Originally with Hiram Leonard, may have married one of the daughters, from the Central Valley area in upstate New York- a strong double haul from Highland Mills and Ed and son James Payne-as much the birthplace of fine cane rods as Conn., Penna. and New York for fine American double guns.
A Hawes rod is indeed a Steinway- the only single man rod builders to equal his workmanship and finish would be the late Harold Steele Gillum and Everett Garrison- Company rod builders of equal quality in that era would be, opf course: Payne, Edwards, Leonard, Granger and Doug merrick-Low Stoner in San Fran.- When I both collected cane rods and fished them, I handled one Gillum, two Garrisons- I liked the pre-fire Leonards best of all- and consider the W&M Grangers to be a great second (in the three piece versions) to the Leonards-
