Anyone remember Boron?

When my dad passed this June, I inherited his beloved Boron Fenwick spinning rod. Today would have been his birthday (and he was born on a fishing trip) so I drive to that lake and strung up his Boron one last time before putting it up on the wall as memorabilia. It still works!!

I kind of liked the Boron, but am thinking it was replaced by graphite which is probably a lot cheaper to make. Anyone remember Rod manufacturers making Boron rods? Must be at least 35 years old…

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Ya boron had a very short run it was real brittle and the rods weren’t very durable, I’d save it for a memory and not use it

Stan

I remember boron but never fished with one.

Had one from Shakespeare a long time ago. Kind of heavy for a light weight rod. Somehow got a big long crack in it and I removed the guides and tossed it.

I too had a Shakespeare boron rod. I used it for 10-15 as my main rigging rod from the time I was 10 years old until my mid 20s. You could set a hook on anything with that baby!

FryDog62 wrote:

When my dad passed this June, I inherited his beloved Boron Fenwick spinning rod. Today would have been his birthday (and he was born on a fishing trip) so I drive to that lake and strung up his Boron one last time before putting it up on the wall as memorabilia. It still works!!

I kind of liked the Boron, but am thinking it was replaced by graphite which is probably a lot cheaper to make. Anyone remember Rod manufacturers making Boron rods? Must be at least 35 years old…

My fishing buddy has a couple of Fenwick boron rods. They were Fenwick’s TOP of the line in the 80’s. They were more expensive and REAL boron rods from back then (not the cheapies that had boron dust mixed in the blank’s resin) are still good rods even by today’s standards.

I have a Boron fly rod and LOVE it. I’ve heard they break pretty easy, maybe I’m just lucky.

It’s been my favorite go to 6 weight since the FW bought it for me for my birthday in 1985. Well, she gave me the money.

If I recall, graphite was out already. I remember trying to find the difference between boron and graphite. Obviously Boron was discontinued.

Yup, graphite was out already

Know nothing of the rod, but hell of a way to retire it! Very cool went to the lake that started it in a way, its the little things in life that make stuff special.

Oh yes very cool material. Winston I still believe uses a blend of it in fly rods. Very stiff per weight.

nhamm wrote:

Know nothing of the rod, but hell of a way to retire it! Very cool went to the lake that started it in a way, its the little things in life that make stuff special.

X2!

I still have a boron spinning rod from Bass Pro. Haven’t used it in years. Caught a lot of walleye vertical jigging with 8 lb. test mono. Think it’s a medium heavy.

I have one that looks just like your picture. Brown colored Fenwick. I don’t use it a lot but I did use it earlier this year.

My memory, among many, of the Boron’s was while anchored in a lightening storm on Anderson’s Reef back in the mid ’80’s–on Lake Mille Lacs. We were in a tourney and needed one more to limit out so we stayed out in the threatening weather. The line coming out of the tip of rods to the bobbers was floating high in the electrified air. Our hair was being pulled through the vents on our hats. But we fished on…after all–“winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing!” LOL

Then my partner’s bobber sunk….he set the hook straight up. And the old Boron rod flew the length of the boat out of his hands and landed in front of me. I knew he had gotten shocked but also knew if I held the rod horizontally, all would be good—and besides–the fish was still on it and we NEEDED that! So–after netting the fish and checking his underwear, he realized there was hole melted in the front of his rain jacket…most likely from the butt end of his rod in the process of setting the hook.

Yep…. had a lot of those Boron rods. Liked them all back then…

Remember being in high school and saving to buy two blue boron Billy Westmoreland tournament special smallmouth bass spinning rods. They were short and a little stout compared to today’s standards but there great rods at the time. Never broke or had any issues. Think I gave them away to some kids a few years back. I remember them fondly.

Dave

This one is a 6′-6″ but almost an ultra-light or at least a light by today’s standards. My dad always liked it because of the play in the tip but it also had some backbone. He’d go high on a hook set and the rod would look like the letter “C” and a big grin on his face

I had a maroon boron rod from mid 80’s. Loved that rod. Had it stolen from my vehicle right outside my apartment summer of 97. I had gone fishing that day and was going to get up early to go again on Sunday. Somebody broke into my car and took the rod and a couple cassette tapes. Left my tacklebox (thankfully) alone.

Were they Foghat cassette tapes?

WTH! I thought the title said BACON. I’m out.

Lol, I just went to bifocals too

Those rods ring a bell, popular during the 80’s. About the same time when 5ft 6in Pistol grip casting rods were still in style! Never had a Boron rod though. Many Pistol grip rods though. Nice that you could make one more trip with it!

I still.have a 5 1/2 foot pistol grip boron Rod. I only use it for Jerkbaits and it has served me well.

If you have a photo of the Boron pistol would be great… was it a Fenwick?

Our beloved Rivereyes had a boron rod. Said he hadn’t found a graphite that equaled it. However, the problem was cost so graphite won out. I’m guessing his son has it now but I don’t remember the make or model of his boron rod. I want to say it resembled the Mitchell Fulcrum Pro Series but yet, seems like it may have been a Shimano. I just can’t remember but he gave me the whole story of boron and how he’d hang on to his until the day he died…… and he did!

Boran still being used in some upscale fly rods to date. RL Winston in twin bridges mt is using some form of it

stillakid2 wrote:

I just can’t remember but he gave me the whole story of boron and how he’d hang on to his until the day he died……

I remember hearing that story quite a few times! He was dang proud of that rod. I was thinking it was an old St Croix, but its so long now.

RIP Rivereyes….

-J.

I bought my Fenwick Boron X 81/2′ 5-6wt fly rod in 1983, and immediately fell in love with it. It has been my go-to rod for 38 years. Countless trout, Steelhead in the Clearwater, bank fishing for Coho off Guemes Island, (What a kick!). I’ve yet to find a comparable rod. In 1985 I was browsing through a fly shop in Tacoma and came upon a tall garbage can nearly full of Fenwick BoronX blanks, 3-4 wt to 7-8 wt. Clearance sale!! I think I paid $300 for a dozen blanks. The shop owner advised that the cost to manufacture boron rods was prohibitivly expensive. . Fenwick just couldn’t compete with the new graphite rods. Over the years I’ve made seven rods as gifts to friends, They are all still in use. . So much for the brittleness and durability theory. They are classics.

That’s awesome!

Alan, my 6 weight retailed for $300. I was beside myself with joy when the fly shop in Appleton WI sold me my rod, SA reel, DT line and a few tippets for just under $300.00.

I’ve had the guides rewrapped and just love it for upper Midwest trout and panfish.

Ps broke the tips off of two way too expensive Sage rods while bone fishing on Christmas Island. Warranty covered them but I’ll stick with my Fenwick Boron rod.

Great memories guys – Thx