Neil Maidment
Moderator
I've been absent from the forum for quite a while. Unfortunately my last two surviving uncles from a large fishing family passed away within a few days of each other. It fell to my wife and I to arrange the funerals and begin the process of sorting out their affairs. It is an honour and privilege to have done so and I dare say the process will continue for many months to come.
Apart from a lot of family stuff, I've inherited an awful lot of fishing gear! It will take a lot of sorting out and includes salmon and trout gear from the 1950's to modern match gear and everything in between.
I will be donating most of the salmon gear and other odds and ends to The Royalty Fishery Museum. Two of my uncles in particular had more than their fare share of salmon from the Hants Avon and Dorset Stour and I'm sure they will be laughing there heads off in astonishment that some of their exploits are to be recorded in that way.
One of many interesting finds has been a "Walker" MKIV Avon. It is one of two built by my uncle Ron back in the early 1960's. He built a fair few salmon spinning rods and trout fly rods and, as far as I'm aware, rarely ventured into Avons or other coarse rods.
I've not found the other one yet and at first didn't know a lot about this one. I have since found an empty rod bag with some notes which has helped to pinpoint it. It looks unused and is in pristine condition.
Paired with another particularly cherished find, a MK4 deluxe triple check Speedia from the 1960's, I intend to christen the combo with an Avon barbel
I also seem to now have a very nice set of pristine Normark rods! Microlite Match 12ft and 13ft, Multi Tip and Titan 13ft. I fancy the Titan will be my weapon of choice when I get around to the Stour chub later in the year
The process continues... lots of stuff to be donated to various good causes but I'll be keeping one of two of the special finds..... floats in particular!
Apart from a lot of family stuff, I've inherited an awful lot of fishing gear! It will take a lot of sorting out and includes salmon and trout gear from the 1950's to modern match gear and everything in between.
I will be donating most of the salmon gear and other odds and ends to The Royalty Fishery Museum. Two of my uncles in particular had more than their fare share of salmon from the Hants Avon and Dorset Stour and I'm sure they will be laughing there heads off in astonishment that some of their exploits are to be recorded in that way.
One of many interesting finds has been a "Walker" MKIV Avon. It is one of two built by my uncle Ron back in the early 1960's. He built a fair few salmon spinning rods and trout fly rods and, as far as I'm aware, rarely ventured into Avons or other coarse rods.
I've not found the other one yet and at first didn't know a lot about this one. I have since found an empty rod bag with some notes which has helped to pinpoint it. It looks unused and is in pristine condition.
Paired with another particularly cherished find, a MK4 deluxe triple check Speedia from the 1960's, I intend to christen the combo with an Avon barbel
I also seem to now have a very nice set of pristine Normark rods! Microlite Match 12ft and 13ft, Multi Tip and Titan 13ft. I fancy the Titan will be my weapon of choice when I get around to the Stour chub later in the year
The process continues... lots of stuff to be donated to various good causes but I'll be keeping one of two of the special finds..... floats in particular!