A rare Paul Young Driggs River Special bamboo fly rod, 7'2", 2-piece, 3-tip, and built for a #5. This rod was the very first Driggs rod that Paul Young built, made for Martha Marie in January of 1953. The rod weighs 2.9 ounces. The two matching tips are marked "fer .203 tip top + .063". The third tip is unmarked, 1/2" shorter,  the tip top diameter is heavier, and it has a large hoop tip top from a later date. In addition the guide spacing on this extra tip is drastically different. My sense is that Young made this tip later and slightly heavier, as he sometimes favored. The rod may have been lawn cast — there is no other sign of use. No ferrule wrap cracks, etc. The third tip has a repair wrap two guides down from the tip top. The action is a pleasant medium. The main wraps are brown with a carbide stripper and black stainless snakes. The ferrules are all oxidized black. The grip is 5" long in a medium cigar shape with a thumb cutaway. The all-cork seat is mortised with a cap and ring. The cap is stamped “Paul Young, Detroit, Mich.” Both are oxidized although the ring is showing a bit of green nickel silver oxide. The rod bag is original and has pockets for only two tips (and has a hole in the butt pocket). Original tube. A truly rare find for the Paul Young aficionado.

This rod is also listed in the PHY database (found online) for those who might be curious, and was previously sold by the late Marty Keane in 1992.

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