British Made Split Cane Rods
The story goes that in 1879 the Hardy brothers, William and JJ, reverse engineered an American made built cane rod in order to begin manufacturing similar items in the UK. Be that as it may they weren't the first British makers to explore "rent and glued" bamboo. Several London makers had experimented with three strip rod tips and sections half a century before, though in many cases these sections were glued up "inside out" by modern standards. The extended story of the development of split bamboo is well known, and told very well elsewhere. The intention here is to share some of the British made rods that use this method.
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Mortised butt cane rod. Most new technologies begin by imitating that which has gone before, it takes time for a thing to be accepted as and for itself. Here is a case in point. How do you make the handle of a cane rod work like that of the more familiar wooden rod? The answer is to combine the two. Mortised rods were well known in the USA, you can see examples of them in the American Rods section. They were less frequently seen here, though as you can see from the enclosed advert, from Foster's 1887 catalogue, cedar inset handles, as well as leather covered handles, were offered.
The reel seat on this example is very close to Foster's graduated winch fitting a feature which dates the rod to some time after 1887. |
Foster's description of the range of handles available on their cane rods.
"with cedar inlaid, pig skin, morocco, or cork covered or caned handles."
"with cedar inlaid, pig skin, morocco, or cork covered or caned handles."
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The first Hardy rod to be illustrated here. This one has earned its place here through another example of imitation, in this case, USA made cane rods. The all nickel-silver sliding band and cup reel seat is a direct copy of the American original, - you can see a similar reel seat used on a Leonard rod here.
The remainder of the rod is typically British, with multiple, evenly spaced intermediate wraps, Hardy "Lockfast" ferrules, patented in 1881 and Hardy "Bridge" guides. Hardy's own practice of applying serial numbers to rods gives us a manufacture date of 1904, as confirmed by the correct matching butt spear. |
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This Hardy rod is actually slightly earlier than the one illustrated above, serial no 59858 makes its manufacture date 1902.
Full intermediates and bridge guides, wrapped in Hardy's classic burgundy silk, but lacking the patent "Lockfast" ferrule, fitted with plain suction ferrules instead. The Lockfast ferrule was available as an option even into the 1950's, as we shall see in another example. The reel seat is the 1873 patent. This is still a very long and soft actioned rod, firmly in the tradition of British wet fly fishing. |
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Homer's had an address on Forrest Gate in London, and were better known for their taxidermy than for their tackle. The company was established in 1887 and came to offer all manner of fishing requisites. There seems also to have been a family connection with another important London manufacturer/retailer, Sowerbutts, whose coarse fishing rods are often seen on the secondary market.
This rod may well date from thee early days of the firm. The number "73" stamped on the rod might be either a model number OR a serial number. This is another rod bearing the almost ubiquitous Hardy bridge guides, however, the ferrules are almost unique in their locking design. The only similar examples appearing on a Greenheart rod discussed in the Early Rods section. |
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Millward of Redditch. Redditch became a centre for fishing tackle manufacture and wholesaling through the manufacture there of sewing needles. Walton in the "Compleat Angler" gave detailed instructions on the making of fish hooks from sewing needles and the industrial development of the process was a logical progression for the Redditch makers. Of course, once they began making fish hooks, it made sense to expand into other fishing goods and so Redditch became the major centre for the trade.
This is a "Steel Centred" rod fitted with Hardy bridge guides, Hardy Lockfast ferrules and Hardy pattern ferrule plugs, all of which were available from Hardy's though the rod itself is likely to be a Milward product as they did produce rods "in house". |
Steel Centred Rods, Puzzles and Paradoxes
Even though split bamboo rods had been imported from the USA since the late 1880's, there seems to have been an inherent mistrust of the medium among the British manufacturers. This extended to suction ferrules as well as split cane itself, and led to a whole gaggle of bizarre development in British rod making one of which is the steel centre. The belief was that a correctly tempered steel core, particularly in the butt section, would enable a fishing rod to recover more quickly during the cast, and would store more energy as a result, leading to easier and longer casting. Rods with such steel cores were certainly made by Hardy's, Milwards, and Fosters and possibly many others, but the origin of the technique is much harder to pin down.
Fosters of Ashbourne insist that they originated the method in about 1881. In their 1887 Catalogue they write:
Fosters of Ashbourne insist that they originated the method in about 1881. In their 1887 Catalogue they write:
"Several imitators of our rod improvements, and particularly of the steel centre, taking advantage of the universal demand, have had the hardihood and cool audacity to advertise their piracies 75 to 100 per cent, more in price than that of the original and genuine article. Owing to a clever regard to the bounds of legality, these unscrupulous freebooters have hitherto contrived to avoid the trammels of the legal net, but seeing that a limp and wayward piano string is the nearest approach they make to our stiff, needle-like stout, and strong, yet slender, steel backbone, we are anxious only to save the unsuspecting from a bold, unprincipled imposition. Steel centred rods were introduced by us some six years since. So great was their success over the ordinary build of rod, that the Gold Medal and Diploma of Honour was awarded them at the International Fisheries, London, 1883, and highest awards have been ever since gained by them at other exhibitions wherever exhibited."
This scathing attack can be aimed at none other than Hardy's of Alnwick - note "have had the hardihood and cool audacity to advertise their piracies" - my underline... What becomes even more interesting is Fosters report of their products' success at the London International Fisheries Exhibition of 1883. Both Hardy Brothers and Fosters were represented at the Exhibition, showing items in a number of classes, Hardys won gold for their trout rods, Fosters achieved only a bronze medal in the same class, although their 1887 catalogue clearly states:
"Steel centred rods were introduced by us some six years since. So great was their success over the ordinary build of rod, that the Gold Medal and Diploma of Honour was awarded them at the International Fisheries, London, 1883, and highest awards have been ever since gained by them at other exhibitions wherever exhibited."
