In reply to Post #39
The reality is that if you replace the tip section nobody would know! No different to replacing the tip section on a modern rod, the rod would look and perform the same as when new. Like Bill has already mentioned, it's the butt section that really matters on the old rods. PS, keep looking for a pin, one will crop up at the right price eventually, I had the same dilema with the MK IV, was looking for ages before this one came up (at £50). I know once I've paid for the refurb I could have bought one already in great condition, part of the fun of it for me is giving a tatty old rod a new lease of life!
The reality is that if you replace the tip section nobody would know! No different to replacing the tip section on a modern rod, the rod would look and perform the same as when new. Like Bill has already mentioned, it's the butt section that really matters on the old rods. PS, keep looking for a pin, one will crop up at the right price eventually, I had the same dilema with the MK IV, was looking for ages before this one came up (at £50). I know once I've paid for the refurb I could have bought one already in great condition, part of the fun of it for me is giving a tatty old rod a new lease of life!
In reply to Post #48
I agree BFC
The pleasure is seeing an old and tatty rod brought back to new, or better than new condition. The sort of work done by people like Paul Cook is a far higher standard than many of them were when they were first made...
Here is a 1932 Allcocks Wizard. It was a right state when I got it and had the standard bright red whippings. Paul changed it to dark green and finished it in the standard pattern as I requested... It looks superb now...
Here is another photo of it, with the quill and cork vintage float I used for the Mirror last night, my arms still hurt from the half hour battle with it...!
The picture below is my MkIV. It is from 1957, the year I was born!!!
, and I also have a 1957 MkIV Avon as well... both are in the same mint condition. I have used this at Redmire as well as a number of other places and had quite a few carp on it. The rings are silver plated and lined with real agate! I normally use this with a 1950's Mitchell 300...
And another shot... this time of the butt ring and the tip... The tip ring has been re-whipped recently, again by Paul Cook... He has some of the original dark red whipping thread used by B James and Son... so is as authentic as you can get... And why the colour is a perfect match...
Hope you enjoy some of these. I do have one or two more, but these are my favourites and I use them whenever I fancy a change from bivvying up
I agree BFC
The pleasure is seeing an old and tatty rod brought back to new, or better than new condition. The sort of work done by people like Paul Cook is a far higher standard than many of them were when they were first made...
Here is a 1932 Allcocks Wizard. It was a right state when I got it and had the standard bright red whippings. Paul changed it to dark green and finished it in the standard pattern as I requested... It looks superb now...
Here is another photo of it, with the quill and cork vintage float I used for the Mirror last night, my arms still hurt from the half hour battle with it...!
The picture below is my MkIV. It is from 1957, the year I was born!!!
, and I also have a 1957 MkIV Avon as well... both are in the same mint condition. I have used this at Redmire as well as a number of other places and had quite a few carp on it. The rings are silver plated and lined with real agate! I normally use this with a 1950's Mitchell 300...And another shot... this time of the butt ring and the tip... The tip ring has been re-whipped recently, again by Paul Cook... He has some of the original dark red whipping thread used by B James and Son... so is as authentic as you can get... And why the colour is a perfect match...
Hope you enjoy some of these. I do have one or two more, but these are my favourites and I use them whenever I fancy a change from bivvying up
In reply to Post #50
Load of old tat .....seriously though........those rods would look pukka with stainless steel reelseats 
....they would compliment my bamboo baitboat im building
Load of old tat
.....seriously though........those rods would look pukka with stainless steel reelseats ....they would compliment my bamboo baitboat im building
In reply to Post #65
What can I say................?
(BTW....And you'll approve of this Slash... Get my FBS Colormatic tomorrow and have the Entoh in the cupboard ready... so my new tarty floater rod will be ready to go by tomorrow afternoon... Wonder if this one will last longer than the last one... )
I hope your baitboat will be steam powered, cant have anything as crude and hi-tech as battery power...... I'm sure you will get round the obvious problems... Perhaps a converted Kelly Kettle as the boiler...?
What can I say................?
(BTW....And you'll approve of this Slash...
