It Shouted Buy Me, But What Is It? - Little Greenheart Hardy

[MaggotDrowner]

I went for a look around a local antiques place again this afternoon (I must stop doing that!) and bought a little greenheart rod. It's 7ft long, and comes in two sections. There is no writing on the rod but the the metal cap at the bottom of the handle is marked Hardy's.

The big butt guide on it suggests to me that it is a spinning rod. However when I put a reel on it, threaded the line and gave it a pull it seemed to have a very slow / through action to it. The guides are low bells and all agate. I guess therefore it may just be a little coarse rod for ledgering? I wouldn't trust it with big fish though, or line above 4lb.

The rod has quite a droop, which worsens if the rod it bent. If you then hold the rod upside down and bend it again the droop improves again. You can bend it as much as you like upside down and the droop never gets any worse, so I might have to take the rings off and turn the section. (I really put a good bend in it upside down because greenheart has a reputation for exploding and I'd rather that happened in my garden than while hooked into a fish.) I think, once I turn the tip section it will be lovely to use. It feels very good with a reel on it. Seems like it hardly weighs anything. I guess that's because it's tiny though.


Here's some pictures:













Anyone else have any other theories as to what it was made for other than just a general coarse ledger rod?

Also I'm struggling to find a year of manufacture. Can anyone help here? The serial number is: G28592. As far as I can make out anything starting with a G is a bit tricky, but I'd love to put a date on it, even if it is a bit vague. The decade even would be nice to know. Just curiosity really. As it cost much less than a night in the pub I don't mind.

[Wallys-Cast]

Hi Jack,
I have just restored a very similar rod only mine was made by Sharpes of Aberdeen.

It is indeed a Spinning rod and yours is probably the "Hardy Favourite" made between 1938 and 1952. The line rating is uncertain but around 7lb max should be ok.

The action on greenheart spinning rods is generally thought to be superior to cane so to put this to the test I am taking mine with me on a fishing holiday next week and intend to test it to the limit so I'll let you know how it handles carp, or doesn't as the case may be..

I don't know what you paid for yours but it probably has £50.00 worth of rings on it.

The sections can be straightened with heat the same as cane but a little more time with the hot air gun is needed to get the heat right into the centre of the wood.

Wal.

[MaggotDrowner]

I don't know what you paid for yours but it probably has £50.00 worth of rings on it.

How much?! Just for the eyes? I only paid £20 for the rod.

The seller had it labeled up as a cane fly rod. I tried to explain to him that it was green heart and for coarse fish but I think I just confused him. There was a fly rod with it, called the Junior or something like that - also Hardys. But I didn't buy that too.

I cannot imagine fishing for big fish with mine. Perhaps it will seem more capable when I have turned the tip.

Thanks for the reply and info, Wal. I look forward to hearing how yours handles the carp! Do let me know how you get on.

[MaggotDrowner]

I went float fishing with it yesterday. I know that's not what it is for but I couldn't resist adding it to the rod bag when I was getting ready. Managed this nice cruciany goldfishy thingy about 3 ft out in 4 1/2ft of water on a couple of grains of sweetcorn. Didn't really test the rod but a nice first fish.







Can anyone make a suggestion as to what thread would be a good match to this green?

[Loop Erimder]

Always nice to get a fish on the first outing with a new rod welldone MD

[Wallys-Cast]

Hi Jack, just got back from a few days fishing and can report that the Greenheart spinning rod is a real delight to use. No carp but a few big Ide up to 4lb and Rudd of 2lb put a good bend in the rod.

It is a great rod for freelining a bit of bread, just a light flick and the bait flies out with ease.


Wal.

[MHC]

Looks to be a H W Favourite Hardy rod, though someone has been enthusiastically scrubbing away at the cork handle, and brass end, with sandpaper. According to Jim Hardys book the rod dates to specifically 1949 for serial numbers G27503 - G28689

The rings do not look original as lined throughout, if indeed they are. Also the rod has been re wrapped, in latter years many rods are being (re) wrapped far beyond the end of the feet rather than the customary 1/8" or so, with very thick trims.

By 1957 the Favourite was made with whole cane butt and split cane tip and no butt button which the earlier model seems to have had. It appears in the budget end of the 1957 catalogue and had by then unlined butt ring, intermediate snakes (?) and Agateen tip ring. The sliding reel bands also point to the budget end with more expensive models sporting screw fittings.

[MaggotDrowner]

Nice one, Wal. I do like ide, especially in winter!

I have caught a couple of small tench and carp on mine. They put a nice bend in it though. Feels nice in use too.





Interesting that we both paired our rods with similar a similar ambidex.

[MaggotDrowner]

Thanks MHC. Very informative. I would say mine is the 5lb one based on the curve the small carp put into it!

[Wallys-Cast]

Well done with that carp Jack, they really can shift when young and fit like that one.

I did notice we both had the rods teamed up with a Half bail Ambidex, they do look the part on an old rod don't they.

Wal.