Restore or develop old rods

[Blue Fisher]

Interesting what you say about the feel of cane rods. I have never had one so I could not comment and I am sure there has been many a heated discussion about their merits. I can comment about glass rods though. There are some absolutely rubbish glass rods but equally there are some delightful glass rods. I still carry and often use a Terry Eustace barbel ledger ( a notionally 1.6lb tc quivertip ) which is a fantastic rod. Often the river flow is too much to use a quivertip and I often thought it would be great to have the Terry Eustace barbel rod (not a quivertip) for slightly higher river flows. I recently spotted one for sale and was delighted to purchase it. I have used it once and had a few chub and a near 15lb carp on it however it does not suit me and I won’t use it again.
so could it be that the cane rods that were good when made have been kept, and the poor ones sent to the tip? So the majority of cane rods that you can get now are the once best rods and hence when restored feel great.
I think fibreglass rods are going this way, the ones still in use are the cherished great performers many many others have gone to the skip.
I have the feeling that it’s not so much a case of one rod type being better than another, there are great carbon rods, great fibreglass rods and from what I have heard great cane rods.
I am tempted to try a restoration of a cane rod but would not know how to do it, besides I really don’t feel I could go back to rods with metal ferrules. Many memories of trying to get them apart!

 

[Old fisher]

As I said. I mostly use my carbon rods, but when I use my canes and hook carp using cane carp rod, the feeling in the hand is what I would call soft. If you go onto YouTube and search The Carp Catcher Golden Commons you will see exactly what I am talking about.

 

[no-one in particular]

I am tempted to try a restoration of a cane rod but would not know how to do it, besides I really don’t feel I could go back to rods with metal ferrules. Many memories of trying to get them apart!

The ferrules can be a problem, I remember my dad used to rub them in his hair which he didn't have much of but it used to work. What I do is clean them out first with some tissue and white spirit then rub a bit of melted candle wax melted onto a bit of tissue on them, works well enough, I haven't had a stuck ferrule for a long time, I also spray them with black spray paint and the reel fittings and any brass extras like handle caps. , I think it looks better but I wouldnt do it to an expensive rod, traditionalists like them original but for me, I think it looks nicer. Old brass ferrules are often stained or discolored which doesn't look very nice, you can go the trouble of blueing them but I just tape and spray them and job done; I use matt paint so there is little reflection off them.

 

[Old fisher]

If you have an old rod and the fit between the male and female ferrules has become loose through wear, just rub candle wax on the male side and it will tighten up. It also pulls apart quite easily.

 

[@Clive]

A few views of my own; I see a lot of horrible old cane rods for sale by people who mistakenly think cane = high value. It doesn't. The number of good quality cane rods on sale is down to there having been less made than cheap rods and collectors keep them rather than sell them. I would buy a cheap cane rod only if the guides, ferrules and fittings were sound simply because they can be used on more expensive rods. Many makers, good and bad, used the same metal parts bought in wholesale. It was how they sourced, prepared and built the cane that made the difference.

Regards the action of cane rods; many Avons and Carp rods are very similar in action to other manufacturers because they were buying the cane from the same source and loosely using RW's specifications to build the rods. Where they do differ is whether they have been built with the compound taper like JB Walker's kit rods and the early B James rods or with a straight taper like the Chapmans, MARCO and others. The compound taper rods are a different and imo much nicer action.

My 'go to' rod for bleak to barbel used to be a Chapmans 500 until I bought a JB Walker Mk4 Avon, and that was later superceded by an Allcocks Wizard. The latter rod is perfect for my use. For general ledgering for bream & chub or mullet fishing when I don't want to risk damaging the cane rod I use a fibreglass Hardy Richard Walker Avon.

 

[Old fisher]

I have 3 J B walker (Hythe Kent) Kit rods in my collection one MK1V Carp and two MK1V SU Carp. seven B James MK1V = 1 S U Carp, 2 MK1V Avon and 4 MK1V Carp. In all cases the J B Walker rods are in my opinion, the much the better rods. I have four more rods that in my opinion equal in action to the B James MK1V Carp rods. + many other rods that I have rebuilt and after testing in fishing situations allotted as equivalent to either Avon or Carp (not MK1V) My total of cane rods is now 40. I also have 42 carbon rods for all types of fishing. I have totally rebuilt 14 split cane rods but the only top manufactured rods I have rebuilt are the J B Walker kit rods.

 

[no-one in particular]

I had a "think it was called" Palakoma Roach Rod.lovely thing, you could just tell it was perfect for roach fishing but it was badly damaged, beyond my help so I sold it. The Marco rods, had one or two, still got one somewhere, I think it is called Avon Test, looks a sort of good chub rod but not tried it. Have a couple of cane fly rods as well. I have a nice Milwoods fly rod with two top sections .
I like the play of wooden rods, softer and sweeter I find, when you think of it wood is designed to bend.

 

[@Clive]

Palakona was the trade name used by Hardy for their cane rods. The cane was sourced from India in the early days then Chinese cane, often called Tonkin after the region it was harvested from was used from around the 1920s to 30s before there was an ebargo on Chinese goods in the 70s.

