Hardy Roach Pole?

The Hardy Rods forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
Paul F
Sea Trout
Posts: 4188
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:12 pm
10
Location: The West Country

Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by Paul F »

I have recently aquired a set of reproduction Hardy Anglers Guides published by John Drewett, and what a joy they have been to read and thumb through.
This set has years 1883, 1888, 1894, 1900 & 1905
Image
Image

What I particualy like, is they are like reading a book, as there are small chapters with hints on angling which include, trout, salmon, coarse fishing and barbel fishing.

There is no coarse fishing tackle in either the 1883 & 1888 catalougues.

What caught me was in the 1894 catalouge is an chapter on coarse fishing, and it mentions the "the Lea style" of roach fishing with a pole, and says to refer to page 163
Image

Low and behold in the section of rods for coarse fishing
952 1/2 Light roach poles 17-18ft, 30-50's
Image

I have read Michael Nadell's book poles apart, which is the absolute roach pole bible, but there is no mention of Hardy ever producing a roach pole.

I would assume Hardy did not sell many, as they were deleted at some time soon after, as they do not appear in the 1900 catalogue.

User avatar
MGs
Pike
Posts: 6417
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:24 pm
12
Location: Cornwall

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by MGs »

Holy grail if you can find one. Probably more chance of winning the lottery
Old car owners never die....they just rust away

User avatar
StefanDuma
Grayling
Posts: 503
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 6:11 pm
7

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by StefanDuma »

Hi Paul it really is a fascinating subject for Hardy Bros and there is the possibility of a Hardy Pole. My own guess is that if it did exist it would have been of their own making.

Its a bit like the elusive Hardy Poole rod.

Stef

User avatar
Duckett
Tench
Posts: 2865
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 2:42 pm
6
Location: Stratford E15

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by Duckett »

Just a thought, but wouldn't a "Lea style" roach pole be a bit too …. cough ….. working class for Hardy?
From "... the wilds of the Wirral, whose wayward people both God and good men have quite given up on ...".

User avatar
Paul F
Sea Trout
Posts: 4188
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:12 pm
10
Location: The West Country

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by Paul F »

Duckett wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:59 pm Just a thought, but wouldn't a "Lea style" roach pole be a bit too …. cough ….. working class for Hardy?
Hardy did not offer much coarse fishing stuff, but it was regarded very good quality, particualy from the mid 20's until WWII

The whole cane they used on the FWK Wallis range of rods was superb, you would struggle to find whole cane as good today.

The interesting thing was how much more expensive fly rods were to the coarse rods, yet there was more material in a coarse rod :Confused:

From a 1931 catalogue a 10ft Gold medal fly rod was £8 10s 6d, a 10ft Perfection Roach was £4 10s

User avatar
Duckett
Tench
Posts: 2865
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 2:42 pm
6
Location: Stratford E15

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by Duckett »

Paul F wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 2:02 pm
Duckett wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:59 pm Just a thought, but wouldn't a "Lea style" roach pole be a bit too …. cough ….. working class for Hardy?
Hardy did not offer much coarse fishing stuff, but it was regarded very good quality, particualy from the mid 20's until WWII

The whole cane they used on the FWK Wallis range of rods was superb, you would struggle to find whole cane as good today.

The interesting thing was how much more expensive fly rods were to the coarse rods, yet there was more material in a coarse rod :Confused:

From a 1931 catalogue a 10ft Gold medal fly rod was £8 10s 6d, a 10ft Perfection Roach was £4 10s
My old fella, who had successfully run 2 small businesses, liked to buy the best he could afford and once made the observation to me that, "If you are in the luxury market then you pitch your price at your customers and high service levels, not at the production cost." Hardy must be one of the supreme examples of that.

As I mentioned on another thread recently, I'm not into roach poles but the history does interest me as I live near and fish the River Lea and Lee Navigation. I stand to be corrected but my reading is that the "Lea style" was developed by less well off people in the City, East End and East London, as a cheap way of putting fish in the pot whilst relaxing. Even at the height of pole fishing, bankers thrones and pole making by Sowerbutts, Homer etc. it was a passion of (for want of a better description) the affluent/skilled working classes and lower middle classes. In spite of the lesser comparative cost of Hardy coarse fishing equipment, I find it hard to believe that this was a market they would bother with. After all, it doesn't appear that the giants of Redditch ever bothered - though that could simply be that the market was too small and localised!
From "... the wilds of the Wirral, whose wayward people both God and good men have quite given up on ...".

