels.

Cool. Thanks eyeFish.

That's interesting, glad I bought them.

Might be. Let me think about it a day or two.

Been so long since I had one, are those direct drive with the small knob for tightening the drag or does it have a star drag adjustment?

I just sold two of those Abu reels on the right on eBay. They both brought sick money from two different buyers from Japan. Apparently they are highly sought after there. Use the money to buy a high end rod and reel combo and keep the fenwicks for collectors

Those Fenglass models are a prize to own. I have a fly rod with the brass ferrules that was custom made in 1965 by a sports shop operator in Kirkland.

I have four or five 1980 rods, two spinning and two rods for level winds, plus a heavier Fenglass rod from the same year. and still use the spin & casting rods that are 6-1/2 feet I think.

I took them as a partial trade for money and rods when I photographed Jimmy Green flycasting for the 1981 Fenwick catalog cover.

They would not have any collector's value since I had Gregg's custom rods in Lake Stevens cut them into four sections and installed metal ferrules to make travel rods that fit into my carrry-on or checked luggage about five years ago.

They have been great for fishing Silvers in Alaska since I had them converted in 2008.

Those reels are a prize too. I wore one out fishing in the salt and lost another when a fish took my rod overboard at Skagway rocks at Neah Bay.

It was a sinking feeling when that rod went flying out of the boat and we couldn't reach it as the fish towed it away and it sank into the depths. I had just dispatched a rockfish and was putting it into the fish box and re-baiting and casting back to fish.

I'm still using my green 5000 D's I bought in 1968 for $22 each at Ed's Surplus
in Lynnwood on some trips. I had them rebuilt at John's in Everett about six years ago.

When I use to clean them I would use an egg cartoon for the parts so I could keep them in order once I re-assembled them.

Dave V. has a Fenglass model that he still uses for perch fishing in Lake Washington.

So you bought yourself some fine pieces that will still fish well an are a part of PNW fishing history.

Unfortunately alot of antique lures wood and plastic are ending up in Japan.

Jeremy,

The plug rod I use in my boat is an fs79c. You've seen it play a plug a few times on our floats. Use em!

Try the 79 for kokes if you fish em

Had a new FS 89 that I had up until a couple of years ago. Won it in a skeet shooting contest. It caught a lot of fish, including sizeable Kings in the salt using small jigs. Finally busted the tip on a limb steelheading and setting the hook. Was a sad day....gave it to one of the sons after replacing the tip a couple of inches shorter. Wrapped the seat same as Doc's and then later replaced the guides with better ones and dressed up the wrap. Was a fun rod in its day.

They need a good cleaning. They definaty seen some action. Both have star drags.


I wish these reels could tell there fish stories.

What kinda shape were yours in when you sold them. Do you think I should just clean them up(leave em the way they are, or try to make them like new as best I can.

Not really sure what there worth. I'll check eBay later.

Yes sir. Can't wait to see you get a nice fish on your dads old rod. Your 79c is priceless, take care of it buddy.

If I were you, I'd clean up the one with white handles and stick it away. You won't regret it. If you sell it, you won't have it......and at sometime down the road, you'll wish you did. Seriously.

Yeah I think your right. Just checked eBay and they don't seem to bring in that much $. The black handle one is even less doe.

Not worth selling yet.

Like a 5000a for $490.23



http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIB-Vintage-Abu-...=item4160e4fe3a

Or that 5000CDL that went for a cool..........$1000.00


"There is a crack in the top of the teak casket, however causing no damage in any way to the reel itself."

Lol, playing to the crowd

Then our grand prise winner, another 5000 CDL this one gold encrusted for only........... $3,718.00








c/22

Wish mine was that nice.

Yours are pretty nice, under the grime.

That one you have all the pictures of looks like it would clean up.

Use a soft or med tooth brush dish soap, and some hot water.

If you decide to tear it down and clean it up, make sure you use the correct size screw driver so as to not bugger up the screw heads.

I don't need or want them but I would take them should you decide to part with them.

Does anyone have a link to a website where you can look up the serial # to find out what year it is? I have a FS79 spinning rod that I would like to find more information on. Like what year it is and what it might be worth.

I found one forum that had some info on them. That's how I figured out what my 80c was. No luck for my 79c.


I'll try to find it later.

I seem to recall that I have a Fenwick FS-series salted away in its original brown tube...

somewhere.

