Split cane rod

[Paul Bullinger]

So pleased my original post has fired off so many memories of those days when split cane rods were commonplace. My B. James rod looks to be in very good condition, no delamination visible and whippings/rings in good order, so may have to give it a go before the end of the season.
My first "proper" rod was a bamboo and greenheart rod made by an uncle of mine when I was about 9 years old. He used to work for a timber merchants in Norwich and knew his stuff. He fished the Broads and the North Sea regularly and knew how to build rods. Sadly after countless house moves that first rod of mine has gone, so looking forward to using the Mk IV Richard Walker one.

 

[Robin Cook]

Hi Paul, your comments got my juices flowing to sort out my old MK1V with broken tip. Your comments about your first rod strikes a cord as well. As a schoolboy my local tackle shop in Islington, London (It was just behind the Saddlers Wells Ballet theatre) sold me with hard earned pocket money a 9' Bamboo bottom/Greenheart top section rod that did everything until I snapped the top section. He kindly spliced a split cane piece back on top of the greenheart at no charge for me & I was away fishing again. That rod spent it's life tied to the crossbar of my bicycle. My tackle bag was an old ex-army rucksack strapped to my back. My seat was the little folding X with a bit of cloth to sit on. I used that rod for everything from bleak on the Lea to Pike fishing with live baits. We had old centre pins made from silver tin & when you wound them especial with the clicker on what a tinny row. I later saved to an Intrepid ??? fixed spool. Our keeps nets were either 3' or 5' long & nylon was the in thing. It was Bread/worms/maggots. Working men sometimes used boiled hemp. I remember one evening watching an angler catch good gower Roach we called them over 8" on a piece of bicycle valve rubber while baiting up with hempseed. That was at Finsbury Park lake in North London. I can remember a big change at about 14/15 when my uncle lent my Dad two 12' rods. One of cane bottom/split cane top & the other was a old Tank aerial with eyes whipped on. My dad had a week off work & we traveled by train to Walton-on-Thames & Shepperton both on the river. He would stop off in the town buy a fresh loaf some butter & cheese. If a bakery some buns or cakes. What feasts we had. I never realised what a nature man my farther was until then. Swans I was scared of he just walked up to when on the towpath & feed them a piece off the loaf. Coming back uo a country lane he stopped & pulled down a branch from a Conker tree. Look her son, this is a Tits nest wedged in the folk of a branch. He put his finger in the side hold & brought our an egg . Carefully returned it all with any disturbance. I little further he showed me a Wrens nest in a tree stump. It was a week that changed my life. happy memories. Cheers Robin.

 

[Robin Cook]

Thanks David, Your pal must have been devastated at his fall. I know I would. They are a thing of beauty just to look at let alone all the enjoyment they bring. I meant to add I lost my little stopper for the butt joint which was upsetting. Even that had style & would love to get one if they can be got. I'd so dearly love to get mine back to former glory so if anyone has a top section to sell I could be your man. I'm not ready to give up yet I wanted to have it repaired 25+ years ago but went to live in Ireland so it got put on the back burner. If a secondhand replacement cannot be found then I need someone who could do a good new copy as I have most of the fittings for it off the old broken pieces. Time is not being kind to me lately so I need to be getting on with it. Any help out there would be most welcome.
David do's your friend with the broken rod want to sell the top joint eye & the stopper?
Many thanks to you all, Robin.

 

[Paul Bullinger]

Hi Paul, your comments got my juices flowing to sort out my old MK1V with broken tip. Your comments about your first rod strikes a cord as well. As a schoolboy my local tackle shop in Islington, London (It was just behind the Saddlers Wells Ballet theatre) sold me with hard earned pocket money a 9' Bamboo bottom/Greenheart top section rod that did everything until I snapped the top section. He kindly spliced a split cane piece back on top of the greenheart at no charge for me & I was away fishing again. That rod spent it's life tied to the crossbar of my bicycle. My tackle bag was an old ex-army rucksack strapped to my back. My seat was the little folding X with a bit of cloth to sit on. I used that rod for everything from bleak on the Lea to Pike fishing with live baits. We had old centre pins made from silver tin & when you wound them especial with the clicker on what a tinny row. I later saved to an Intrepid ??? fixed spool. Our keeps nets were either 3' or 5' long & nylon was the in thing. It was Bread/worms/maggots. Working men sometimes used boiled hemp. I remember one evening watching an angler catch good gower Roach we called them over 8" on a piece of bicycle valve rubber while baiting up with hempseed. That was at Finsbury Park lake in North London. I can remember a big change at about 14/15 when my uncle lent my Dad two 12' rods. One of cane bottom/split cane top & the other was a old Tank aerial with eyes whipped on. My dad had a week off work & we traveled by train to Walton-on-Thames & Shepperton both on the river. He would stop off in the town buy a fresh loaf some butter & cheese. If a bakery some buns or cakes. What feasts we had. I never realised what a nature man my farther was until then. Swans I was scared of he just walked up to when on the towpath & feed them a piece off the loaf. Coming back uo a country lane he stopped & pulled down a branch from a Conker tree. Look her son, this is a Tits nest wedged in the folk of a branch. He put his finger in the side hold & brought our an egg . Carefully returned it all with any disturbance. I little further he showed me a Wrens nest in a tree stump. It was a week that changed my life. happy memories. Cheers Robin.

