What is a Palakona rod?

[Thomas Turner]

We all use the term on a regular basis, but what actually is a Palakona cane rod?

In 1882 Hardy invented a revolutionary system of building hexagonal-shaped or formed rods from lengths of split bamboo strip. Trade mark No 246936, they are sought after worldwide by collectors and anglers in equal numbers.

All the cane sections had to be identical and perfect, so that no matter which face of the rod was used, or onto which facet the rings were fitted, it gave a true casting action.

This system provided maximum strength, true action, and resistance to all stress and torsion. They launched the rods at the 1883-1884 Great Fisheries Exhibition in London where they were awarded a Gold Medal. So the Palakona Reg. trademark rod was born.

Hardy are world leaders in marketing fishing tackle and seized upon every opportunity to demonstrate their quality and developments.

Rods with inspirational names like the Princess Mary, the Perfection, The CC de France, Halford Knockabout, the Hebridian Fly, the Marvel, the Coronation, Paradox Mahseer, Special Spinning Tasmanian Great Lake, and The Shannon Castle Connell Balance Special, designing rods for lakes and rivers right down to a special beat. Their list of rods was immense but like any amazing restaurant, the menu had to be trimmed from time to time or it would have resulted in commercial chaos.

With a handful of Royal Warrants, a family of anglers and engineers and an eager audience worldwide, their Hardy Anglers Guides provided page upon page of glorious detail of their inventions and use.

Fishing hints and tips from brook trout to the mighty Mahseer, Hardy had a Palakona rod to suit every need. They even experimented with an Octagonal series of 8 strip rods but these were not a commercial success.

Hardy would build a rod to the best of their ability to do a job and then apply a price, unlike other machine/ factory made rods which were built to a price first.

Using specialist knowledge in the choice of the raw bamboo, they insisted on the very best quality bamboo for their rods, found only in a few districts. Only the best was used to build a Palakona rod.

It helped, of course, having JJ Hardy as a professional Champion fly caster, and LR Hardy, inventor and marine engineer who initially came up with the 6 strip concept. Hardy was proud to advertise “This is not entirely a business interest, but an enthusiast‘s hobby, as it has always been to Hardy”. It gives you a warm snuggle blanket of confidence that you’re dealing with fellow anglers, clouding over the hard nose businessmen necessary to the company’s success.

Of course all of the above matters not if you don’t have the skills. Hardy ensured they had the very best craftsmen building and finishing the rods to the very highest standards fit for a king.

As the years progressed so did the development of the Palakona, to include Split Bamboo rods with and without Steel Centre, Single build with 6 pieces of hex cane, double built with 12 pieces of cane. Double built with Steel centre and Hollow built all followed and increased the range to a staggering level of choice.

Stored in a constant temperature room, hung upright and dried after use, their rods will last a lifetime with anglers still fishing with examples over 100 years old, a true testament to their quality and craftsmanship.



Click here to see the range of Palakona rods available on our website.

The post What is a Palakona rod? appeared first on Thomas Turner Fishing Antiques.

Continue reading...

 

[@Clive]

We all use the term on a regular basis, but what actually is a Palakona cane rod?

In 1882 Hardy invented a revolutionary system of building hexagonal-shaped or formed rods from lengths of split bamboo strip. Trade mark No 246936, they are sought after worldwide by collectors and anglers in equal numbers.

All the cane sections had to be identical and perfect, so that no matter which face of the rod was used, or onto which facet the rings were fitted, it gave a true casting action.

This system provided maximum strength, true action, and resistance to all stress and torsion. They launched the rods at the 1883-1884 Great Fisheries Exhibition in London where they were awarded a Gold Medal. So the Palakona Reg. trademark rod was born.

Hardy are world leaders in marketing fishing tackle and seized upon every opportunity to demonstrate their quality and developments.

Rods with inspirational names like the Princess Mary, the Perfection, The CC de France, Halford Knockabout, the Hebridian Fly, the Marvel, the Coronation, Paradox Mahseer, Special Spinning Tasmanian Great Lake, and The Shannon Castle Connell Balance Special, designing rods for lakes and rivers right down to a special beat. Their list of rods was immense but like any amazing restaurant, the menu had to be trimmed from time to time or it would have resulted in commercial chaos.

