Thomas Turner
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We didn’t really know what to expect for our first valuation day at Rod & Tackle in Cramlington but it certainly delivered the goods! Dave Hogg who runs Rod & Tackle with Grant Harris kindly collected us from the hotel. As we drove the few miles to Rod & Tackle I couldn’t help thinking if we had perhaps planned the event too early in the year. It was cold and the wind was biting. Who would want to come and see us on a Wednesday morning in Cramlington? My fears were put aside when at 9:30 the doors opened and within a few minutes we had a steady queue of people lined up! We bought well throughout the day including Sage rods, Thomas & Thomas rods, Perfects both narrow and wide drum, Eurekas and the normal run of ready to fish Marquis plus a couple nice Hardy Duchess reels.
We had a lovely visit from Ken Middlemist, the last Hardy Salmon fly dresser. What a lovely chap he is and was more than happy to sit down and chat to us (as well as buying a few nice bits from him!) Ken started working for Hardys as an apprentice in 1959. Ken is a man of many talents and from talking to him it would have been easier to list the jobs he hasn’t done than the things he has tried!
Ken brought in some fantastic, framed flies, one dating back to 1924, with its original Hardy pattern written on the back of an envelope. He also showed us one of his remaining Commemorative salmon fly sets he created with Hardy, beautiful flies in a lovely set.
Ken worked hard to keep the Hardy name in the frame as an innovator, a company that continuously pushed its boundaries of performance while at the same time paying homage to the tradition that drives the company and has seen it through its long-continued existence. Full of knowledge and a genuine down to earth guy – More about Ken will be coming soon in a special blog.
Whilst I was busy with a customer, I could hear amongst the others some excitement brewing, a gentleman was patiently waiting for me to see him, but Grant and Dave had been viewing the goods first, and were smiling away. I finally made my way over to him and enquired with some anticipation what was in the bags. He started to produce one fine Hardy reel in its original leather case after another. Unused, unfished examples! Brass face Perfects, a dozen Silex’s, some cracking Dingley’s some of which with regard to the internal check mechanisms I haven’t seen before. All in their original leather cases. Clearly this gentleman knew what quality was and boy was there some quality in this super fine collection! Watch this space for updates!
4pm came and went and due to the fact we had to leave for the airport we called it a day. But what a day, some superb buys for TT, a chance to meet some really great people and of course a big thank you to Dave Hogg and Grant Harris for having us. We are sure to be back and aiming for September. Watch this space!
The post Successful day at Rod & Tackle! appeared first on Thomas Turner Fishing Antiques.
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We had a lovely visit from Ken Middlemist, the last Hardy Salmon fly dresser. What a lovely chap he is and was more than happy to sit down and chat to us (as well as buying a few nice bits from him!) Ken started working for Hardys as an apprentice in 1959. Ken is a man of many talents and from talking to him it would have been easier to list the jobs he hasn’t done than the things he has tried!
Ken brought in some fantastic, framed flies, one dating back to 1924, with its original Hardy pattern written on the back of an envelope. He also showed us one of his remaining Commemorative salmon fly sets he created with Hardy, beautiful flies in a lovely set.
Ken worked hard to keep the Hardy name in the frame as an innovator, a company that continuously pushed its boundaries of performance while at the same time paying homage to the tradition that drives the company and has seen it through its long-continued existence. Full of knowledge and a genuine down to earth guy – More about Ken will be coming soon in a special blog.
Whilst I was busy with a customer, I could hear amongst the others some excitement brewing, a gentleman was patiently waiting for me to see him, but Grant and Dave had been viewing the goods first, and were smiling away. I finally made my way over to him and enquired with some anticipation what was in the bags. He started to produce one fine Hardy reel in its original leather case after another. Unused, unfished examples! Brass face Perfects, a dozen Silex’s, some cracking Dingley’s some of which with regard to the internal check mechanisms I haven’t seen before. All in their original leather cases. Clearly this gentleman knew what quality was and boy was there some quality in this super fine collection! Watch this space for updates!
4pm came and went and due to the fact we had to leave for the airport we called it a day. But what a day, some superb buys for TT, a chance to meet some really great people and of course a big thank you to Dave Hogg and Grant Harris for having us. We are sure to be back and aiming for September. Watch this space!
The post Successful day at Rod & Tackle! appeared first on Thomas Turner Fishing Antiques.
Continue reading...