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split cane rods





For information, I've just taken the bottom photo on my phone which accounts for the rather dark appearance compared to the top one.

The jasper whipping may be a clue as I can't find an image of a rod where the orientation of the label is the same as here.
 
Anthony, that black and yellow jasper was used on a lot of Modern Arms (Marco) rods but the label doesn't look quite right for them. How long is the rod?
 
Looking at the fittings I would say that your rod is likely to be a Marco Test but could be an Arun however it's clearly missing the little laughing fisherman in his trilby hat which was there logo . Marco made good quality rods and in my opinion are under rated , the' Tests' in all there lengths are well up to dealing with a barbel . It could also be a black Seal . It is difficult to be absolutely definitive with many cane rods as often different manufacturers used generic fittings e.g. collars,butt caps and reel fittings
 
Anthony Pearson said:
Sorry, Mike. I meant that the label was gold.....'ish in colour. Not goldfish!:)

I've already spoken to Chas, but thanks for the offer.
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Sorry Anthony , me not reading things properly . No worries re the rod don't want to be treading on good old Chas's toes :) If in the future you are looking for a refurbished cane rod be it for Barbel or anything else let me know I have various rods available
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Marco made good quality rods and in my opinion are under rated , the' Tests' in all there lengths are well up to dealing with a barbel .
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Mike, Yes, I agree. Marco did make some very decent rods. I have a 12 foot Arun and and that would make a cracking barbel rod, as it has some serious backbone, for a twelve footer. I doubt Anthony's rod is an Arun though. Every one I've ever seen has a rather distinctive whipping pattern of two intermediates close together, just outside the guide whips and usually ingarnet, rather than jasper. Here's a few photos of mine -

http://www.traditionalfisherman.com/viewtopic.php?f=310&t=5434

A Test, however, that is exactly what I had in mind. But that label is totally wrong.

Anthony, another maker that used that black and yellow Jasper a lot was Precision. Yours is not one of their rods, which more's the pity, as that would have been a real lucky find. Top, top maker, them.

I suspect someone on TF might be able to tell you a likely maker. I've jogged my memory by having a look through a load of pictures I have on my PC of labels I've photographed and also elsewhere on various sites but that label is not quite like any of the normal, well-known makers marks. Not at least that I can see. There is a possibility that it could be a retailer's label, rather than a manufacturers.
 
Mike and Haydn, thanks for putting in the time to try and identify my rod. Whatever it turns out to be, it felt more than up to the job and had a really smooth action, which surprised me! The cane aficionados out there will know exactly what I mean and whilst I'm sure some of the sticks out there deserve their place in the vegetable patch, this one doesn't. I look forward to landing a double on it this autumn!
 
Haydn, I think you are spot-on regarding the label. I've trawled through pages of google images of cane rods and found nothing remotely similar.


Whilst looking on the link Haydn shared, I came across this link on the TF site and it's a good read for anyone interested in the history of cane rods/floats/reels etc.in this country:

https://nobbystackle.wordpress.com/
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
Looking at the fittings I would say that your rod is likely to be a Marco Test but could be an Arun however it's clearly missing the little laughing fisherman in his trilby hat which was there logo . Marco made good quality rods and in my opinion are under rated , the' Tests' in all there lengths are well up to dealing with a barbel . It could also be a black Seal . It is difficult to be absolutely definitive with many cane rods as often different manufacturers used generic fittings e.g. collars,butt caps and reel fittings
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Isn't that little laughing man the same chap that used to be on the front of the Stylcast fishing line spools ?
 
Howard Cooke said:
Yes I had to wait 2 years for the Barder but it was worth it. When I lived in Newbury I worked out that he was based a mile from my house so I made the expensive mistake of popping in to see him. He operates from a very unassuming building that is something between a shed and a barn that he rents from an old school friends parents. He had a couple of completed rods that I could view and I looked at these and then across to the pile of bamboo. Quite astonishing. Having zero skill in anything remotely practical, I could only marvel at the craftsmanship. But at the same time worry that the art is dying. Edward has someone that works with him but I couldn't readily see how his skills etc. might be passed down or indeed across. He might be at the peak of his powers and I just felt I wanted to own and cherish a piece of angling craftsmanship. Its the same with my Witcher pins but they do see considerably greater use.

