ABU Mark5 match rod

[Sportsman]

Now you tell me

[Sportsman]

Well, the Mark 5 arrived today, so I had to try it out with a couple of hours on a local Loch, fishing for small Perch.

First impressions is that, yes it is heavy, with a slow and rather soft action. Very different to the Shakespeare match rod I have. Having said that though I rather like it and when you adjust your style and slow everything down it feels rather nice. A bit like my cane fly rod, you can let the rod do the work. Feels nice playing a fish as well

Unfortunately the condition isn't all it could be with the whipping on two or three guides looking a bit suspect, and the handle is enormous, at least a foot too long. It doesn't balance very well with a little Okuma Epix either, looks like I will have to get a big old Mitchell.

All that said, I have decided to turn it into a little project. I will strip it down, whip on some modern single leg guides and lose some of the handle. I think it will be a much nicer rod, and it's pretty good now.

I would like to find out more about it, like when it was introduced etc, it's probably older than I think.

Any information would be appreciated.

[chesters1]

leave glassfiber rods alone you rotters!

i found the mark5 in the 78 tightlines mag but not in the 75 ,so its first introduced between the two ,came in two lenghts 12ft casts 25grm ,weighs 360grm cost £33.95 and 13 feet ,casts 25grm ,weighs 415grm cost £34.95.are you sure yours is 14ft i cant remember abu making one but it may have escaped me as i prefer 14ft to 13ft anytime

i have one (cant remember the lenght)but prefer the feralite its stiffer.

i cant see the problem with fiberglass its not heavy compared to stick rods or solid fiberglass ,is angling turning into a sport of girlies ,they are heavy compared to carbon but cars withour powersteering are heavy to turn compared to those with but you soon get used to it ,the finest glass rods were not that much heavier than carbon ones but thicker and in my eyes better ,both are still glass only the fiber has changed and like for like strands are pretty similar weight wise but carbon more brittle ,its lighter probably because the strands can be made finer thus thinner walls ,going by the number of broken ones i find carbon is light but not stronger than glass fiber and splinters rather than breaks so impossible to repair

 

if you want to feel how heavy hollow glass fiber rods can be i'l lend you my 2" wide very early one by sowerbuts

 

i personally would replace like with like then if you didnt get on with it it could be sold ,arming it with rings it wasn't designed for could ruin the action it has and make it worthless.

my favourite rod was the sealey blue matches ,looking out to buy another on ebay but hanker for a milbro enterprise which i wish i hadnt swopped long long ago.

i only use a PDQ 14ft rod for float fishing its a joy to use with a closed face but far heavier than the hardy matchmaker or more the B&W flyer which was extremely light it could be lighter than budget carbon ones

Edited April 2, 2008 by chesters1

[Peter Waller]

Be wary cutting the handle back, I think it might be aluminium tube under the cork. The rod was balanced for the tidly little ABU 505 reel, not a blessed great Mitchell egg beater! Wrap some lead flashing around the butt end of the handle.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Peter Waller

[knagy]

i just asking or abu rods good coz i got 3 with match tips on them

Well, my last plan didn't work out and Harrisons still won't answer emails but I tripped over this while I was looking

 

Abu Svangsta Mark 5 14' Match rod. I think from the 70s

 

I seem to remember this being a desirable bit of kit back then so is it still desirable now.

I can't find out much about it, I presume from it's age it would be glass, not that I am too bothered about that (I us split cane fly rods most of the time)

Worth a punt do you think, and do I have to get an ABU 501/506 to go with it?

All advice welcome

 

Dave

[Sportsman]

Be wary cutting the handle back, I think it might be aluminium tube under the cork. The rod was balanced for the tidly little ABU 505 reel, not a blessed great Mitchell egg beater! Wrap some lead flashing around the butt end of the handle.

 

I wasn't going to cut it back, I was going to cut around 10" off of it at the butt end. Then I can insert some weight if needed and replace a butt cap. With the rod and reel in the "normal" use position the butt protrudes almost a foot past my elbow which does nothing for the rod and is just awkward.

I started stripping the guides this evening. Don't know what the threads are varnished with but it aint epoxy. Absolute pain to get off.

[Dick Dastardly]

NoI dont think they did a 14' version either.Ive all the tight lines catalogues (pre 1980) at home so will check when Im in Ashford if you want.

 

Mine cost around £18 when I brought it new (early 70's?) I re rung it with three leg Fuji match rings in the very early 80's and the rings alone cost me more! Made the rod a lot better.I kept the origonal spacings though.Never had a problem with the handle as long ones were the norm then.I used both Mitchell reels (300 & Match) and ABU 501/506's with it and it balanced nicely. Also had its spiced tip brother the mk6. Both excellent tools that IMO were the best of their era and for a few years after.

Edited April 2, 2008 by BUDGIE

[Sportsman]

NoI dont think they did a 14' version either.Ive all the tight lines catalogues (pre 1980) at home so will check when Im in Ashford if you want.

 

Mine cost around £18 when I brought it new (early 70's?) I re rung it with three leg Fuji match rings in the very early 80's and the rings alone cost me more! Made the rod a lot better.I kept the origonal spacings though.Never had a problem with the handle as long ones were the norm then.I used both Mitchell reels (300 & Match) and ABU 501/506's with it and it balanced nicely. Also had its spiced tip brother the mk6. Both excellent tools that IMO were the best of their era and for a few years after.

 

 

Your right Budgie, it's a 13'.

I think I will put on some H&H DRX single foot guides and remove the rather flash whipping but I am looking forward to using it.

[Dick Dastardly]

Dave ,as long as no ones re varnished/epoxyed the origonal whippings they can easily be removed.Use a stanly blade and cut the whipping along the top of the ring foot (so you dont cut the blank) and then you can peel it off in big sections.

 

The black and silver and brown and gold "starburst" whipping thread was a "trademark" of ABU rods of that era.

 

I would also consider not cutting off the end of the handle (allthough this is obviously the easy answer) I would remover the cork from the top of the handle.Im fairly sure that the rod womnt have an alloy butt but simply just a continuous glass blank.If not just whipp over the alloy.Mind you if I was completely rebuilding the rod I would be temted to take the cork back even further and add one of the Fuji screw fit reel seats with the duplon fore grip allready attached.

[Sportsman]

Dave ,as long as no ones re varnished/epoxyed the origonal whippings they can easily be removed.Use a stanly blade and cut the whipping along the top of the ring foot (so you dont cut the blank) and then you can peel it off in big sections.

 

The black and silver and brown and gold "starburst" whipping thread was a "trademark" of ABU rods of that era.

 

I would also consider not cutting off the end of the handle (allthough this is obviously the easy answer) I would remover the cork from the top of the handle.Im fairly sure that the rod womnt have an alloy butt but simply just a continuous glass blank.If not just whipp over the alloy.Mind you if I was completely rebuilding the rod I would be temted to take the cork back even further and add one of the Fuji screw fit reel seats with the duplon fore grip allready attached.

 

Hi Budgie

The major part of the whipping comes off OK but the problem is the individual threads which run from there, do-able but a major fiddly pain.

I think the advice re the handle is good with a couple of provisos.

The diameter of the blank is much bigger than normal so I may have a problem finding a reel seat to fit. Moving the handle dow that much will also mean increasing the number of guides and changing their position.

A modern rod would probla have 5 or 6 more guides than this anyway, this only has 9 + tip. Hate to lose the Agate but and tip guides though.