"Chapman 500" Is this rod any good?

[elliottwaters]

Any vintage tackle buffs out there?

An elderly neighbour who we used to do do odd jobs and shop for, sadly died a few weeks ago. His son was clearing out the house and said that there were some bits of pieces of fishing tackle I was welcome to take. These included a split cane rod. Its around 10 feet long in three pieces, two four feet sections of cane and a separate two feet long cork handle. On the butt it has Chapman 500 “Chapman & Co Ware, Herts”. Judging by its condition it looks to be little used.

I’ve handled and used cane rods in the past and found them heavy and floppy, but this one is fairly light with an Avon style action that might suit small river float fishing or light lledgering..

Any have any information on these rods? Are they still worth using?

Advice appreciated gentlemen

 

[Sean Meeghan]

The 500 is a nice medium ledger rod. At 10ft it's light enough in the hand not to feel too unwieldy to someone used to modern rods. It will make a fun rod to use on commercials, for close to medium range tench fishing and on rivers for chub.

An indication of the sort of fish it can handle here

Named cane rods in good condition hold their value well and if you do decide to sell you should get £60 to £80 for it. Do give it a go before you sell though as I think you'll like it.

 

[elliottwaters]

Many thanks for getting back Sean and the advice.

Lovely barbel and I bet it must have put a real bend in the rod.

Well; I took your advice and decided to use it rather than sell it, or hang it on my shed wall as a bit of angling memorabilia.

Went early yesterday morning to Brooklands Lake in Dartford and had a few roach and bonus tench. I’d always thought 10’ was a bit too short for a float rod, but it coped well enough. A few other angers were quite intrigued by the rod coming out with “my Dad used to have one like that” or from the younger generation “won’t a wooden rod break if you hook anything decent?” By mid morning the temperature had risen and it went a bit dead, so I moved on to the River Darent and gad two small chub of a round a pound and half each on free lined bread flake. Lovely sport.

I may be getting a taste for split cane rods!

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Perchy,

The Chapman 500 is a classic Splitcane rod, it's still produced if required and Sean is correct in everything he put down.

http://www.chapmanblanks.co.uk

Bob

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Glad you liked it Perchy! For a nice period look team it with a Michell 300 or Ambidex, but don't get too hung up on this or recruiting agents for the Barbel Police will be knocking on your door!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Nah, don't listen to these blokes Perchy, that old rod is not worth much, but I'll give you a tenner to take it off of your hands . . . I'll pay the P&P too if you like . . . . .

[tongue firmly in cheek]

 

[the indifferent crucian]

It was actually an 'economy' rod made to compete with the influx of cheap imported rods.

A slightly better version ( the 500 De-luxe) had an extra rod ring and better quality tip and butt rings.

The reason it is light in the hand is that as well as being a long straight taper of thin cane, giving quite a through action, is that that handle is cork on an aluminium tube.

They are a lovely rod and as Sean says, easily make around £70 in good order.

There was a stepped up version, the 550 which is actually quite a different rod having a compound taper. Often with copper wire whipped over the butt ring whippings.



http://www.chapmanblanks.co.uk/rod_specs/chapman_rod_specifications_500.htm

 

[bloodtype]

I have a 500 myself and I absolutely love it. It has a completely different feel to any of my other rods and has accounted for lots of carp in the 6-10lb range. Not monsters but fun nonetheless. I couple it with an Ambidex or Mitchell reel which makes for really fun sport. I find it really good for floater fishing as it has a really nice spring action for casting freelined bread.
I hope you enjoy using it as much as I do.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

They are nice aren't they Bloodtype - a perfect margin rod provided the carp in your lake don't go much over 15lb.

 

[bloodtype]

Absolutely, lovely bits of cane and stronger than they look. Have never tried the 550, interested to find out what they're like.

 

[bloodtype]

In fact, I like them so much I just bought another. Whoops!

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Personally I don't like the 550 as much as the 500. For a very nice Mk IV type rod have a look for one of the Constable Forty Fores (yes that's how they are spelt). I find the 550 a little heavy in the tip, although I do have one and use it a lot for Barbel and close in carp fishing. My Constable is currently being stripped for re-ringing.

 

[bloodtype]

Personally I don't like the 550 as much as the 500. For a very nice Mk IV type rod have a look for one of the Constable Forty Fores (yes that's how they are spelt). I find the 550 a little heavy in the tip, although I do have one and use it a lot for Barbel and close in carp fishing. My Constable is currently being stripped for re-ringing.

Good to know. I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. Are they quite rare? I've not heard of Constable Forty Fores before. But then, I am no expert!

 

[celticman]

My father bought me a Chapman 500 in 1963, it cost circa £4 19 shillings (from me old memory bank). It was known as the poor man Richard Walker (mark IV) Avon which was roughly double the money. The fittings were of poorer quality than the RW Avon as well as the cane. The rod very quickly took a set and eventually the top section snapped. I kept the beast and used it as a ledger rod with a fibreglass top I found that fitted for some time. Never felt right but worked. Last year I decided to restore it but a new top from the helpful Chapman's was around £200. So when buying a few old cane rods on ebay for refurbishment, I came across a top that "near enough" matched and the cane was better quality than the original. I now have a very pretty Chapman with a test curve of near 3/4 LB instead of the original 1 LB but its a joy to use for light float fishing and works very well- I claim its specialist It even looks quite right unless your pretty familiar with the original as its re ringed, whipped and varnished. Funny how what was originally a budget range of rods are now so sought after an fetch quite good money. It will never be for sale in my lifetime, but I'd still like a Walker MK IV one day!

 

[nicepix]

I think that the 550 was nearer in action to the Mk. iv Avon. The 500 is a light weight version. As you say, they were the poor man's alternative and Dave from Dawson's of Sheffield told me that the 500 was their top selling rod in the 1960's. I had mine refurbished at Dawson's around 18 months ago. It needed re-varnishing and I took the opportunity to have the tip ring changed to one with a screw eye so I could fit a quiver tip.

I now have my 500 permanently set up with a Trudex centerpin and use it regularly for chub & carp, and it is my No. 1 rod for mullet as it has just the right action. When conditions dictate that I need a fixed spool I pair it up with a Mitchell Match from the same era.

If I were ever restricted to just one rod I'd keep the Chapmans 500 and go mullet fishing in summer and chub fishing in winter.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

The 550 is actually identical in taper to the Mk IV carp. I still prefer my 500 though and as Nicepix says it's a lovely rod to use in most light specimen situations.