Try as I might, I have searched the Jury returns from the exhibition and cannot find anything to corroborate Foster's claim. These are the two relevant consecutive pages from the Jury's adjudication. You will find Foster's entry on the second page about two-thirds of the way down, in the Bronze awards section. Further, if you look at the first page, it was Hardy's that gained a Gold award for their trout rods AND there is no specific reference in the book to steel-centred fishing rods of any type.
Aside from the content reproduced here, the 1883 Exhibition Catalogue is a fascinating document available as a .pdf.
fisheriesexhibition_1883.pdf | |
File Size: | 115492 kb |
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So is the entry in Foster's catalogue simply an "exaggeration" of the true story, i.e. a barefaced lie? As a parting shot, I include this page from Hardy's 1951 Catalogue, making reference to their 1883 Gold Medal. Please read it carefully.
It seems that Foster's weren't the only ones capable of extravagant claims, by 1882 Leonard had been making split cane rods commercially for 11 years...
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W Woodfield and Sons, Redditch. Although clearly a single-handed rod, this one is over 12' and is probably late nineteenth century. The guides have been replaced but from the ghosting seem likely to have been snake guides rather than the Hardy bridge guides seen on other similar rods of the time. The rod also has proprietary bayonet lock ferrules. Another indication of an early date is the use of pigskin on the handle. This was an option offered by a number of makers but is not often seen in surviving rods.
Woodfield was another of the Redditch makers that began as a manufacturer of needles. The company originated in 1850, though by 1873 they were sufficiently established to be exhibiting at the Vienna Universal Exhibition where they achieved an Honourable Mention, though not in a fishing related class. They were also represented at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878. Woodfields remained independent of the larger manufacturers and ceased trading in 1945. |
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Possibly by another Redditch maker, Martinez and Bird,at first glance there is nothing particularly remarkable about this rod. However, on closer inspection, the Hardy bridge guides are handsomely wrapped with jasper silk tipped red where most other examples seem restricted to claret silk. There is a sliding brass band reel seat, but instead of one band being fixed, both can be moved allowing some leeway in the placement of the reel. The butt lacks the terminal rubber buttons seen on some other rods, having only a blanking screw to close the butt-spear socket. Finally, the graps, or handle doesn't conform to any of the common shapes, cigar, Wells or half-Wells.
Whoever manufactured this rod it appears to be of a slightly better quality than most of the period. |
A Word About Butt Spears
Most British made cane rods were equipped with a threaded socket in the butt of the rod, usually fitted with a rubber button. This button could be removed and replaced with a butt spear which could be thrust into the ground to hold the rod safely in an upright position. This was considered preferable to laying the rod on the ground during the prolonged periods when fishing was suspended because the silk line being used was being dried, often by draping it over bankside bushes to dry out in the sun. The need to dry silk lines both during and after a fishing session led to some remarkable and some familiar innovations. Many companies offered line driers, for example and the now familiar perforations on the face of a reel spool were first introduced to help the line dry more quickly when in use.
Most British made cane rods were equipped with a threaded socket in the butt of the rod, usually fitted with a rubber button. This button could be removed and replaced with a butt spear which could be thrust into the ground to hold the rod safely in an upright position. This was considered preferable to laying the rod on the ground during the prolonged periods when fishing was suspended because the silk line being used was being dried, often by draping it over bankside bushes to dry out in the sun. The need to dry silk lines both during and after a fishing session led to some remarkable and some familiar innovations. Many companies offered line driers, for example and the now familiar perforations on the face of a reel spool were first introduced to help the line dry more quickly when in use.
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Farlow of London. Although Redditch grew significantly as a centre for tackle making through the nineteenth century, there had been a tradition of tackle makers and sellers in London since Izaak Walton's day. In London terms, Farlow's were relatively new, founded in 1840 by Charles Farlow who was succeeded by his sons in the business in 1895. The company still exists and has premises on Pall Mall.
This particular rod must have been made after 1926, the patent date for Farlow's "barrel" locking ferrules. The curious "barrel" shape on the male ferrule, has an internal thread than engages with the threaded part of the female ferrule thus locking the joint in place. Another interesting feature is the wooden reel spacer and aluminium reel fittings, more often seen on American rods. |
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John MacPherson of Inverness. I've chosen to include this rod at this point because it too shows some influence of American practice, notably the cone-shaped winding check and the use of Chinese red wraps when most British rods were being wrapped in black or claret. It has even been suggested that this might be by an American manufacturer, possibly Horrocks-Ibbotson rather than being British-made.
MacPherson's were established in 1887 and offered a range of services common to many of the larger Scottish tackle shops, catering also for shooting and stalking. Like Malloch of Perth, MacPherson also offered taxidermy services, a facility that continued until the death of John MacDonald the shop's resident taxidermist in 1969. The shop itself closed in the 1970's. |
A Note on Dating British Rods
Because of the lack of a single narrative of British rod making, dating rods can be puzzling, particularly since there seemed to be little change in the design and thinking behind British rods before World War 2. Even access to catalogues does not necessarily help as the same models appear to have been in production for many years and only subtle changes of finish or trademarking can help.
Because of the lack of a single narrative of British rod making, dating rods can be puzzling, particularly since there seemed to be little change in the design and thinking behind British rods before World War 2. Even access to catalogues does not necessarily help as the same models appear to have been in production for many years and only subtle changes of finish or trademarking can help.