Posted on 04/16/2026 2:53:46 PM PDT by Paul R.
I tried to post this and it seems to have disappeared for no reason, nothing about it being deleted, etc., so, I'll try again!
Here’s the mystery:
I have tried asking web searches (Brave and Google) to identify a one piece fiberglass fishing rod I picked up at a yard sale a couple years ago. The model appears to be “151C”, followed by “5” and then illegible (likely refers to the rod’s length of 5’ 4-1/2”), then the brand (I assume) is “L” “illegible”, a tall letter, possibly a “d”, then(I think) an “e”, then “ll” (lower case “LL”), then on “o” or a “u”, then either a “u”* or a wide “n”. The reel seat / handle is detachable, with a cork grip @ the end.
This is just a fishing rod, not a combo rod ‘n reel.
No dice on the searches. MAYBE Picture It or Google Lens might have a chance? The "Fishing Talks" Forum I was a member of, “Fishing Talks”, is defunct, so, that’s out. (It had a lot of great old-timers on it.) Possibly I could try joining another forum. I do not have a good way to post my own pics on FR. What’s a good, no ads, non-intrusive & privacy oriented photo host these days? (FR is about the only place I’d ever need it — about once a year, maybe, outside of perhaps the Garden Threads!)
Best way to proceed?
Great job I agree, ebay has a few and one pic with a readable signature. Longfellow is right I believe. I did a llittle more looking and found that rodmakers make their own decal labels. So the numbers on your rod Paul should tell you about line specs. I know nothing but like to help people find things. PaulR is a good guy.
Of course tho', he went further and came up with a "smart" machine that was (to enemies) dishonest.
More shortly - I see down-thread we may have a winner!!
Are (were) you looking at this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/255697513582
?
Moreover, I found:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173748102220
and in the 3rd image, look at those similar part numbers, including a “-151B”.
Goodness knows how I would come up with specs, but, I’m not “done” yet. For one thing, searching completed listings may turn up more info., so, I’ll give that a shot. The weather here has turned into a nasty cold rainy day anyway.
Thanks!!
cc: MomwithHope
Emphasis mine, and THAT was one thing I was hoping for -- someone who could "read" the brand name.
Thanks MUCH!
cc: Rodguy911
No problem Paul. I am learning something i the process. i also notices other Longfellow rods have Longfellow engraved in the metal by the handle.
I had not seen the first link. The second - interestng Heddon and Longfellow together. As I said I know nothing else. It kind of looks like a pieced together rod. I dunno.
Mine may be older — it does not have “Longfellow” cast (or stamped) into the flat of the reel seat. Interesting.
(That sure would have helped!)
Yes, I’d just mentioned that in a new post. :-)
“Piecing together” compatible rod parts IS a thing - I did it once myself in a pinch.
For that matter, this rod I have here “could” be pieced together, but, the reel seat does look “sort of Longfellow”.
I just now did a search on Brave for "specs for longfellow 151c fishing rod" and it came back with, I kid you not:
The search context does not contain confirmed manufacturer specifications for a Longfellow 151C fishing rod, as online discussions indicate this specific model is a vintage mystery rod with illegible branding that has not been definitively identified by search engines or forums.
A user on Free Republic posted a detailed description of a rod matching the "151C" designation, describing it as a one-piece fiberglass rod likely manufactured between 1950 and 1970 with a length of approximately 5 feet 4-1/2 inches. The post notes the rod features a detachable reel seat, a cork grip at the end, and a recessed reel seat typical of older spinning rods, though the brand name remains unclear due to faded lettering.
While a "Longfellow" brand is mentioned in other contexts (such as a "Trail Pack" hiking rod and a bamboo rod), no verified technical specs for a "Longfellow 151C" exist in the provided search results. The consensus among forum users suggests the rod may be a Sears Ted Williams model or another vintage brand, as "151C" is a common model number format for Sears spinning rods from that era. To identify the rod, users are advised to use Google Lens or consult specialized vintage fishing forums, as standard web searches have not yielded a definitive match.
