What is the value of a Thomas Dirigo Fly Fishing Rod?

Answer 1

The answer is "it depends." It depends on the condition of the rod - there are many variables that go into determining its condition such as how "used" (or not used) it is, how well cared for, was it ever refinished and components replaced (i.e., it is no longer original). It also depends on the rod's age - which era of production it came from. Also influencing the value would be the length of the rod (shorter rods are more valuable to collectors), the line weight it carries, etc. In short, the rod needs to be seen by a qualified appraiser in order to answer the question. Generally speaking, of the four most popular rod models (and there are several variants of some of these) produced by the F. E. Thomas rod company - the Special Browntone, the Special, the Dirigo and the Bangor, the Dirigo occupies the third position from the top in terms of value. The bamboo that was used in the Dirigo is the same as the two higher end rods, but for one reason or another it was deemed less cosmetically appealing and so was fitted with less expensive components and finished in a less labor intensive way resulting in a lower original price.