MARCO rods used to have wierd names and their Test rod was not designed for trout fishing the hallowed river, but more of a heavy duty coarse fishing rod. It is often advertised for sale as The Jest because of the way the T is written on the rods. They were originally sold with two tops, one light and one heavy. They are reasonable quality and often sold cheaply.

 

[Blue Fisher]

As I said. I mostly use my carbon rods, but when I use my canes and hook carp using cane carp rod, the feeling in the hand is what I would call soft. If you go onto YouTube and search The Carp Catcher Golden Commons you will see exactly what I am talking about.

Had time to watch the you tube video you suggested today, thanks for the suggestion. The rod does look to have a very nice, as you say soft action. I think B &W managed to recreate an action quite similar with the glass fibre version I have, since the film reminded me of fights I had with carp about 30 years ago. Obviously I’m not in a position to truly make a comparison but the look is very similar. Perhaps the glass fibre rod is softer under the cork. I remember a frightening bend in the cork when I had to hold the fish from reeds.
I need to get out there and get more recent experience of it!

 

[@Clive]

A lot of cane rods had solid wood or hollow alloy under the cork to stiffen up the lower section. Glass rods tended to have the cork directly onto the blank so could be prone to the handle slightly flexing.

 

[no-one in particular]

Had time to watch the you tube video you suggested today, thanks for the suggestion. The rod does look to have a very nice, as you say soft action. I think B &W managed to recreate an action quite similar with the glass fibre version I have, since the film reminded me of fights I had with carp about 30 years ago. Obviously I’m not in a position to truly make a comparison but the look is very similar. Perhaps the glass fibre rod is softer under the cork. I remember a frightening bend in the cork when I had to hold the fish from reeds.
I need to get out there and get more recent experience of it!

Is your rod this one Bluefisher?, Richard Walker Avon 10ft fiber glass or is it carbon? looks like fibre glass, the House of Hardy written on it. I have had this for a long time but never used it, looks a good rod,

 

[Blue Fisher]

Is your rod this one Bluefisher?, Richard Walker Avon 10ft fiber glass or is it carbon? looks like fibre glass, the House of Hardy written on it. I have had this for a long time but never used it, looks a good rod, View attachment 30098View attachment 30099

No unfortunately I could not afford Hardy rods at that time. Mine is the Bruce & Walker MkIV don’t really know how I afforded that.

 

[Blue Fisher]

A lot of cane rods had solid wood or hollow alloy under the cork to stiffen up the lower section. Glass rods tended to have the cork directly onto the blank so could be prone to the handle slightly flexing.

That would explain the difference then. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

 

[no-one in particular]

No unfortunately I could not afford Hardy rods at that time. Mine is the Bruce & Walker MkIV don’t really know how I afforded that.

I wouldnt have paid a lot for this, probably in a job lot in an auction, often see bundles of rods going up with one or two good ones in there, 20-50 quid is about my limit for the whole lot; non angling auctions are the places to look, just local small auctions often enough, and I have seen these go on ebay for £40 but some a lot more, why it varies so much I don't know. Anyway, always keep an eye out for rods and reels, junk shops auctions. local magazine adverts, This rod looks well made and quite light, I should try it out one day, maybe I will now I have pulled it out and had another look at it.

 

[@Clive]

No unfortunately I could not afford Hardy rods at that time. Mine is the Bruce & Walker MkIV don’t really know how I afforded that.

I have the Hardy RW Avon and have borrowed the Bruce & Walker equivalent from a friend. I don't think there is much between them. I would be happy with either.

 

[@Clive]

I wouldnt have paid a lot for this, probably in a job lot in an auction, often see bundles of rods going up with one or two good ones in there, 20-50 quid is about my limit for the whole lot; non angling auctions are the places to look, just local small auctions often enough, and I have seen these go on ebay for £40 but some a lot more, why it varies so much I don't know. Anyway, always keep an eye out for rods and reels, junk shops auctions. local magazine adverts, This rod looks well made and quite light, I should try it out one day, maybe I will now I have pulled it out and had another look at it.

That's the best way of getting these old classic rods. You can often find bundles that include one or more desirable rods for less than you would pay for one of the desirable ones. I have a mate in Linc's who buys large job lots off ebay, estate auctions or cat boot sales. Then he splits the good stuff out and sells them at a profit. The middle quality stuff goes as small job lots on car boots and the rest either goes to charity shops or in the skip.

 

[no-one in particular]

I have the Hardy RW Avon and have borrowed the Bruce & Walker equivalent from a friend. I don't think there is much between them. I would be happy with either.

Thats nice to know, I knew it was a nice rod, just preoccupied with my wooden ones but might give it a go on the river this summer, looks good for mullet as well and never thought of that but, I will take it with me when they appear. My ilk is chub, bream, tench occasionally, roach, a bit over gunned but still OK, all up to about 4 or 5 lb, except the roach, I wish but it looks ideal. Be a change from the heavy old bamboo I am trying out but I must christen that first My only thing is as with a lot of fibre glass it looks a bit stiff lower down than I like, I do like a soft through action but, I will see how it does.

 

[@Clive]

In my view the 10 foot fibreglass Avon is perfect for mullet and stands up to the rough treatment estuary fishing puts on rods. I used to use a cane Avon, but it was too fragile. My Hardy Avon also has a screw end guide so it doubles up as a swing tip rod.