Hiram Webster Hawes
January 2010Hiram Webster Hawes was the nephew of Hiram Leonard and designed many of Leonard's rods (he started in 1879) before he left his uncle's business to create the Hawes Rod Company in Canterbury, Connecticut, in 1909. Following is the orginal text of an eBAy auction. The text is only sligthly modified for better reading (ebay, $2125 winning bid, 3 January 2010; Auction by "Swede16" eBay member). "I have listed a rare 7' 9" bamboo fly rod built by hiram webster hawes, who i personally think was the finest bamboo fly rod maker in his day. Hawes was the nephew of hiram leonard. He helped his uncle design the leonard beveler and was the only one allowed to operate the machine besides leonard himself. He was Leonards most talented and able rod builder and taper designer. Hawes worked hand and hand with Leonard developing new tapers for his uncles rods.He was the most prominent tournament caster of his day setting a staggering amount of records. In 1898 he married Leonard's daughter Cora who was the first women to win a national fly casting championship that same year.Two years after his uncle died in 1909,he moved to canterbury,CT, where he began to build his rods under the name of the Hawes Rod Co. His trout rods were in a class all to themselves. The rod listed has the most delicate tips i think I have ever seen. Originally sold by Ambercromie and Fitch which is stamped on the butt cap along with the name of the rod maker H. W. Hawes co. There is another marking which i am not sure what it is. It looks like a- 6 and what looks like a backward 4. I showed this rod to Marty Keane when he was alive and he told me that this particular rod was one of the rarest Hawes rods, only eight ever made and marty had only seen one other. The hawes rod company made less than 1,000 rods during their existence. This rod is a three piece with two tips. Unfortunately one tip is short , the other three pieces are correct length and all four sections are straight.Tip tube is original but bag and rod tube are not. Reel seat is cedar with nickel silver cap and ring, n/s ferrules. Cork handle is in very good condition but has been sanded to remove soiling. Original finish on a very historic and collectable rod in any condition."
Source: eBay auction
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