Arthur Bale’s On The Move

Nothing particularly newsworthy in a tackle shop moving you might think, untilperhaps you look at the long history of this family-run business. As ithad occupied it’s previous shop in Frederick Street since 1906, youwill definitely find far more than is at first apparent.

The way the business started is in itself a fascinating story.Just before the end of the 19th century the young Arthur Bale was apromising rugby player and in 1898 was invited for a trial at thefamous Cardiff Rugby Club. It was during this club trial that fatedealt a mighty blow to Arthur that changed the course of his life andeffectively created his business.

He broke his neck.

Following the accident Arthur Bale was confined to his bed for thenext three years. Then, having always been a keen fisherman himselfand having no other means of securing an income, the severelydisabled Arthur started tying flies and building Greenhart fly rodsfor the local anglers. As time went on Arthur’s reputation as a rodbuilder grew and anglers would come from further afield to buy rodsand flies from him in order to fish for the trout, sea trout andsalmon in the Welsh rivers such as the Taff, the Usk and the Wye.

One day fortune brought a Harley Street specialist to Arthur tobuy some flies. He enquired of Arthur’s problem and decided to tryand help. The specialist devised a harness that enabled Arthur tostand again and in doing so gave him the opportunity to apply himselfproperly to the business and help it take off.

Arthur was at this point still operating out of his family house,keeping various types of fowl in his garden who’s feathers wereturned into magnificent flies. His rod building materials wereobtained from the Cardiff docks timber yard who would split damagedGreenhart mooring baulks and deliver them to him to turn in tofishing rods of all types.

By 1906, the business needed proper premises and Arthur purchasedthe lease of the Frederick Street shop in Cardiff city centre. Inthose days it was a shop in a road that was otherwise mostly smallterraced houses. Indeed, the shop itself was a converted house, notpurpose built.

Here Arthur Bale stayed until his death, expanding the business tosupply all his customers angling needs and also to sell sportingguns. The old photo shows the shop frontage in 1936. A simple glasswindow with no other protection or security, behind which sits a rowof unsecured shotguns. In those days it was unthinkable to believethat anyone would break the glass and steal the guns. Sadly notsomething you could dream of doing today.

The business survived through the first world war, the 1930’sdepression with the ensuing riots that took place in the city and ofcourse the bombs of the second world war that were aimed at the cityindustry and docklands. Sadly Arthur did not see out the secondworld war years as he died in 1942. But the business continued on,with the shop being run by his widow while his three sons wereserving in the army and air force. Not that there was a lot ofbusiness going on then due to a shortage of both stock andcustomers.

After the war the sons returned and each played a part in the shopat some time, but it was Eric that took the business on seriouslyand, although now in his eighties, he still works in the shoptoday.

Eric has seen many changes take place in the city of Cardiff andthe Frederick Street shop has survived until now like a relic of abygone age, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the modern city. Gone are the old terraced houses in Frederick street, replaced andbuilt over with the ultra modern St.David’s shopping centre. Wherehorse and cart used to pass by outside the shop, and later a taxirank stood, now there is a pedestrian precinct and no longer dovehicles of any description drive past. The shop is dwarfed by andsandwiched between a Boots the Chemist and a BHS departmentstore.

Now though the shop is run by Eric’s son, Martin. Graduating fromuniversity in 1975 Martin came into the business and has continued inhis grandfather’s and father’s footsteps as the shops proprietor. Martin decided that the time had finally come to give up their citycentre place and the Frederick Street shop will become a bakers storein the next few weeks. The shops lease was due to expire in lessthan four years so something had to be done anyway. Plus the openingof the new Millennium Stadium just down the road had badly affectedweekend trade with the stadium holding a major event of some kindalmost every weekend, putting off customers who might otherwise havecome into the town. And in any case the centre of a modern city is nolonger the place for a small tackle dealer.

But Arthur Bale and Son have not closed their doors. New premiseshave been purchased, freehold this time, and now with a two storypurpose built shop with access to local parking, Martin has plans toexpand and build the business. He can take advantage of theadditional space to provide a wider range of products for allspecialities, whether game, sea or coarse and he will also be able tokeep properly a wider selection of baits, especially live baits suchas maggots that it was difficult to do even adequately in theFrederick Street premises.

And of course the rod building tradition of Arthur Bale will stillcontinue. Only today Arthur Bale and Sons will build you modern HighModulus Low Resin, Parallel Butt fly rod rather than a splitGreenheart rod of Arthur’s time. In the window of the shop you cansee the contrast between the two. An old Greenheart rod that Arthurbuilt in around 1900 for a Mr A.J.Irvine, the first customer to spendmoney in the Frederick Street shop in 1906, sits proudly alongsideits modern day counterpart. And next to it in a case is displayed ahandsome Brown Trout, caught on the rod by the said Mr Irvine from alocal water.

So, nearly a century of history comes to an end in Frederickstreet, and more than a century when taking account of Arthur Bale’shumble but astonishing beginnings. Though, in contrast to manytackle dealers of today who are facing financial hardship, the ArthurBale story will continue, at least for a while yet, in their newpremises at 166 Richmond Road, Roath, Cardiff. And who knows, theycould still be around in another hundred years.

For anyone interested in purchasing a hand built rod or any othertackle item from Arthur Bale and Sons, Martin and the shop staff willbe pleased to help you. Call them on 02920 499889 or 02920 499898and become a small part of the continuing Arthur Bale and Sonsstory.