I always have been attracted to Heddon bamboo rods. Started collecting/fishing with them in the early seventies. Was very fortunate to become well acquainted with Bernard Hills, the retired but longtime foreman of Heddon during the cane years. And my business travels often took me to Chicago where after finished there I’d rent a car a drive around the lake to stay with Bernard and his wife June. He taught me an incredible amount of Heddon lore and gave me several tools he used for fifty years in the shop. After a lot of effort I became (modestly spoken) quite good at repairing and restoring Heddons. Some of my restorations ended up in the market being advertised by others as “original and untouched”! Yes, I was proud of fooling even the experts. Bernard and I engaged an English rod maker to supply us with cane blanks, even with the swelled butt, made to the Heddon tapers. I still have about ten sets of unferruled three piece blanks I’ll never finish and I guess will end up in a trash bin after I’m gone….Oh well….
I also have the world’s only large supply of the old, original Peerless steel snake guides from the cane years. And tons of silk. Anyone interested?
