Paul Young Spinning Rod Tapers - Gary

Here are a few spinning rod tapers for all of you taper junkies.  I happen
to have some nice Young rods that I’ve measured and miked and for the time
and effort I certainly hope that someone will take it upon himself to make a
Spinmaster for me… Just e-mail it to me when it’s finished and I’ll give you
a full report on how it fishes.

For some reason, Young spinning rods have been much more difficult to come
by than his fly rods, I suppose because there weren’t as many made.  Seems
he liked to fly fish…

Anyway:

Spinmaster, 7’2”, 3.35oz., lightly flamed, gold spiral wraps, 12 1/8“
sliding ring handle, stepped 13/64 ferrule, semi-parabolic action.  Loads
right through the handle into your arm.  I haven’t checked the taper against
a Para 13, but the rod also throws a nice 5wt.
Guide spacing from tip:  5 ½, 12 1/8, 19 ¾, 28 5/8, 37 ½; 51 ¾ (butt)
Taper:
0 - .082
5 - .091
10 - .106
15 - .126
20 - .143
25 - .157
30 - .176
35 - .192
40 - .207
ferrule
46 - .208
50 - .211
55 - .216
60 - .226
65 - .246
70 - .255
74 - .259

“Spin-Caster”, 6’3”, 3.00oz., medium flamed, made for Lewis Pyle in Apr ’53,
black wraps, 10 ¼” sliding ring handle, 16/64 Super Z ferrule.
Guide spacing from tip:  6 3/16, 13 15/16, 24 5/16, 35 1/8; 46 5/8 (butt)
Taper:
0 - .096
5 - .098
10 - .115
15 - .142
20 - .158
25 - .174
30 - .191
35 - .219
ferrule
40 - .216 (yes, I double checked the 35” and 40” measurements)
45 - .224
50 - .241
55 - .250
60 - .266
64 - .274

“Special”, 6’4”, 3.40oz., 1955, lightly flamed, 17/64 ferrule, 8 ¾” sliding
ring handle
Guide spacing from tip:  7 7/16, 16 5/16, 25 5/8, 35 5/16; 49 ½ (butt)
Taper:
0 - .098
5 - .101
10 - .122
15 - .148
20 - .158
24 - .170
30 - .194
35 - .224
ferrule
41 - .226
45 - .238
50 - .240
55 - .257
60 - .268
65 - .285

“Experimental Steelhead Baitcaster”, 8’9”, 20/64 ferrule, 8 1/4oz., Dec
1948, darker cane, lightly flamed.  This rod was owned by a friend of Paul
Young’s in Florida (Col. O’Connell) who fished the Keys with Young.  The tip
is 54 ½” and is ostensibly made from the tip section of the fabled and
mysterious Parabolic 20.  The handle is a fixed seat 15 ½”, crimson wraps on
foul-proof stainless steel guides.  The rod does have a semi-parabolic
action loading right down into the handle and will cast about as far as you
can see.
Guide spacing from tip:  6 5/8, 14 5/16, 24 3/8, 36 ¼, 49 5/16; 59 5/8, 72 ¾
(butt)
Taper:
0 - .132
5 - .140
10 - .158
15 - .188
20 - .214
25 - .232
30 - .245
35 - .260
40 - .268
45 - .276
50 - .298
52.5 - .306
ferrule
57 - .320
60 - .325
65 - .336
70 - .342
75 - .363
80 - .380
85 - .403
88.5 - .424