Vardanis, Alex – 8' 0" 'Fairy Catskill'

For your consideration is an Alex Vardanis 8' 0" "Fairy Catskill" bamboo fly rod. This is an 8' 0" three-piece for what feels like a 2-weight line weighing 2.90 ounces. The taper is based on the Leonard 8' 0" "Fairy Catskill." The builder fished this with 1-weight silk. All sections are original full-length and straight.

This consists of straw-colored cane with orange-brown wraps tipped with an ivory cream – a very handsome combination. The grip measures 4 7/8 inches with cap and ring over the spacer. The tips mic at 0.0495. The ferrules are sizes 8 and 12. In my hand, the action is medium slow. Nice varnish work with a few blemishes. A very nice light line rod from this London, Ontario builder.

The owner fished this with 1-weight silk. Many do this to protect the fine tips and to make the rod perform "more dry fly like." These "Fairy" rods would have been fished originally with an IFI, IFG, HFH, or HFG ( 3wt and 4wt) silk line. These lines would have produced a deeper bend and almost wet fly action as the line weight increased.