Get my FBS Colormatic tomorrow and have the Entoh in the cupboard ready... so my new tarty floater rod will be ready to go by tomorrow afternoon... Wonder if this one will last longer than the last one... )I hope your baitboat will be steam powered, cant have anything as crude and hi-tech as battery power...... I'm sure you will get round the obvious problems... Perhaps a converted Kelly Kettle as the boiler...?
In reply to Post #50
You git Bill! I think I've got to get my MK IV refurbed now I've seen the finish on yours, did Paul do your MK IV? He's getting some prices for me for a new tip section from Chapmans (spoke to him today). I think I'm going to go the whole hog, new tip section and full refurb with new rings throughout. Only downsides will be not having the rod for 2 months while Paul works his magic and my wallet being about £300 lighter at the end of it That's got to put me in favour with the fishing gods, they'll owe me a 30 on it first trip out (please!)
You git Bill! I think I've got to get my MK IV refurbed now I've seen the finish on yours, did Paul do your MK IV? He's getting some prices for me for a new tip section from Chapmans (spoke to him today). I think I'm going to go the whole hog, new tip section and full refurb with new rings throughout.
Only downsides will be not having the rod for 2 months while Paul works his magic and my wallet being about £300 lighter at the end of it That's got to put me in favour with the fishing gods, they'll owe me a 30 on it first trip out (please!)
In reply to Post #70
He re-whipped the top ring and did a bit of a clean up and repair to the whipping near the butt. The rest was how I bought it.
Before you spend an absolute fortune on yours, what does it say on the label...? It will either be 'Ealing, London' London, England' or just 'England'. Let me know.
If it is an Ealing rod then I will be very jealous... If it is London England then it is the same as mine and will be worth upgrading... If it is England only, then I would think twice about it and maybe check with Paul... It will be a later one and may not be worth spending the money... Unless you want to of course.
The earlier rods will already show a profit if refurbished, the later ones will not. Up tp you though... Whatever you do, it will be unrecognisable once Paul has finished with it...
He re-whipped the top ring and did a bit of a clean up and repair to the whipping near the butt. The rest was how I bought it.
Before you spend an absolute fortune on yours, what does it say on the label...? It will either be 'Ealing, London' London, England' or just 'England'. Let me know.
If it is an Ealing rod then I will be very jealous... If it is London England then it is the same as mine and will be worth upgrading... If it is England only, then I would think twice about it and maybe check with Paul... It will be a later one and may not be worth spending the money... Unless you want to of course.
The earlier rods will already show a profit if refurbished, the later ones will not. Up tp you though... Whatever you do, it will be unrecognisable once Paul has finished with it...
In reply to Post #90
Mine's the same as yours, London, England, still keeping an eye out for an Ealing one if one ever crops up at a sensible price! £300 is the top end of the cost for the work needed on mine, probably a bit less, I think it's worth getting done, I'll never sell it anyway so the finished value is a bit irrelevant (obviously don't want to pay more than I would for a tip top one though!).
Mine's the same as yours, London, England, still keeping an eye out for an Ealing one if one ever crops up at a sensible price! £300 is the top end of the cost for the work needed on mine, probably a bit less, I think it's worth getting done, I'll never sell it anyway so the finished value is a bit irrelevant (obviously don't want to pay more than I would for a tip top one though!).
In reply to Post #46
Birch
As Bill said - you have no soul - lol.
I dont think I would fancy a days fly fishing with a cane rod either. Teasing a bait in front of a feeding carp with a cane rod - now thats more like it.
Why not try cane for a bit of stalking? Then when you hook a carp you will understand the difference.
Cheers
GG
Birch
As Bill said - you have no soul - lol.
I dont think I would fancy a days fly fishing with a cane rod either. Teasing a bait in front of a feeding carp with a cane rod - now thats more like it.
Why not try cane for a bit of stalking? Then when you hook a carp you will understand the difference.
Cheers
GG
In reply to Post #91
BFC...
If you have the same rod as me you will have the better cane, the later ones were much heavier and a long way from the original tapers designed by Richard Walker. The one you have, once fully refurbished, will look stunning. I saw the MkIV that Paul had built for Waterlog readers as a special and the quality of finish was far better than the standard B James built rods...