With a handful of Royal Warrants, a family of anglers and engineers and an eager audience worldwide, their Hardy Anglers Guides provided page upon page of glorious detail of their inventions and use.

Fishing hints and tips from brook trout to the mighty Mahseer, Hardy had a Palakona rod to suit every need. They even experimented with an Octagonal series of 8 strip rods but these were not a commercial success.

Hardy would build a rod to the best of their ability to do a job and then apply a price, unlike other machine/ factory made rods which were built to a price first.

Using specialist knowledge in the choice of the raw bamboo, they insisted on the very best quality bamboo for their rods, found only in a few districts. Only the best was used to build a Palakona rod.

It helped, of course, having JJ Hardy as a professional Champion fly caster, and LR Hardy, inventor and marine engineer who initially came up with the 6 strip concept. Hardy was proud to advertise “This is not entirely a business interest, but an enthusiast‘s hobby, as it has always been to Hardy”. It gives you a warm snuggle blanket of confidence that you’re dealing with fellow anglers, clouding over the hard nose businessmen necessary to the company’s success.

Of course all of the above matters not if you don’t have the skills. Hardy ensured they had the very best craftsmen building and finishing the rods to the very highest standards fit for a king.

As the years progressed so did the development of the Palakona, to include Split Bamboo rods with and without Steel Centre, Single build with 6 pieces of hex cane, double built with 12 pieces of cane. Double built with Steel centre and Hollow built all followed and increased the range to a staggering level of choice.

Stored in a constant temperature room, hung upright and dried after use, their rods will last a lifetime with anglers still fishing with examples over 100 years old, a true testament to their quality and craftsmanship.



Click here to see the range of Palakona rods available on our website.

The post What is a Palakona rod? appeared first on Thomas Turner Fishing Antiques.

Continue reading...

Err.

LR Hardy was the son of the co-founder William Hardy and nephew of the other co-founder JJ Hardy. He was never an engineer. You are thinking of the founder's brother Forster Hardy who was variously a marine boiler engineer, fishing tackle retailer and had some input into the design of the Hardy Perfect fly reel. I have never heard of his involvement in rod building. And in any event LR Hardy wasn't born until 1884.

The hexaganol built cane rod was first made by Hyram Leonard in America. The Hardy brothers obtained an example of this type of rod and engaged some cabinet makers to take it apart in order to see how it was made. Then Hardy began to copy the design. Hyram Leonard also held many world casting records.

H.L. Leonard - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

When the Hardy company eventually passed to LR Hardy he made the claim that Hardy had invented the hexaganol cane rod. Comically in the same catalogue they published a letter from a customer that stated that until Hardy had started making built cane rods they had to make do with 'inverior' American made rods. These 'inferior' rods were the ones used by Hyram Leonard to set casting records all over the world.


Steel core rods were claimed to have been invented by the Derbyshire company of Foster Bros. There was an advertising campaign aimed at Hardy's pirating of their invention. In the Hardy's Angler's Guide they published charts supposedly demonstrating the breaking point and recovery time of steel lined rods to unlined rods. The charts actually show that there is bu99er all difference in them.

Palakona is simply the trade name used by Hardy in the early days when all their cane was sourced from the Indian Forestry Department.

If you want an independent source of the history of the Hardy company look up 'In the Shadow of Hardy. The Walker, Bampton story'. £9.99 on Kindle books.

 

[no-one in particular]

I have remembered now looking at the link above which rod it was I had a few years ago. It was the Palakona Perfection Roach rod. I paid £12 for it in a junk shop. It was badly damaged, broken tip and a few other issues that was beyond my limited abilities, so I sold it, a bloke traveled a long way to pick it up and gave me £55, he said he was going to restore it, if he did manage that he had a very good rod. I see Thomas Hardy is selling one for £169. That's probably a fair price, they are a lovely roach rod, light and soft actioned, I had a waggle of mine and could see that. I think this Hardy name is sometimes a bit over done but this was a very nice rod.

 

[@Clive]

The all built cane roach rods were superceded by rods with a whole cane butt section and either two built cane upper sections, or for match fishing, two whole cane lower sections and a built cane top. These gave stiffness lower down and less weight. Their action is more 'tippy' than 'through'. The Palakona Perfection style rods fell out of favour gainst the FWK Wallis designed 'Wizard' rods. The Perfection Roach these days would probably be described as a chub or bream rod.

