Rods from way back when.....

I have just been given two fairly old rods that I need some advice/opinions as to what they might be used for.I still use fibre glass rods and as both rods are of this material I would give them a spin...

The first is(I understand)from the 70's and is by'Olivers of Knebworth' and is in absolutely perfect condition.The blank is honey coloured with red whippings at 1/2" spacings with a cork handle some 31" long and approx 1" diameter.
The blank can only be described as'fast taper'and this is(possibly)why the handle is 1"dia. as the blank is 3/4"dia from the handle.Rings are not stand-off-and none are lined.
For a 12' long(overall length)rod it is very light.
(I seem to recall fast taper rods were used for distance casting and for picking up line off the water very quickly??...could be a mile off with this though!!)

The second rod is by Andy Barker and called 'A Neville Fickling Allrounder'-no other onfo on the rod but could be from the 70's also.The blank is deep maroon with minimal red whippings and is 12'overall length and a butt dia of approx 1/2"-5/8".It looks like a thru-action rod but the blank is quite beefy at the sharp end so maybe for carp/pike fishing?The butt is covered with a black foam like material and a snap-on reel holder.(Some of the blank is bare below the reel seat).
This rod is also in perfect condition and possibly never used......

ANY guidance would be appreciated-or where I could obtain some more info-would also be helpful.....I would like to use both rods but only if I know in what way!

Thanks a lot!!

There's more information available about Ted Oliver's split cane rods than his glass ones (he was an apprentice of the legendary Bob Southwell), but your one sounds like a typical big-water, long-distance carp rod from the late 70s.

Neville Fickling is a predator specialist and has been for around 40 years, so the Allrounder I imagine was designed for live/deadbait fishing for pike and possibly zander. The man himself would, I'm sure, be able to give you more information:

http://www.thetackle-shop.co.uk/index.asp

Vintage glass rods aren't as sought-after (yet!) as cane ones, but these are good-quality examples and well worth hanging on to (and fishing with).

Tee-Cee! For years I've been looking for my Oliver's 'Tench''s twin...it looks as though you have it. Wanna flog it? I suspect the whippings weren't part of the factory finish.

Does it look like the fourth rod down on this page (even though that one is a 14.5 footer)?

Olivers of Knebworth - Vintage Rods - InTheNetUK

Tee Cee they are rubbish
send them to Cakeysripoffs at usual address :wh

Cliff Hatton2........no,sorry to say I would not want to sell the rod(left to me by a family member!)BUT I am interested in what you say about 'Tench twin'as you call it....

Are you saying you use this for tench fishing specifically??

As I've said it is a(very) fast taper rod and seemingly for long distance casting so I would love to know just how you use your rod-and what line BS,casting distance(for example)you use!!

Regards the whippings...the rod was made as a semi-special as far as finish is concerned hence the number of whippings....

Don't have the necessary to photograph the rod unfortunately......

Dave Rogers 3....yes,the whippings are very similar...but where the maroon whippings stop either side of a ring the whipping colour changes to a different colour(sort of pale orange)for just a millimetre or so-it almost highlights the whipping in a way.
Without doubt the maker(I did visit the shop in Knebworth years ago as I lived close by but couldn't afford the rods!)really knew his stuff and the attention to detail is just fantastic.............in some ways I'm almost afraid to use it,but it deserves to be put through its paces-at least once!!!

Thanks for all the help from everyone-much appreciated!!

Dave Rogers 3-(or anyone else who may be interested!)

As suggested I contacted The Tackle Shop about the Neville Fickling Allrounder and recieved the following reply TODAY!...

"Tony it is one of two Andy produced. One was 12 ft 3lb test, the other 11ft
the same. They were quite good rods I caught my 41-06 on one. Use it for
pike by all means! If I had any money I'd offer you money for it!! Regards N"

So once again FM has proved invaluable for gaining info on old tackle...and I know exactly what to use the rod for!!

Thanks again Dave and all who helped on this!!

I have rekindled this Thread in the hope that someone new may be able to offer further information on the Oliver's of Knebworth rod outlined above....

I would love to use the rod but cannot quite arrive at the parameters around(a)what it was designed to do and(b)its test curve(if applicable)and consequently what range of lines bs I could safely use with it....

If nobody can offer any real advice based on its primary design element(its fast taper)then does anyone know how I can contact Oliver's direct...............cannot seem to get a direct email or website address via google...

As I said previously this is a very old rod in perfect nick that needs to be used but knowledge of such rods must rest with 'older anglers' IMHO......

