UPDATE: All proceeds from this sale will be donatedto the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum.

This 6′ Baby Catskill rod is from the bench of Alex Vardanis. It was fished once by the maker and shows some soiling of the grip. Itwas made in 2007-2008. Alex is known for his nodeless rod construction similarto the method used by Bernard Ramanauskas of Eden Cane and Scott Rods. Themaker states: “I have made four of these (two different tapers). This one is thesecond one I made. The first was done with the specifics of an original BabyCatskill (no winding check or hook keeper, a regular snake for a stripping guideand a short grip and reel seat). I was very pleased with the way it turned outespecially since, in contrast to the original (nodes in) rod, it could handle a breeze.I fished that first rod extensively for a couple of seasons and I decided to makeanother and dress it up a little, with a lightweight black aluminum cap and ringon a fancy spacer, a nice agate stripper and a winding check and hook keeper. Itcame in at 1.87 oz. only 0.11 oz. heavier that the first one. The grip is made upfrom 1/4″ rings and the ferrule is an 8/64” stepdown CSE, true to the originalrod.

The ferrules are witness marked and double wrapped in the area that is proneto varnish cracks (at the end of the ferrule tabs). It comes in a Landmark brasscapped tube.

Alex states this rod can handle fish up to 15″ and it is one of his favorite rods forthe small 9-12 browns in Ontario’s Grand River. The chopsticks (split internodes)are spliced maintaining the geometry of the original culm and the splices arestaggered in the splines very much like a 3-3-3 pattern of node staggering. Thesplices are cut left-to-right and right-to-left and the two types are alternated onadjoining splines. The wraps are color preserved and tipped. Snake guides and tiptops are “Snake Brand”, and the ferrules are stepdowns from CSE. The rod willcarry a lifetime warranty by the maker.

One of Alex’s rods came in first in the accuracy category and second overall in therod challenge at the 2012 Catskill Rodmakers’ Gathering.