First carbon fibre rods

[Chris Plumb]

Anyone know when the first carbon fibre fishing rods first hit the mass market. I can remember my first one - a 13 foot match rod from Woolies of all places - I can even remember the price - 35 quid - which at the time was a hefty price. Trying desperately to remember what year - pretty sure it was pre 1980 possible as early as 1976 - could that be right?

 

 

C.

[poledark]

Chris, I think Hardys were the first with a carbon rod, I seem to remember Dick Walker being involved somewhere. I had a carbon fly rod in 1977/78 and they had been around for a couple of years before then. Main problem with the early ones was they were just too stiff and expensive.

 

Den

[lutra]

I remember Boron rods being the bees knees in the late 70's, but they were more than my spending money so i never had one. What came first Boron or Carbon?

[Guest tigger]

I remember Boron rods being the bees knees in the late 70's, but they were more than my spending money so i never had one. What came first Boron or Carbon?

 

 

 

I thought carbon came before boron.

[poledark]

Wasn't boron used for the spigots? Certainly my Sue Burgess had a boron spigot.

 

Den

[tincatinca]

I seem to recall that my first carbon rod was a Milbro Enterprise match rod which was certainly in the seventies but I cannot remember exactly when. I know at the time that by comparison to my glass rods it was so light and the pick up was tremendously fast and it took ages to get used to it. I think my brother has still got it.

[Chris Plumb]

Well the more I think on it the more I'm pretty sure that my Woolies rod was bought in 1977...

 

 

C.

[jeff smith]

Could be way out here ,but the Shakespeare Alpha match rod springs to mind as being one of the first CF rods.c.74-75??

Anybody throw any light on this....or shall i get me coat now

Edited January 31, 2009 by jeff smith

[jeff smith]

Could be way out here ,but the Shakespeare Alpha match rod springs to mind as being one of the first CF rods.c.74-75??

Anybody throw any light on this....or shall i get me coat now

Thinking about it a bit more...the old memory ain't wot it used to be,the Alpha was a glass rod,and an awful amber colour,promoted by the likes of Clive Smith and Kenny Giles(remember those two?)Think Shaky brought out a closed face reel ,like an Abu 506,at around the same time.

Pretty sure though,that it was them(Shakespeare) who released the first commercially available carbon match rod...................................................................I'm already out the door

[ridgeacre]

Think Shaky brought out a closed face reel ,like an Abu 506,at around the same time.

 

You will find they where called International Match, did a rod of the same name,rods where great, reels crap