Thanks

I bought several kits - cane fly rods and glass spinners and floats - from Oliver's as a kid, teenager and young man in the 1960s to early-mid 1970s (as I did from Alan Brown and, later, Terry Eustace), but don't have any knowledge of the rod you are talking about. Tip: Google "Pure Piscator" (a closed but still extant "traditional angling" website), click "The Secret Swim" (top right button) and you will find a still very much alive forum with people on it (me one of them) with a lot of knowledge about old coarse rods, cane and glass. Now, with your own particular rod, I can't help you, but someone there might...

Oliver's of Knebwoth is now Olivers's rods. The firm changed hands when Ted Oliver retired and is now run by Peter Johnson.

He might have Ted's old records......?.........

You could try the 'phone number, but the website is gone.....




Olivers Rods

The test curve of the rod is ;- what weight does it take to bend the tip ro right angles to the butt.This can be achieved by getting a friend to hold the rod at the butt end attach a spring balance or scales to the line and pull till the rod is at right angles .This will give you the test curve of the rod .Dependant on the way the rod bends will be what taper it is .If the tip just bends then its a fast taper .If it bends through to the Butt section then its through action.To get the line rating for the rod you multiply the amount of pull needed to bend the rod at right angles then multiply this by about 5 or 6 I think it is..This will give you a line rating for the rod.Test curve say 1.5lb multiply by 5 or 6 and that will give you between 7 and a bit and 9lb. Its been a while since I did one so cant give you the exact no but this will give you a good idea.Hopefully some one will pull me up on this so we will all know for definite.

Tee Cee

I've just located my catalogue for Olivers [1973-4]. Knew I had one but took time sorting it from all the rest !!
As only a few 12' rods are shown can you tell me if it has [1] a detachable handle [2] is it 2 or 3 piece [3] does it have a ferrule or is it ferruless?
Might be able to work it out from my lists and ring spacing which I have.
Don't worry about test curves as they don't apply to fast taper rods.

PM me if you like. I assume your local to me [Hazlemere, Bucks]. Could always bring catalogue over for you to look if you wish.

Mike

mikewilson...thanks for responding-thought this had died.....

Anyway,the description I gave in the initial thread is(fairly)accurate but to answer your questions; the handle is not detachable,it is a two piece and it does have a ferrule which is a pale green colour...

Regarding rings; NOT exactly what I said initially as they are plain stand-off in stainless steel,eight in number plus the top ring which has an extra s/steel lining.
Approx pacings are(from the cork handle): 141/2"-151/2"-141/2"-13"-12"-10"-83/4"-7" then the top ring....

I'm afraid its own-up time as I stupidly made a bloomer on the length which is 11' overall and not 12'................. doesn't help anyone trying to identify the rod!!

It is a beautiful looking rod in my eyes simply because the whippings are at 1/2" centres the entire length of the rod,in maroon but with the ring whippings tipped in gold colour thread.Even the blank(where it leaves the cork handle)has three 1/4" wide whippings at 1/2" centres tipped in the same way,then a space for the Oliver's signature before the whippings begin again.....it really is a work of art..

The shaped cork handle,some 30" long has a rubber bung at the end-the only bit IMO that doesn't look right..

Apart from knowing the history(I personally think it was maybe made as a 'special')I would like to use the rod BUT only if I know precisely what it was originally designed to do otherwise I might offer it to the museum in Henley.
It has never been used-from what I understand-and although pristine I would like to get it professionally revarnished if thats possible-BUT not to the detriment of the rod.

It might seem I'm going to a deal of trouble for one rod but I think its worthwhile so if you can help in any way I would be most grateful..

Once again,my thanks for coming back on this..



ps I still have this distant memory that this type of fast taper rod was made for lifting line quickly whan fishing at distance-NOT the sort of distances we see today but long for the era it was made in!!

Tee Cee

All the Oliver's 11' two piece rods are listed below.
They all have rings which are Hard Dull Chromed Light Bridge rings.
I've shown the purchase price for rods having half inch intermediate whippings. Rods without them are £2 to £3 cheaper.

Stepped Up Carp 2 3/4lbs TC £15.75
Stepped Up Carp Fast taper 2 1/2 LBs TC £17.00
Carp 1 3/4lb TC £17.00
Barbel 1 1/4lb TC £15.50
Avon 1 lb TC £15.50
Tench 1 lb TC £17.00
Pike 3 1/4 lb TC £17.50

Hope this helps

Mike

Mike,
Sorry I didn't respond to your answer listing the Oliver's rods but I've been away for ten days or so on holiday.......

It would seem the 2nd rod might fit the bill as its the only fast taper rod on the list and the test curve could be about right!!

I shall give it a workout on some small(ish) carp over the next week or so and see how it fares.....

Thanks once again for your help with this!