User avatar
Paul F
Sea Trout
Posts: 4188
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:12 pm
10
Location: The West Country

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by Paul F »

Duckett wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:07 pm
Paul F wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 2:02 pm
Duckett wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:59 pm Just a thought, but wouldn't a "Lea style" roach pole be a bit too …. cough ….. working class for Hardy?
Hardy did not offer much coarse fishing stuff, but it was regarded very good quality, particualy from the mid 20's until WWII

The whole cane they used on the FWK Wallis range of rods was superb, you would struggle to find whole cane as good today.

The interesting thing was how much more expensive fly rods were to the coarse rods, yet there was more material in a coarse rod :Confused:

From a 1931 catalogue a 10ft Gold medal fly rod was £8 10s 6d, a 10ft Perfection Roach was £4 10s
My old fella, who had successfully run 2 small businesses, liked to buy the best he could afford and once made the observation to me that, "If you are in the luxury market then you pitch your price at your customers and high service levels, not at the production cost." Hardy must be one of the supreme examples of that.

As I mentioned on another thread recently, I'm not into roach poles but the history does interest me as I live near and fish the River Lea and Lee Navigation. I stand to be corrected but my reading is that the "Lea style" was developed by less well off people in the City, East End and East London, as a cheap way of putting fish in the pot whilst relaxing. Even at the height of pole fishing, bankers thrones and pole making by Sowerbutts, Homer etc. it was a passion of (for want of a better description) the affluent/skilled working classes and lower middle classes. In spite of the lesser comparative cost of Hardy coarse fishing equipment, I find it hard to believe that this was a market they would bother with. After all, it doesn't appear that the giants of Redditch ever bothered - though that could simply be that the market was too small and localised!
I tend to agree with you Duckett, hence why I saw it in the 1894 catalogue, but gone by 1900, so it only lasted a few years, maybe they did not sell any at all? If they did they are a real rare beast!

User avatar
Duckett
Tench
Posts: 2865
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 2:42 pm
6
Location: Stratford E15

Re: Hardy Roach Pole?

Post by Duckett »

Paul F wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 5:35 pm
Duckett wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:07 pm
Paul F wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 2:02 pm
Duckett wrote: Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:59 pm Just a thought, but wouldn't a "Lea style" roach pole be a bit too …. cough ….. working class for Hardy?
Hardy did not offer much coarse fishing stuff, but it was regarded very good quality, particualy from the mid 20's until WWII

The whole cane they used on the FWK Wallis range of rods was superb, you would struggle to find whole cane as good today.

The interesting thing was how much more expensive fly rods were to the coarse rods, yet there was more material in a coarse rod :Confused:

From a 1931 catalogue a 10ft Gold medal fly rod was £8 10s 6d, a 10ft Perfection Roach was £4 10s
My old fella, who had successfully run 2 small businesses, liked to buy the best he could afford and once made the observation to me that, "If you are in the luxury market then you pitch your price at your customers and high service levels, not at the production cost." Hardy must be one of the supreme examples of that.

As I mentioned on another thread recently, I'm not into roach poles but the history does interest me as I live near and fish the River Lea and Lee Navigation. I stand to be corrected but my reading is that the "Lea style" was developed by less well off people in the City, East End and East London, as a cheap way of putting fish in the pot whilst relaxing. Even at the height of pole fishing, bankers thrones and pole making by Sowerbutts, Homer etc. it was a passion of (for want of a better description) the affluent/skilled working classes and lower middle classes. In spite of the lesser comparative cost of Hardy coarse fishing equipment, I find it hard to believe that this was a market they would bother with. After all, it doesn't appear that the giants of Redditch ever bothered - though that could simply be that the market was too small and localised!
I tend to agree with you Duckett, hence why I saw it in the 1894 catalogue, but gone by 1900, so it only lasted a few years, maybe they did not sell any at all? If they did they are a real rare beast!
Interesting. Is anyone aware of any from that short period that exist? People may be hunting for Snark.
From "... the wilds of the Wirral, whose wayward people both God and good men have quite given up on ...".

Post Reply

Return to “Hardy Cane Rods”