The AE Rudgocet?

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SeanM
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The AE Rudgocet?

Post by SeanM »

I bought this rod from the on-line place on a whim. I hadn't even read the description properly so I was pleasantly surprised when the rod turned up.

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Not in the best of condition, but a quick test on the Hilary fish showed it to be a powerful rod with a lovely action.

The bad news was that it's about 3 inches short (as noted by the seller) but when measured it still goes a full 11ft, giving an original length of around 11ft 3in. You'll also notice the lovely dark cane in both the whole cane butt and the split cane joint and tip (not that I'm assuming a particular maker for the cane!).

I wasn't aware that AE Rudge did an Avocet copy, but this certainly ticks a few boxes. I'll have a measure of the flat to flat dimensions of the sections for comparison.

Has anyone else come across this rod?
Quot homines, tot sententiae.

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Crucian
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by Crucian »

Nice rod Sean,
I've a couple of rods from this maker, good cane and quality fittings.
I'd be surprised if they didn't make an Avocet copy, most makers did.
nice long handle too...

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Vole
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by Vole »

Sorry, but why is it an "Avocet copy" rather than a "Nottingham Pattern" or a "Wizard copy"?
Avocets were later than Wizards, surely, and the Wizard was just a very good Nottingham-style rod, no?

And didn't some Avocets have split-cane butts, making them "Octofloat style" or "Upstream Worming style"?

I saw someone peddling a greenish cane/cane/split-cane rod on the 'bay as "Wizard style" (it might have been "Avocet style", I was annoyed, but not enough to take notes) recently...well, that's the standard "bottom rod" formula, so common it never got a name, so is any green-stained rod "Wizard style"? If so, I've got a carb*n one! Why, even my old Lerc glass roach-pole must be "Wizard style" by that logic.
Very confusing.
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by Paul D »

SeanM wrote: Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:10 pmI'll have a measure of the flat to flat dimensions of the sections for comparison.
Not many flats on whole cane :Chuckle: interesting looking rod though. :Hat:

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SeanM
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by SeanM »

Vole wrote: Thu Jul 27, 2017 9:42 pm Sorry, but why is it an "Avocet copy" rather than a "Nottingham Pattern" or a "Wizard copy"?
Avocets were later than Wizards, surely, and the Wizard was just a very good Nottingham-style rod, no?

And didn't some Avocets have split-cane butts, making them "Octofloat style" or "Upstream Worming style"?

I saw someone peddling a greenish cane/cane/split-cane rod on the 'bay as "Wizard style" (it might have been "Avocet style", I was annoyed, but not enough to take notes) recently...well, that's the standard "bottom rod" formula, so common it never got a name, so is any green-stained rod "Wizard style"? If so, I've got a carb*n one! Why, even my old Lerc glass roach-pole must be "Wizard style" by that logic.
Very confusing.
OK you've got me there - it's really a Widge (or possibly a Rudgard, but these are rare)

You're right Vole I could have called it a Wizard copy, but it's more like an Avocet than a Wizard: 23inch handle, 11ft 3in (ish) and more powerful than a Wizard. Received wisdom (Inthenetuk) has it that the original Avocets were Bob Southwell "Wizards" and that Southwell sold blanks to many other small rod builders. Later Avocets, using blanks made by B James, did have split cane butts. The ones like that that I have handled felt very heavy in the hand.

I'm not trying to add value to the rod by association - it just piqued my curiosity as the brass furniture points to an early 1950s rod and Avocets from then are rare.
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Vole
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by Vole »

Ah, the handle length; I'd forgotten about that! Good call.
Did Rudgards go out of fashion in sync with Kipling's waning reputation?

Sean, you are the last person I'd imply was trying to boost a rod's value by association, it's just that our nomenclature of vintage and antique rods is so appallingly vague that nobody's sure exactly what anybody else means... I know what I mean by "Thames style", for instance, but to a Sowerbutts' addict it would mean something completely different (and about seven feet longer) whereas half the West Midlands' anglers would probably call it an "Avon pattern"... and thereby open another can of worms.

What's to be done?
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SeanM
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by SeanM »

Vole wrote: Sat Jul 29, 2017 6:56 am Did Rudgards go out of fashion in sync with Kipling's waning reputation?
:laugh1:

You're right Vole. When does a Wizard copy become an Avocet copy and is a "pre-Walker" avon rod suitable for fishing for big chub? These and other questions will never get the same answer. There are too many people trying to big up some very ordinary rods by association. The lowly Isis is often billed as a Wizard style rod and I suppose it has a similar handle and a whole cane butt.

Maybe we need to set up a piscatorial nomenclature committee - I can see it now: "A TFF certified class 1 Wizard copy in very nice condition. Southwell shade cane with and Avocet length handle, £3,000"

:surrender:
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SeanM
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by SeanM »

Here's the completed rod:

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As you can see I had a problem with colour bleed on the butt ring. I'll have to do a strip and rebuild at some point to rectify this.

11ft 4in, whole cane butt, split cane joint and tip. A lovely rod - if you see one buy it!
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Kingfisher
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Re: The AE Rudgocet?

Post by Kingfisher »

Very nice indeed Sean

God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.

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