As blue-collar as it gets...
 

an old Horrocks-Ibbotson glass rod, a Pflueger Medalist, and bluegills on the first day of summer...

https://i.imgur.com/sB2cF1ml.jpg

Blue collar bluegills seem just right to me.

Nice rig Phil. One of my favorite fish but I'm really blue collar cause I use a spinning rod with worms.

On Father's Day went fishing with my son. He fished for bass while I happily pulled big bluegills off the spawning beds. We had a good fish fry that evening.

For many years the Medalist fly reels were the most popular fly reels used. And for good reason. And we all had them back in the day

Jesus a worm fisherman with night crawlers in a red Hills Brothers coffee can ! Little take off on “A River Runs Through It” ! :rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

I’ve got a Horrocks and Ibbotson split cane 8 footer that’s for something like 5 or 6 weight . Damn things a noddle , but it was a gift from my parents many years ago along with a split cane boat rod . I had the fly rod refinished and probably cost more than the darn things worth , but there is a bit of sentimental value .

I snagged a 8.5 ft Fenwick rod and Pflueger reel and some #8 line at the local hardware store in 1974. Probably less than $100 with some flies too. A local showed me some spots and taught me the essential knots-sewed a leader on the 'clothesline' and I was off. Caught 100's of planted rainbows only 25 minutes from campus. Those were some the best days of my outdoor life. Then I discovered duck hunting and it's been the main obsession ever since.
Wish I had my old fly outfit on the wall.