(November 2009)

Edwin C. Powell or simply "EC" Powell, a store-keeper and bee-keeper and a good fisherman, started making rods in 1910 without any book nor advice after he was introduced to fly fishing and he was not satisfied by the Leonard rod he was using (the butt was too soft and bending according to him).
So, he simply took some ornament bamboo from a chinese restaurant and posssibly some local bamboo plants and started making rods, at first very poorly, like most bamboo rod makers. But he was a talented craftmen and with wit and perseverance, and the eventual supply of good "Tonkin" cane he became a real master and developed his own rod building equipment. The secret? Care to detail at EACH step and moment of the rod building process.

Here on the left an EC Powell rod owned by Larry Ingram of the E. C. Powell Fly Fishers Club. Larry, who also helped in making this webpage. Thank you Larry!

He also invented a "semi-hollow built system" (patented in 1933; patent nr. # 1,932,986, see in the picture next to his signature) still known today as the Powell hollowing process. "His method was to remove the inner side of each bamboo strip...and glue a strip of cedar wood to the remaning layer of fibers. Then he gave his strips their traingualr shape, and, finally, removed a uniform thickness from the inner apex. The idea also included leaving cross-ridges at certain intervals, and each of these locations ...were reinforced with an intermediate wrap" (the quotation and the modified picture are from Rolf Baginski's book Split-Cane Rods -- Bamboo Treasures , page 87). Why the intermediate wrap? Because the glues of those days were not as powerfull as today's ones.

Powell opened his business shortly after the Ist World War and moved his shop and business (E. C. Powell Rod company) from Red-Bluff on to C street in Marysville, California, in 1921. EC powell's rods were very sought after and pretty well advanced rods in the 1920s and 1930s and 1940s. Casting tournaments victories spread the news about his special rods.

It is not an exageration that we now underline the name of Walter Anthony Maslan, simply known as Tony Maslan (15 January 1918- Yuba City 16 september 1993) who had a very important but unknown role in manufacturing EC Powell rods since 1954, when he purchased the whole EC Powell rod Co and the right to use the Powell's name.
Tony married EC Powell's daughter Mildred in 1941 and when he lost his job, started to make bamboo rods with Powell in 1953. Since 1954 full-time. So, because Powell retired in 1955, virtually all EC Powell rods made since 1954 were made by Tony with the original equipment, bamboo, taper and design. Like the original ones. Only in the mid '60s Tony Maslan made some minor changes to improve the reel-seat design and move the branding on the shaft. He kept doing bamboo rods until his death, 1992, according to Larry Ingram whom I contacted through the Chico Fly Shop.

The reel-seat. The current way of using up-locking reel-seats actually comes from EC Powell who improved the system! Today, the vast majority of real-seat are up-locking but apparentyl it was not so in EC Powell time. Anyhow, Edwin C. Powell improved it originally, then Walton Powell improved it again (using "...an anodized aluminum hood that wasn't recessed") and once more Tony Maslan changed it slightly in the mid '60s as I stated above.

The sons. The Powells are a rod makers dinasty. Which thing creates a little bit of a confusion among collectors. Edwin C. Powell had three children and all of them started making rods early on. Albert "Buddy" Powell started in the late '20s, became a casting champion as well but died in a car accident in 1936. Walton Powell (born on 17 Dec 1915, Marysville, CA died on June 29 2001 ) also begun making rods in the late '20s and founded another company after the II World War (I am talking more about him on the link above) and then Clyde Powell (mid '30s). The third generation was represented by Press Powell (13 August 1946 - 11 March 2004). Eugene Powell (Walton's grandson) is still making bamboo rods and he is the forth generation.

In summary, EC Powell only made bamboo rods. Walton Powell experimented and then fully endorsed at first fibre-glass rods and then graphite rods which were continued by Press Powell. Eugene Powell makes bamboo rods, again today.

An nice interview from where I took some first-hand information for this article with the late Press Powell , grandson of EC Powell is here. Press Powell died in Chico, Butte Co., California after a long struggle with cancer in 2004.

EC Powell who was an excellent fishermen and considered a good fishing rod above all a tool for fishing, came up eventually with the conclusion that there are three main types of tapers which he called "A", "B" and "C":

• "A" taper: fast action;rigid rod, tip action and butt quite resistant; very efficicent but difficult to handle;
• "B" taper: medium-fast action; uniform, progressive action; for the average fly angler
• "C" taper: slow action; the tip is stiff and butt is soft and bending; for heavy flies

Edwin C. Powell is definetely a legend and not only in the USA still today. Reportedly, his legacy is very much widespread in Sweden and Scandinavian countries. And rightly so.

From a Lang's auction 2007 catalogue

8 1/2' E.C.Powell Trout Rod. This 3/2 hollow built rod is in excellent
original condition. The wraps are gold and the stripper is
agate. It has the usual Powell modified Wells grip and screw up
locking reel seat. All sections are full and straight. With original
bag and labeled tube. ($900-$1,100)

Beautiful 7' E.C. Powell Trout Rod. This hollow built rod is 2 pc,
2 tip in new, unused condition. It was made by Tony Maslan (successor
to Powell) and bears the E.C. Powell, Marysville, CA.
stamping on the bottom of the butt cap. The guides are wrapped
with light brown silk and the patent number is inked on the shaft.
With all sections straight and full length, this rod shows no signs
it was ever used. Bag and tube included but not labeled. Very few
short, hollow built Powell rods were ever made, making this one
quite rare. ($1,800-$2,000)

Mint E.C. Powell 8 1/2' by Tony Maslan. In unused condition,
this 3/2 trout rod is hollow built and looks as fresh as it did when
it left Tony's shop. All sections are full length, straight and have
medium brown wraps over chrome guides. The stripper has a red
glass insert in fine shape. The cork is clean and the screw up locking
reel shows no signs of ever having a reel mounted on it. The
patent number and "E.C. Powell Rod Co." are inked on the butt
section. All ferrules are tight and need a little cleaning to seat fully.
Powell rods in this length and condition are very rare, if not
impossible, to find.With new unmarked bag and tube.
($1,200-$1,400)

Sources: Rolf Baginski's book Split-Cane Rods -- Bamboo Treasures; http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/presspowell.shtml

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