The Parker-Hawes Rod

[Bruce Day]

This post is for those people who are interested in Parker things other than guns.

Many people do not realize that Parker made or marketed a variety of high quality sporting things.

In the 1920's, Parker partnered with Hiram Hawes to produce a Parker-Hawes fly rod. Hiram Hawes had been an apprentice of H L Leonard, who is credited with producing the modern American lightweight split bamboo fly rod, and whose shop produced some of the best. H L Leonard rods are some of the most collectible today and are still in use. Along with Hiram Hawes, a fellow Leonard apprentice was Pinky Gillum, whose work was impeccable. A Gillum rod recently sold for $5000. Leonard, Hawes and Gillum rods are highly sought.

Hawes made approximately 1000 rods under his own name and about 220 under the Parker-Hawes relationship. They are high quality and still fishable today. This is a 9 foot, 4 and 3/4 oz rod, with what is understood to be the original rod tube and sock. The tube is missing its label. Hawes rods are collector quality rods and the Parker name makes them even more so. The Parker-Hawes rods ceased production in 1933. It is not known how many still exist today. They are of the Catskill school. Not having been in the Catskills, I cannot venture a guess as to chances of finding ones today that are not already known to collectors, but one never knows.