Rare Wright & McGill Granger Deluxe Model 8642 - 8'6 3/2 #1100 for a 5wt line . The rod is totally original. All sections are straight. Original bag and tube with tube label in near perfect condition.
History and value of rods by Wright & McGill
Shortly after World War II, the Wright & McGill Co. of Denver, Colorado, acquired the Goodwin Granger Co. Wright & McGill had been in the tackle business since the 1920's, but had never produced rods. The Wright & McGill Company was formed in 1946, and rehired many former Granger employees as well as many new employees to meet the post-war demand. The first year, there were no changes in the rod themselves. All Granger rods built by Wright & McGill Rod Co. were clearly marked and were referred to as Wright & McGill Granger Rods, bit Wright & McGill Rods. From the very beginning of the rod company, the patented internal uplock reel seat used on all rods was stamped Wright & McGill Rod Co. and the Wright & McGill name was applied to the rod shaft two flats above the Granger Model name.
Production of Wright & McGill bamboo rods eventually reached between two and three times the number of rods produced annually by the Granger Co. In1947 W&M began to make changes. The Champion model was dropped and replaced by the Stream and Lake. Other changes by W&M were simply cosmetic, but can be used to help tell the earlier rods from the later ones. At some point, probably about 1951, the rod shaft marking were changed. The direction of the lettering was reversed so that it read toward the grip, rather than away from the grip. Also, the rubber stamp was changed to a heavier and larger script which made the marking much easier to read.
The only major addition by the Wright & McGill Co. came in 1952 with introduction of the impregnated series of Water Seal rods. The company called the impregnated bamboo for these rods Densified Cane. This was the only bamboo rod model marketed by Wright & McGill Rod that was not called a Granger rod. Water Seal rods were produced in two grades, the F.A. and the less expensive F.B..1952 was the last year bamboo rod blanks were produced by the Wright & McGill Rod Co. There were still bamboo rods cataloged in 1953 on a limited basis, and bamboo rods were available in 1954 in limited lengths and weights, by special order only. Water Seal rods were available for several more years, in fact, as late as 1960.
