Split Cane rods

[Stephen Crowhurst]

It was intended as a sea fishing rod - and the name Allcocks Climax usually produces a chortle or two amongst those with salacious minds...

I’d found that before but it’s of pretty slight proportions for a sea rod, I certainly wouldn’t want to throw 3 or 4oz leads on it.

 

[David Rogers]

I’d found that before but it’s of pretty slight proportions for a sea rod, I certainly wouldn’t want to throw 3 or 4oz leads on it.

I think more of a boat or pier rod, so certainly not designed for casting very far!

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

I think more of a boat or pier rod, so certainly not designed for casting very far!

Pier rod I can see.

 

[Clive Kenyon]

Jeez! Sounds like you could pull a donkey out of a carrot field with that thing Clive.
I have a Hardy LRH 3, another ten footer, and I thought that was a broom handle, compared to most of my other rods, but that Marco sounds even more broom-handle like.

I know the Hardy LRH was originally marketed as salmon spinning rod so I’m guessing the same for the Monarch?

Today I've been barbel fishing with a rod I had delivered yesterday that will be similar to the LRH3. It is a French made salmon spinning rod from 1944, 2 piece, approx 3lb tc and 9' 6". It threw large cage feeders with 50g of lead in them with no drama at all. I couldn't do that with a Mk. IV Carp rod. And there was some feel to it. Not poker like at all. I can see it being my 'to go' feeder rod for the Charente where the overhanging foliage dictates the need for shorter rods. It will do as a pike rod too.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Sounds a belter Clive . Just finishing restoring a Hardy 10ft spinning rod which make excellent Barbel rods

 

[Joe Winstanley]

Joe - I had one made by this chap around 10 years ago. An eleven foot three piece (á la Chapmans 500) barbel rod, which is very nice. Depending on your budget he may have something you like. Other than that, Mike's offer looks like a great option.

I also owned a B James & Sons MkIV carp rod, but the handle was a little long.

https://ryanburnsrodrestorations.webs.com/

Sorry Rich I missed this post.

Mike Hodgkiss sorted me out with a lovely Edgar Sealey Float Caster deluxe which he had beautifully restored, and for a fair price.

It has only had two outings, for nostalgic reasons i wanted to christen it with a wildie from a pond I fished a lot in my younger days, but I blanked on both sessions. I'm hesitant to use it on my tench waters as the risk of an accidental big carp is high and could be problematic, so I've had it mind to investigate getting something a bit more powerful perhaps.

The floatcaster will be used for chubbing later this season, currently it is paired with an early Fred Crouch replica which seems a good match.

 

[Clive Kenyon]

That is a good strategy. Get the feel of the rod first and then when confident in its abilities progress to bigger things.

 

[Clive Kenyon]

Sounds a belter Clive . Just finishing restoring a Hardy 10ft spinning rod which make excellent Barbel rods

I received the reel to pair up with the rod today. 1948 SAP 701 from the same town that Mitchells were made, but light years ahead of them.

 

[Haydn Clarke]

Imagine if you found one at the car booty.

Milward's CraftVersa Split Cane Fishing Rod in Excellent Condition | eBay

No rot to bag, if you know this rod you know how rare it.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Richard Parsons]

I dusted off my cane rod and gave it an outing on the Upper Trent. I blanked, sadly.

 

[Haydn Clarke]

Eleven years ago I restored an Allcocks Wizard for my dad. Sadly I lost my father four months ago. Yesterday I took his rod fishing on the river Ivel.

 

[Neil Smart]

Sentiment over sensible? But I get it. Split cane is a thing of beauty, as a kid it was along with built cane and glass what we used. However with carbon it made such a difference, much the same as when I traded the Sunbeam for the Sierra.
Cue...Clive.

 

[David Rogers]

Sentiment over sensible? But I get it. Split cane is a thing of beauty, as a kid it was along with built cane and glass what we used.

A pedant replies: Built cane and split cane are the same thing, surely? Did you mean to say "whole cane"?

 

[Neil Smart]

A pedant replies: Built cane and split cane are the same thing, surely? Did you mean to say "whole cane"?

You are right David.

 

[Mike Thompson]

I used to get the cane quite frequently at school. Can't remember if it was whole or built, but it was definitely through action.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Eleven years ago I restored an Allcocks Wizard for my dad. Sadly I lost my father four months ago. Yesterday I took his rod fishing on the river Ivel.

View attachment 16948View attachment 16947

A tangible connection to your Dad , maybe he watches over as you fish

 

[Haydn Clarke]

Nice thought Mike.

I’m not sure my dad ever fished that Wizard or not. He’d acquired it at some point many years ago and it had been ‘restored’ but in a somewhat ghastly way. The previous work had resulted in the gold label being stripped and a horrendous whipping job in tow-rope gaudy cotton thread in several different shades and a Ronseal-esque varnish job. Somewhere I have the original photos.
The intriguing thing was that the rod had been written on and re-named “Topper’s Special Whip”. Not a common nickname, Topper, and I’ve often wondered wether it may have previously belonged to Mervyn Haskins when he was younger.
Either way, I restored it for his for my dad’s 70th whereafter it sat in his fishing cabinet for the next ten years unused. I felt it deserved to be used again once I’d got it.

Much is made of the weight of holding cane all day when trotting but I found this rod to be not too heavy. Certainly, being eleven foot helps and a twelve foot or longer is going to be uncomfortable to say the least but for small streaming float fishing I found it quite tolerable, if not as easy on the forearm, as a carbon match rod.

 

[Clive Kenyon]

You see so many poorly restored cane rods, so it is lovely to hear of one that has had a sympathtic renovation and now looks the part again. And a worthy momento of your late Father.

The Pezon et Michel rod I have bought had a few issues, a couple of loose threads and a slightly deformed guide, but the rod is as original as you could expect for something almost 80 years old. I have lightly rubbed it down and applied two coats of varnish. The first diluted 1:2 with turps and the second applied hot. It now has a glass like finish thst should protect the thread wrappings.

Neil continues to remind us of how little he knows about these things (and most of that is incorrect). But, you cannot expect someone who chose to drive a Sunbeam Talbot to have the refinement required to appreciate these things. It is much like someone who has learned a few chords on the banjo commenting on a vintage violin.

 

[David Rogers]

Much is made of the weight of holding cane all day when trotting but I found this rod to be not too heavy.

Quite a few Wizard users complain that the rod feels unbalanced due to its comparatively short handle. The rod in its original design was meant to be used with the reel (usually a centre pin) positioned half-way down the handle. This was a common style at the time and meant the rod felt lighter in the hand than with the more modern method of seating the reel at the top of the handle. Recently-built Wizard reproductions, such as those by Andrew Davis, feature a longer handle to favour currently-preferred reel positioning.

 

[David Craine]

I hope the below does not contravene forum rules ,please delete if it does.

As there seems to he some imput here about vintage tackle, I thought I would bring this to the attention of anybody who may be interested.

Should be interesting .

David