Hi Robin. What a lovely post and great memories. I've fished all my life but despite this I don't call myself a talented angler. To me, my fishing days are split between fishing and observing nature. I have had many adventures and some years ago, purely for amusement, I started to jot them down. Long story short they are now going to be published!!! Watch this space

 

[David Craine]

Thanks David, Your pal must have been devastated at his fall. I know I would. They are a thing of beauty just to look at let alone all the enjoyment they bring. I meant to add I lost my little stopper for the butt joint which was upsetting. Even that had style & would love to get one if they can be got. I'd so dearly love to get mine back to former glory so if anyone has a top section to sell I could be your man. I'm not ready to give up yet I wanted to have it repaired 25+ years ago but went to live in Ireland so it got put on the back burner. If a secondhand replacement cannot be found then I need someone who could do a good new copy as I have most of the fittings for it off the old broken pieces. Time is not being kind to me lately so I need to be getting on with it. Any help out there would be most welcome.
David do's your friend with the broken rod want to sell the top joint eye & the stopper?
Many thanks to you all, Robin.

Robin, the rod was broken down into useable pieces, I made several vintage style split cane disgorgers, the butt was salvaged and I repaired another rod with it, the rings have been used, in fact there is nothing left of it, I fancy the ferrule plug was used for another Mk 1V .

So far as having a replacement tip made is concerned, maybe Mike knows somebody, I can ask around the vintage tackle forum and try to find somebody who can do the job as well, a word of warning, it probably will be quite costly, maybe as much as much as finding a “dooer upper“ Mk 1V .

David

 

[Bill Walford]

What a great thread, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading David and Mike’s reply’s. I envy you chaps your skills. I’ve never owned or used split cane rods, I’m a heavy handed cuss and would always be frightened of putting a set in one. Like Steve I started my fishing in the 60’s and one of my first rods was a three piece rod with whole cane bottom and middle with the tip section being solid fibre glass, that’s as near as I’ve been to cane. A friend from school days and I used to float fish for carp (up to 14lb or so) back in the the 70’s and he acquired a Davenport & Fordham split cane Avon which he wanted to catch a carp on, he caught a couple of low doubles on it one afternoon and it went back in it’s bag and I don’t think it’s been out since! The lasting memory I have was the “alarming “ curve the rod took up when playing a fish and the utter satisfaction that Clive had in catching on the rod.

Robin, Tackle Shop in Bexley. Would that have been Norman Toye at the clock tower in Bexleyheath ? I used to haunt them as a kid drooling over the rods and reels.

I said it was nearest I’d been to cane! Not strictly true, got the cane three times when at school but that’s another story Lost count of the slipperings but cane only thrice!

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Thanks David, Your pal must have been devastated at his fall. I know I would. They are a thing of beauty just to look at let alone all the enjoyment they bring. I meant to add I lost my little stopper for the butt joint which was upsetting. Even that had style & would love to get one if they can be got. I'd so dearly love to get mine back to former glory so if anyone has a top section to sell I could be your man. I'm not ready to give up yet I wanted to have it repaired 25+ years ago but went to live in Ireland so it got put on the back burner. If a secondhand replacement cannot be found then I need someone who could do a good new copy as I have most of the fittings for it off the old broken pieces. Time is not being kind to me lately so I need to be getting on with it. Any help out there would be most welcome.
David do's your friend with the broken rod want to sell the top joint eye & the stopper?
Many thanks to you all, Robin.

Robin , as David has commented ,your rod is beyond repair , you could splint it but you would be sorely disappointed with the results , trust me . I would suggest you google split cane rod makers , there are a few around , chap called Ryan Burns springs to mind , he has a good reputation . They may be able to make you a replacement top section to the original James taper BUT it would be costly , almost certainly more expensive than buying a good second hand replacement ,once you factor in the cost of the re whipping and new ferrules ,doing all those intermediate whippings is time consuming , I have done a few myself . I can keep my eyes open for a decent 2nd hand B James MK1V that perhaps just needs a refurb if you wish ?