Yes this is a 3/2 rod. Blued ferrules and guides, agate tips. I use an old Hardy Perfect with it and have two spools, one with silk and the other modern flyline.
These were made by Merritt Hawes. Charles Parker was an enthusiast of the Leonard/ Hawes lineage of rods and partnered with Merritt. If I remember correctly from an article I wrote about the rods it was either 220 or 280 that were made, either way not many. A wide variety following the Leonard line could be ordered but most made were dry fly rods of medium weight such as this. Contemporary writers termed these the “A-1 Special of rods”.
I would not term these whippy sticks, slow action yes in comparison to present stiff graphite but many prefer a slow action rod. These force a person to learn a count technique.
The only complete and original catalog I know of is owned by Mike Clark in Lyons. All of these are names that those interested in vintage fly rods will recognize. It joins a Jenkins, two Gary Howells and two Glen Brackett rods in the quiver. The workmanship on the Hawes is high end, the cane is flawless, the joints are perfect, however I think we see today in the best rodmakers the best rods have ever been.
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