The Barder is a "Chris Yates Barbus Maximus SU". We opted for a slightly beefier version of the MK11.
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Whilst a tad sceptical about the modern day merits of cane rods, I can fully appreciate why you splashed out on such a fine piece of workmanship, actually I would go further and liken that craftsmanship to art, such is the skill that goes into making such a rod.
I am of an age that when I started fishing it was very much cane and then glass, we didn't think twice about 'abusing'our Built Cane Tonkin or even our Split Cane rods. But if I was ever so lucky enough to own a Barder I don't think it would ever see the bank, so good on you Howard for actually using the rod, and what better a river than the Wye to do so? :)
 
Neil Smart said:
Whilst a tad sceptical about the modern day merits of cane rods, I can fully appreciate why you splashed out on such a fine piece of workmanship, actually I would go further and liken that craftsmanship to art, such is the skill that goes into making such a rod.
I am of an age that when I started fishing it was very much cane and then glass, we didn't think twice about 'abusing'our Built Cane Tonkin or even our Split Cane rods. But if I was ever so lucky enough to own a Barder I don't think it would ever see the bank, so good on you Howard for actually using the rod, and what better a river than the Wye to do so? :)
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I used it on the Wye last season-bouncing meat through a lovely glide, where not much weight was required. This meant touch ledgering- not something I would want to spend hours doing with the rod as its a tad heavy! Think I had 4 fish up to 8lb and it was great fun I must say.

The rods aren't cheap but as I had 2 years to wait, a rationalised that if I could put £75 a month aside then it wouldn't seem so bad. The other point is that if I look after it, the rod shouldn't lose value and could even appreciate over time.
 
Kudos to you guys who use them.

Growing up with A Passion For Angling and Yatesy being one of my fishing heroes, one of the first things I wanted to do was use a split cane rod but, in the days before eBay, the only ones easily available were from the back pages of the angling mags - yer Barders and the like. Which is too dear a hobby for an 11/12 year old.

Fortunately, my fishing buddy's dad had some old cane rods that he'd not used since carbon came in (having not got on well with glass rods) and, rather incredulously, let me borrow a couple of different ones to try out.

Let's just say they are an "acquired taste" and very much marmite rods. I absolutely hated using them - heavy, floppy and quite awkward in use. My own opinion is that, unlike centrepins which actually have benefits over fixed spool reels in certain circumstances, cane rods don't have anything going for them other than aesthetics when compared with even budget modern carbon rods.

BUT plenty of people love them, still use them, and won't use anything else, as this thread proves.


(When I gave them back to my mate's dad, he basically said "told you!".)
 
Steve , as with carbon or glass rods, with cane there are good rods and poor ones , sounds like yours were the latter . In my opinion the significant disadvantage cane rods have against them is their weight in the hand ,and perhaps when used as carp rods there inability to cast a couple of nautical miles.:D
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
with cane there are good rods and poor ones , sounds like yours were the latter .
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Hardys and B James. There was a Richard Walker float rod in there. My mate's still got them, although they are securely wrapped up and stored in the garage as mementos.

I just didn't get on with them at all, having already been using half decent carbon rods for quite a while at that point.
 
Hmm , cane Richard Walker float rod, sounds very interesting . Anyway each to there own . The manufacturers you mention were pretty high end makers and didn't knock out many duff rods . If your pal ever wants to sell point him in my direction :D
 
My mate's still got them, although they are securely wrapped up and stored in the garage as mementos.
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I hope that the rods in question are in a dry garage and not leaning against a wall... :(

P.S. Mike can have the Richard Walker float rod and I'll have the B. James one! :)
 
Anthony Pearson said:
I hope that the rods in question are in a dry garage and not leaning against a wall... :(
:)
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Oh, don't worry - although in used (and very definitely NOT showroom) condition, they're in a pretty good state and, for the most part, with original fixings and fittings intact. They're bagged up in secure tubes and kept in wall-mounted horizontal racks. They're not being sold, either - kept as sentimentally valuable heirlooms (I doubt they'd fetch optimum price if sold, given their condition).
 
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