Might hafta go treasure hunting in the folk's shed....

This is important because some of the early screws are no longer available.
Buggered screws or modern replacement screws on early Ambassadeurs tell no lies.

I've been using these for a long time.
http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=FP001201
If you don't abuse them, they will last the rest of your life.
The common replaceable tip sets are OK, but "real" screwdrivers in each size is way mo better.
For example, in the smaller sizes you often need a slim shank as well, to access the part. The "tip" system can't do that.

Just don't use cheap, tapered, handyman screwdrivers on fine equipment or you will be sent back to the re-education camps.

Thanks.


Maybe I will buy one of those gun smith screw driver kits with all the tips. Or I'll just buy some tips for my SnapOn ratching drivers.


Most of the time for my other abu's I'm not to worried about a slight mar on the head. But there newer and i can get parts easy.

I just notice the handle on the old one with the pearl handle is a lil bent/twisted. Now I need to know how to fix that or maybe try to replace.

I usually take them off and straighten them by hand.
A little at time.....eyeball it....a little more....etc.

Do not use the "grip" portion of the handle as a lever to aid in straightening if you can help it. Too much pressure here and you loosen the pressed in pin and wreck the handle assembly.

Hard to find those early handles.....Ebay possibly.

Yeah that was my troughts. Maybe tape it up and use two crescent wrenchs and slowly tweak it back to shape.


I dont want to mess it up if possibily. Cool little handle.

I have an old FS83C and so does a good friend, they are still used frequently, so if they're getting brittle they should have broken by now.

Mine looks old and tired with no markings left on it.

I also have an old red 5000, only it has the single knobbed crank handle, it has the old leather storage pouch and tools.

Thats cool, I'll probably try em out just for fun. But I'll use newer reels on em.


The ones I got seem really well taken care of. A friend on bloodydecks said he's seen very few that didn't need repair.


Its going to be fun to go retro. Might have to get the hip waders out and a Pendilton jacket. Lol

Cool score on some nice plug rods.

One in the box was used in okay condition and the other looked about like yours. I can pm you the amounts they sold for if you like. All I can say is set your reserves high and keep re listing if they don't sell. Auction only. No buy it now. They are only worth what someone will pay or keep for your own and they are worth what you think.

Those are a steel. Look like they are in perfect used condition too. My dads boss snaged a fishing rod that had an oarnge abu 5000 on it similar to those. Cant remember what the rod was but it was nice to. Im guessing those are direct drive reels as well?

Now yer talkin'. With a Fenglass rod, round reel, hip boots, and a Pendelton, you'll look like you've got forty years of fishing experience, even if you're only 25 years old. I have a half dozen old school Fenwicks: 83C, 85C, 89C, an FS80C like the one you picked up. There's a couple trout spinning rods, also. The FS83C was my favorite steelhead rod until a streamside modification turned it into a FS81C. Now, it's my favorite surf perch rod. I've used the FS80C for tidewater coho with good success. A shorter rod works well in brushy bank scenarios, the soft tip of the 80C will let you detect a bite without having to hold the line between your lips (just kidding, Merg), and that rod has enough "back" to lean on a big fish if'n you have to. Nicks and knocks that will have you looking for your graphite rod warranty will only be character building blemishes on the brown glass. You might want to sell or save those red reels, but I'd say fish those Fenwicks until they're worn out. One more suggestion, pick up an orange "crusher" hat to complete your outfit.

Yeah I feel like I scored. There regular reels, haven't had a chance to see direct drives yet.

I fished with a 80+ old man on the Cascade that had rubber hip waders, Pendilton jacket, and a elmer fudd hat. Cool old dude, he even got a nice Steelie that day.


Not sure what the orange crusher hat looks like. I'll try to look it up.


Might get a few laughs at the river.

Crusher hats....

Squish 'em down and put them in your pocket....crush 'em.

Black Servus brand hip boots (Lacrosse OK)
3/4 length rain coat, olive color.
3/4 length was favored because it covered the open tops of the hip boots.

Red Ambassadeur and Fenwick or Lamiglas stick.





I'll bet someday there will be an "Old School Saturday" and guys will dress up in this stuff, use old time gear and compete like the SRC.

yea thats the old timer look. Direct drive reels are tricky. Its beter you got reels that arnt. put some new drag washers in them lube em up and go catch some fish pluggin