HEY! BRAVE!! IT'S A LONGFELLOW! (At least partially.)
;-)
It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for Brave Browser to react. ;-)
This also shows a path to screw with AI should one want to. :-(
more history from two different facebook posts - looks like it was made in the 50’s or 60’s in my soon to be great again state of Michigan. Maybe they didn’t start stamping the metal part until later - 60’s? That could help you date it. Posts start here -
Dennis Rudroff
Another comment from the same Forum: Back in the late 1940’s, George Latos had a grinding company (located in Detroit, Michigan) and did a lot of work for the US Government. As the war came to an end the war work started to evaporate and he needed to find other work to keep his center-less grinding equipment busy. He knew a guy by the name of Mr. Sweetwood who wanted Mr. Latos to starting taper grinding steel fish-rods in 1949. When the Korean war broke out in 1950, Mr Latos was asked by the government to build fiberglass survival seats for the Air Force and fiberglass battery boxes for Army tanks. Once the war was over, Mr. Latos thought he would use the fiberglass technology that he developed for the US Government and started building fish-rods out of fiberglass. This material was much more flexible, had better handling capabilities, was lighter and less costly. This was the creation of the Longfellow Company. With this manufacturing capabilities underway, he created the raw fiberglass shafts and then used his center-less grinding equipment to create different flexes based on different fishing conditions. These tapered fishing rod shafts were sold to a number of companies throughout the country. As the business flourished, he decided to get into the complete assembly of the fishing rods. This step enable Longfellow to create different rods at different price points and for different markets. As the fishing business expanded rapidly in the 1950, 1060’s and 1970’s. However, there was an ominous light starting to shine on the market. The Japanese entered the market and they started to undercut the market. Does this sound familiar. As time went ago, the economics and competition changed so much that it did not make sense to stay in this market. Therefore, Mr. Latos existed this business and started making automotive parts for the Big Three. This was the end of the Longfellow company and the great fishing rods that it had made for over 25 years.
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Pat Wagner
Dennis Rudroff that’s some great history, thank you for sharing!
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Dennis Rudroff
here’s what I found on a Frum....hope it helps: “ I know Longfellow very well. It was a discount company very active in the late 1950’s into early 1960’s. Art Dedini of Ferndale CA used to sell many Longfellows at his shop for light steelhead fishing. We used to buy 8 1/2’ 2 pc. Longfellows for a 6/7 wt. that had great action & made fine cheap [$10 or so] trout rods. They also sold 6-pc. pack rods that were too stiff because of all the metal ferrules. Norm Thompson of Portland OR was selling Longfellow 6’7” 6 pc. for $15 in 1966. I think St. Croix made the blanks for Longfellow.”..
If it wasn’t cold and rainy I would be weedwhacking. 😁
Not if you run the LLM on your local machine.
And what happened to all the Pro-Life People? Of course! Tracked and overcharged and over-sentanced. Could happen to a future D. Administration.
“My name is Peggy”
Thanks. Very interesting.
I might (might!) have an early production run, or the company may have farmed out the metal section.
I wonder where they came up with the name?
Wifey wanted me to try catching some more trout this afternoon, since the last batch I grilled (over wood) came out incredibly well: She took most of it to work to impress her friends! The weather is NOT cooperating. (Rainy, cold, and getting colder.)
The question is whether any trout in the 2 put and take ponds near me got too warm for the trout anyway, before this cold spell hit. :-(
There IS a lake within an hour of my Mom’s old place that has been stocked with “saugeye”, a fish closely related to walleye and with a taste and texture some consider better (and possibly a nudge in the direction of trout.) The saugeye were reaching legal size last spring, so, there should be some nice “eaters” there now.
I may need to be up that way next week, so maybe I can squeeze in a detour!
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