End of a rod era for me

I've been feeling weird about having so many unused rods lying around, so I've been thinning the herd, or culling, as the bass anglers would say:roll:

I no longer go on a float or a full day walk in with say a 9 weight, and backup 9 weight. This winter I was more likely to bring my Skagit specialist for the heavy lifting, and then instead of a backup, I would bring a lighter rod, like a solstice, for in close work. The in close work will now be handled with my 7/8 switch which in a few short months has worked itself into the lineup.

Anyway, along with a few other rods I'm thinking of getting rid of, I sold my original brownie 7136-4 today. Very weird feeling. It wasn't my first spey, in fact it was my third, all sages, but it was the one that got the most work over a 7 year period that ended about 3 years ago. A mainstay for me on my California rivers, and in 2000 to 2003 the most used rod on my home rivers here in Washington too. Looking through my logs it'll be a number of years before the catch total for the 7136 and tibor riptide combo is surpassed by any other setup. So many catches with "7136 TR" listed next to them...

I don't know why I feel the need to share this, other than that there were so many memories in that stick, and that it closes the door on the first phase of my spey life, when there were 3 or 4 line choices, all of them one color. Any way, as I said, end of an era. Pour some out of that 40 ouncer for the sticks that ain't here no mo' boooooyeeee!