Vintage rod advice?

[bromley]

Any vintage tackle experts out there?

 

Went to a boot fair yesterday looking for some gardening tools. My eye was drawn to a stall selling odds and sods including a cane rod. As the stall holder only wanted 5 pounds (and I knocked him down to 4!) I bought it as a mate of mine has recently taken over a riverside pub and is on the lookout for old fishing tackle as display items.

 

The rod is around 10 and half feet long with yellow whippings, the makers transfer has worn off but I can identify the word “strike”. The rings seem OK and the butt and tip ring look to be lined with china. It could do with a cost of varnish and the cork handle needs a good clean, but it looks in pretty good condition. I’m tempted to twin it with a centre pin and do a bit of retro fishing.

 

Anyone got any idea what the rod might be?

[Dick Dastardly]

Can you post some pictures?

[DavyR]

I'm guessing it's an Allcocks Lucky Strike (1955 - 1965). This was 10.5 feet long, 3 joints, all split cane, and the later ones had yellow whippings with black edging. Thanks to their endorsement by a certain Mr Yates, they are now very collectable (a bit less so without an intact label).

 

Certainly too good for a pub wall, assuming the cane is straight and the ferrules tight!

[wunwetfoot]

Any vintage tackle experts out there?

 

Went to a boot fair yesterday looking for some gardening tools. My eye was drawn to a stall selling odds and sods including a cane rod. As the stall holder only wanted 5 pounds (and I knocked him down to 4!) I bought it as a mate of mine has recently taken over a riverside pub and is on the lookout for old fishing tackle as display items.

 

The rod is around 10 and half feet long with yellow whippings, the makers transfer has worn off but I can identify the word “strike”. The rings seem OK and the butt and tip ring look to be lined with china. It could do with a cost of varnish and the cork handle needs a good clean, but it looks in pretty good condition. I’m tempted to twin it with a centre pin and do a bit of retro fishing.

 

Anyone got any idea what the rod might be?

Hi Bromley, I am inclined to agree with DavyR concerning the identity of the rod. If it is what we suspect, whatever you do, don't use anything other than water to clean either the handle or the cane (mind the label remains!), you could totally spoil a nice old rod! Initially I would recommend that you try an old fixed spool (an old Mitchell for example) rather than a centrepin as they are not the easiest of reels to use properly and the old 2 or 3 fingered cast is somewhat limiting in the distance you will attain (the Wallis cast is not the easiest cast to learn and definately not for a newcomer to "pins" as you will not enjoy your day's fishing!). Load the reel with 4lb line and visit a local stillwater fishery with a good stock of small carp (4-5lb) and silvers. This way you'll test the rod's integrity. Stay well away from the bigger carp!

Cane rods are, of course, heavier than modern day "fibres" but all being well, you'll soon discover that unlike the "fibre rods" a cane comes alive when you are in contact with a fish. This may sound a bit strange (a lot of anglers regard this as cr*p) but give it a try and you'll see what I mean. Maybe later on you'll convert to a decent centrepin like a good conditioned WR Speedia (don't waste good money on rubbish!) and find a good "Pin" tutor.

I own and use an array of rods, everything from whole cane/spanish reed, built cane, glass fibre, carbon fibre to Kevlar/carbon fibre. They are all nice to use in the right circumstance, but as a river float man, my real "workhorses"are the Hardy Marksman Float Specialists. I am very fortunate to have been able to have a modern built cane made by "the best cane rod maker in the world", Mr Edward Barder. This cane compares with no other rod ever made! Coupled with a quality old pin, I LOVE IT!

Good luck with the rod, enjoy it and let us know how you get on.

[DavyR]

An after-thought: The Lucky Strike was quite a basic rod and as such, didn't originally come with a lined butt ring. Nothing to say it hasn't been "upgraded" by a previous owner, but the "china" appearance of the ring linings suggest it may be from an earlier period than the Lucky Strike.

 

Agate or agatine was generally used for this purpose by the mid-1950s, rather than porcelain.

 

As Budgie said, some photos would be a great help!

[Dick Dastardly]

The "porcelain/china" ring lining rather than Agate through me as well.I was hoping a photo would show whether these were original or not.

Edited April 17, 2012 by BUDGIE

[bromley]

The "porcelain/china" ring lining rather than Agate through me as well.I was hoping a photo would show whether these were original or not.

Many thanks for the advice gents, I took the rod around to a mate in my local club who uses cane rods for advice on varnish and upkeep and he identified it as a Lucky Strike, made by a company called Allcocks dating (he thought) from the 1950’s. The butt and tip rings, he said were lined with porcelain rather than agate.

 

I’m rather pleased with it. It’s surprisingly light for a cane rod although after carbon it does seem very “whippy”. I can’t wait to try it out. I’ve an old centre pin plus a few quill floats inherited from my late dad plus a Mitchell 300 and I’m looking forward to bit of “traditional” fishing next weekend. All I need now is a wicker basket

[DavyR]

A bit odd that someone should replace the original butt and tip rings with old-fashioned porcelain ones, but maybe that's all they had to hand. I use my Lucky Strike mainly for roach and perch on the local canal - the soft action means that very few fish come off once hooked. I've also managed to land a few renegade canal carp up to 7lb on it, but I wouldn't recommend it for carp (of any size!), especially if there are weeds or snags around.

[bromley]

It does look like the butt and tip rings were replaced as the yellow whipping is slightly brighter than on the other rings.

[bromley]

Well, tried the rod out on a club lake yesterday. Took a bit of getting used to as it was much “whippier” that the carbon rods I usually use but twinned with an equally geriatric Mitchell 300 (my casting ability with a centre pin is not all it could be!) and a porcupine quill float that I have had for years but never used, I was all set for a retro session. . Alternating between worm and sweet corn on the hook I had plenty of roach and perch including a few “nettters”, including a a three pound mirror carp that put a real bend in the rod.

 

I seemed to do as well as the other anglers with modern gear and ended the day rather chuffed with my boot fair bargain. The rod attracted a fair bit of inetrest from otehr anglers as well ranging from the "my dad/granddad had one like that", "look, he's got a wooden rod!" and "Its Mr. Crabtree back from the dead"

 

I’m now on the look out for a wicker basket, a trilby hat and a pipe.