 

[no-one in particular]

The all built cane roach rods were superceded by rods with a whole cane butt section and either two built cane upper sections, or for match fishing, two whole cane lower sections and a built cane top. These gave stiffness lower down and less weight. Their action is more 'tippy' than 'through'. The Palakona Perfection style rods fell out of favour gainst the FWK Wallis designed 'Wizard' rods. The Perfection Roach these days would probably be described as a chub or bream rod.

I can only go on memory but the Palakona perfection roach I held I thought would have been just a tad light for chub and bream, I am sure it could have handled them but not as well as something a bit beefier. Thinking of the 4+ chub I caught in the winter and the 5lb+ bream I caught this week I think it would have been a bit of a strain on that rod. I can remember at the time thinking the rod was well named, the perfection roach. However, I am sure you are right better rods came along, these must be old rods, in their day the best but not any more although I wouldnt mind a fully restored one.

 

[@Clive]

I can only go on memory but the Palakona perfection roach I held I thought would have been just a tad light for chub and bream, I am sure it could have handled them but not as well as something a bit beefier. Thinking of the 4+ chub I caught in the winter and the 5lb+ bream I caught this week I think it would have been a bit of a strain on that rod. I can remember at the time thinking the rod was well named, the perfection roach. However, I am sure you are right better rods came along, these must be old rods, in their day the best but not any more although I wouldnt mind a fully restored one.

I think that it is down to how methods changed. Trotting only really became feasible when cast alloy centrepins replaced the heavier and less free running wood and brass models. Striking requires a tippier action. Prior to that roach fishing was float ledgering or laying on with heavy floats. FWK Wallis used quill floats that would carry 12 swan shot and employed a size 8 hook for roach on the Hampshire Avon and Trent.

The 11 foot Roach Perfection would be similar in action to the much later 10 foot Mk. IV Avon and that has accounted for carp up to 51lb. I've used mine for much more modest fish.

 

[@Clive]

Quite by chance I received an email this morning from a golfer who collects vintage golf clubs. Seems that Hardy produced Palakona shafts for golf clubs. One of the clubs that he had bought online had been made by JJS Walker, Bampton & Co the smaller Alnwick fishing tackle manufacturer. It is possible if not probable that other built cane rod makers also made shafts for golf clubs.

 

[no-one in particular]

I think that it is down to how methods changed. Trotting only really became feasible when cast alloy centrepins replaced the heavier and less free running wood and brass models. Striking requires a tippier action. Prior to that roach fishing was float ledgering or laying on with heavy floats. FWK Wallis used quill floats that would carry 12 swan shot and employed a size 8 hook for roach on the Hampshire Avon and Trent.

The 11 foot Roach Perfection would be similar in action to the much later 10 foot Mk. IV Avon and that has accounted for carp up to 51lb. I've used mine for much more modest fish.

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I wouldnt fancy catching a 51lb carp on a perfection roach rod! nice fish in the pictures, nice mullet, what rods were they, they look different..

 

[@Clive]

The top one is a Mk. 4 Avon sold as a kit rod by JB Walker and the other is a Chapmans 500 that you could buy as a kit or as a finished rod. Peter Dawson restored it for me just after I bought it. He used to build the Peter Wheat Ledger rod for Chapmans in the 1960's. He said that before fibreglass the Chapmans 500 out sold every other rod from his shop in Sheffield. They also did a 550 that was 1.5lb tc like the Mk. 4 carp rod.

The Mk. 4 Avon is a much nicer rod to use imo as it has two tapers so has a thicker butt than the Chapmans and a thinner tip. If you do the Wallis Cast you can feel the difference in how the power is transmitted through the rod.

The fibreglass Richard Walker Avon version sold by Hardy is also a very versatile rod. It has a screw in top guide that I use to attach a swing tip when fishing lakes.

That mullet caught me by surprise. I used to fish a place where you could fish waggler for roach midstream while waiting for the mullet to come in. It was very blustery and I was struggling to get the distance required for the waggler and I swapped the Trudex centrepin to a fixed spool so I could put more effort into the cast. A few minutes later I noticed a big mullet right next to where I was sitting. It was about an hour earlier than I had anticipated. I just slid the float down a few feet and dropped a breadflake bait in front of it. It was just under 6lb.