MK1V carp rods

[steve2]

Talking today to an old carp fishing mate from the 1960/70 we were talking about the tackle we used and how things have changed. Rod wise we were talking about MKIV carp rods which we both used and wondered was there ever a MK1,2 or 3 produced for sale.We assume that Richard Walker decided he couldn't improve and never made a MK5. Did he have any input with the hollow glass MKIV or did they just carry his name?

 

[Molehill]

Yes I think there were and others will be along with the history.
Just spent a few days fishing using my bruce & walker s/u mk4 glass, no idea on Walker's input but some of the rods are still in use, it has actually accounted for many big fish over the years. Class is class (or do I mean glass?).

 

[markcw]

I remember work at RAF Boulmer and staying in Alnwick around 1974/5 .
I was offered a brand new s/u Bruce and Walker rod for £15 by one of the lads who worked at Bruce and Walker, I didnt take him up on the offer, because I was more into match fishing at the time, looking back I sometimes wish I had.
Now if they had been the B & W match rods i would have had one to go with the one i already got.

 

[David Rogers 3]

Chris Ball, the carping historian, is your man for this: https://www.traditionalfisherman.com/viewtopic.php?t=12693

 

[seth49]

Yes I think there were and others will be along with the history.
Just spent a few days fishing using my bruce & walker s/u mk4 glass, no idea on Walker's input but some of the rods are still in use, it has actually accounted for many big fish over the years. Class is class (or do I mean glass?).

The Walker in Bruce and walker was ken walker, not Richard Walker.

 

[sam vimes]

I remember work at RAF Boulmer and staying in Alnwick around 1974/5 .
I was offered a brand new s/u Bruce and Walker rod for £15 by one of the lads who worked at Bruce and Walker, I didnt take him up on the offer

Are you sure you mean Bruce & Walker? It seems pretty unlikely to find one of their employees in Alnwick, unless he was on holiday or indulging in a spot of industrial espionage!

 

[markcw]

Are you sure you mean Bruce & Walker? It seems pretty unlikely to find one of their employees in Alnwick, unless he was on holiday or indulging in a spot of industrial espionage!

Sorry I meant Hardy s/u rod,
The pub we were in went by the name "the dirty bottles" cant remember the proper name
Also remember buying a bottle of Alnwick 92 rum. That was very potent

 

[sam vimes]

The pub we were in went by the name "the dirty bottles" cant remember the proper name
Also remember buying a bottle of Alnwick 92 rum. That was very potent

https://www.thedirtybottles.co.uk/

 

[markcw]

What have they done to the place, it used to be a proper pub. The name dirty bottles as far as I was aware meant all the dust coated bottles in the window and legend had it that if they were removed ,a curse would be put on the person who did it.

 

[barbelboi]

As James Bruce’s (B James and Son) tackle shop was my local in the 50’s and early 60’s until he sold and moved on I can help with some of this. There were 3 other MKs before the eventual MK1V the - Mk1 was in fact a cut down Wallis Avon (tip cut down - 11’ to 10’). The second was made entirely of split cane with a the butt at 2’ slightly longer than the Avon. The third had different tapers and a longer handle again at 28 inches. Walker used this rod a lot but believed it to be too heavy at 14oz so the rod we know as the MK1V was developed. Again the tapers and construction were changed and the cork handle increased to 30 inches for double handed casting.

When James Bruce snr retired he lent his trade name for a couple of years to get his son and Ken Walker established (B James and Son in conjunction with Bruce and Walker). A bit of trivia, James Bruce snr traded as B James as he thought it sounded posher than James Bruce (canny Scotsman)

 

[mikench]

Did you mean Woolmer Mark?

 

[markcw]

Did you mean Woolmer Mark?

It was RAF Boulmer, part of east coast early warning system.

 

[Molehill]

My glass S/U Mk4 is labelled as B. James (on the rod bag but label has virtually gone), whereas I also have a pair of standard 11ft Mk4s (also glass) that are Bruce and Walker, so I am guessing slightly later after the changeover?
My cane carp rod (Carp Major) is built by B.James but sold as an Ogden Smiths rod, so he presumably built for other companies to sell.

 

[barbelboi]

My glass S/U Mk4 is labelled as B. James (on the rod bag but label has virtually gone), whereas I also have a pair of standard 11ft Mk4s (also glass) that are Bruce and Walker, so I am guessing slightly later after the changeover?
My cane carp rod (Carp Major) is built by B.James but sold as an Ogden Smiths rod, so he presumably built for other companies to sell.

As far as I remember James Bruce snr lent his trade name (B James & Son) to B&W for around a couple of years - and he did also build rods for Ogden Smith.