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E. W. Edwards & Sons
Thomas & Edwards
It seems almost impossible to discuss the bamboo fly rods
made by either Thomas or Edwards without mentioning the other; so we have combined the information and models made by these
two great companies into one edition of our Value Guide. Early on in their careers, F. E. "Fred" Thomas and E. W. "Eustis"
Edwards both worked for the Leonard Rod Co. in Central Valley, New York, and trained under Hiram Leonard. Eventually they
both left and got together with another Leonard rod maker, Loman Hawes, to form the Thomas, Edwards & Hawes Rod Co. a
short distance away in Highland Mills. Hawes's either leaves or passes away several years later and was replaced by Ed. Payne,
another Leonard apprentice, so the company became known as Thomas, Edwards & Payne This enterprise did not last long and
the Kosmic rods made by this company are vary scarce and valuable. A year or so later, Fred left the company when it was sold
to U. S. Net & Twine, and returned to Bangor, Maine. Within a year or so he was again joined by Eustis and the resulting
Thomas & Edwards Rod Co. built rods mostly under private label trade names such as Von Lengerke & Detmold or Empire
City. After a couple years the pair split up again and Fred started the F. E. Thomas Rod Company in 1900, while Eustis started
the E. W. Edward Rod Co. a couple years later, also in Bangor, Maine. Fred was eventually joined by his son, Leon, who then
took over the company when Fred died in 1938. The Thomas Rod Company lasted into the 1950's when the embargo on Chinese cane
and the emerging fiberglass technology combined to put an end to bamboo rod production.
The history of the Edwards
family and their rods is often confusing because it involved some many different aspects at different times. In 1919 Eustis
sold his young company to Winchester Repeating Arms, moved his operation to New Haven, Connecticut, and made rods exclusively
for that company for five years; some years later he had a similar lease arrangement with Bristol Rod Co. Eustis had two sons,
W. E. "Bill" and Leon, both of whom became involved in rod making prior to the formation of the E. W. Edwards & Sons Rod
Co. shortly after the Winchester years. After Eustis died in 1931, his sons continued to make rods under the Bristol name.
Eventually, discontent with the Bristol operation, Bill went out on his own and formed the W. E. Edwards & Son Rod Co.
where he developed his new four-strip rod technology that became famous as the Edwards Quadrate; Gene also went out on his
own and formed the Eugene Edwards Rod. Co., but he continued building the traditional 6-strip bamboo rods. Both of these companies
also ceased operations during the 1950 era and were purchased by Clarence "Sam" Carlson.
Edwards Special
8'
3-pc. No. 50 $600
8½' 3-pc. No. 51 $400
9' 3-pc. No. 52 $300
9½' 3-pc. No. 53 $275
10' 3-pc.
No. 54 $250
Edwards Mount Carmel Special
8' 3-pc. No. 60 $600
8½' 3-pc. No. 61 $400
9' 3-pc. No. 62 $300
9½' 3-pc. No. 63 $275
Edwards Deluxe
7' 2-pc. No. 124
$1025
7½' 2-pc. No. 123 $900
8' 2-pc. No. 122 $750
8½' 2-pc. No. 121 $375
9' 2-pc. No. 120
$325
8' 3-pc. No. 70 $650
8½' 3-pc. No. 71 $450
9' 3-pc. No. 72 $350
9½ 3-pc. No.
73 $350
10' 3-pc. No. 74 $300
Edwards Deluxe Salmon Dry Fly
9½' 3-pc. No. 80 $400
10' 3-pc. No. 81 $425
10½' 3-pc. No. 82 $450
Edwards Deluxe Two-Hand Salmon
12'
3-pc. No. 200 $500
12½' 3-pc. No. 201 $425
13' 3-pc. No. 202 $450
W. E. Edwards Rod Co.
Quadrate
Ultra Light
6' 2-pc. No. 25 $1200
Quadrate - 30 Series
8' 3-pc. No. 34 $900
8½' 3-pc. No. 35 $600
9' 3-pc. No. 36 $400
9½ 3-pc. No. 37 $400
Quadrate - 40 Series
7' 2-pc. No. 41 $1200
7½' 2-pc. No. 42 $1050
8' 2-pc. No. 43 $950
Quadrate
- 50 Series
7½' 2-pc. No. 50 $1300
8' 3-pc. No. 51 $1000
8' 3-pc. No. 52 $1000
8½'
3-pc. No. 53 $650
8½ 3-pc. No. 54 $650
9' 3-pc. No. 55 $450
9' 3-pc. No. 56 $425
9' 3-pc.
No. 57 $425
9½' 3-pc. No. 58 $425
Quadrate - 60 Series (Salmon)
9' 3-pc. No. 65 $500
9½' 3-pc. No. 66 $400
10' 3-pc. No. 67 $375
10½' 3-pc. No. 68
Edwards/Bristol Rods
Model F4 3-pc. 8½' or 9' $250
Model F7 3-pc. 8½' or 9' $275
Model F12 3-pc. 8½' or 9' $275
Model F18 3-pc. 8½' or 9' $300
Winchester Rods by Edwards
Model 6005 8½' - 9' - 9½'
- 10' $300
Model 6030 8½' - 9' - 9½' $300
Model 6045 8½' - 9' - 9½' - 10' $300
Model 6065 8½' - 9'
- 9½' $275
Model 6080 8½' - 9' - 9½' $275
Model 6115 8½' - 9' - 9½' $250
Model 6150 8½' - 9' - 9½'
$250
Model 6165 8½' - 9' - 9½' - 10' $225
Model 6057 9' - 9½' $225
Model 6087 9' - 9½' $200
Model
6157 9' - 9½' $200
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