I will have to see yours when you get it done... It will be something else... At the very least you will have to post some pictures...
GG... I think we are on a losing wicket with Birchman... But we can try!
BFC...
If you have the same rod as me you will have the better cane, the later ones were much heavier and a long way from the original tapers designed by Richard Walker. The one you have, once fully refurbished, will look stunning. I saw the MkIV that Paul had built for Waterlog readers as a special and the quality of finish was far better than the standard B James built rods...
I will have to see yours when you get it done... It will be something else...
At the very least you will have to post some pictures...GG... I think we are on a losing wicket with Birchman... But we can try!
In reply to Post #93
bill i had two originals which dick gave me i wish i had kept them . but with a family in those days money was short i also had ann avon 10 ft they would have been worth a fortune now
bill i had two originals which dick gave me i wish i had kept them . but with a family in those days money was short i also had ann avon 10 ft they would have been worth a fortune now
In reply to Post #92
Then when you hook a carp you will understand the difference.
yeah right......after spending nearly a grand this year on a set of FS`s & a pair of Torrixs i`ll stick with modern carbon thankyou very much!
blimey, you guys will be suggesting i ditch my pioneer for a wavelock brolly with a canvas sheet thrown over it next.........
Then when you hook a carp you will understand the difference.
yeah right......after spending nearly a grand this year on a set of FS`s & a pair of Torrixs i`ll stick with modern carbon thankyou very much!
blimey, you guys will be suggesting i ditch my pioneer for a wavelock brolly with a canvas sheet thrown over it next.........
In reply to Post #95
Maybe cane is the new carbon? Tarting comes full-circle?
Some may be surprised, even a little disappointed when they see the new Defiant pod .... The Bambooshka!
Maybe cane is the new carbon? Tarting comes full-circle?
Some may be surprised, even a little disappointed when they see the new Defiant pod .... The Bambooshka!
In reply to Post #94
If they were one of the few rods that Dick Walker built himself then they absolutely would... you are talking thousands, literally...
There were only about 13 rods known from Dick Walker, Chris Yates has one, Chris Ball has another (the one Clarissa was landed on) Bernard Venables had one I think and there were a few others... I have a full list somewhere...
If you had one Dick gave you from the first batch built by B James and Sons then you would still be able to sell each for a thousand or thereabouts... probably more now there is more interest (and money) in rods of this vintage.
The original B James rods looked like this...
Do you know who has them now? 
Maybe worth getting in touch with them...
If they were one of the few rods that Dick Walker built himself then they absolutely would... you are talking thousands, literally...
There were only about 13 rods known from Dick Walker, Chris Yates has one, Chris Ball has another (the one Clarissa was landed on) Bernard Venables had one I think and there were a few others... I have a full list somewhere...
If you had one Dick gave you from the first batch built by B James and Sons then you would still be able to sell each for a thousand or thereabouts... probably more now there is more interest (and money) in rods of this vintage.
The original B James rods looked like this...
Do you know who has them now?
Maybe worth getting in touch with them...
In reply to Post #95
Nope... we would only suggest IMPROVEMENTS in tackle...
Nope... we would only suggest IMPROVEMENTS in tackle...
In reply to Post #97
one other he gave me was 11foot float rod built cane was made for fred j taylor for bream fishing he told me it was the first of the line made for fred i used it for float fishing on the big meres for the bream. the two rods were sold at the time for 450 pounds way back in the seventys to a local gun smith dealer who i think has since died he also gave my mate a 10 ft avon also built cane they were all palicona cane well thats what he told me i also had an original heron bite indcator i must say the rods in the photo do look similar to the ones i had i must say dick was very good to me and we became good friends till his death
one other he gave me was 11foot float rod built cane was made for fred j taylor for bream fishing he told me it was the first of the line made for fred i used it for float fishing on the big meres for the bream. the two rods were sold at the time for 450 pounds way back in the seventys to a local gun smith dealer who i think has since died he also gave my mate a 10 ft avon also built cane they were all palicona cane well thats what he told me i also had an original heron bite indcator i must say the rods in the photo do look similar to the ones i had i must say dick was very good to me and we became good friends till his death