Priory Rod Identification, Restoration & Eye Number Question

[Bumble]

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/inde ... cane-rods/
This may be of interest as well
Bumble

[Vole]

Is "built to order" the same as "custom built", or did they have a range of designs or a "pattern book", Chippendale-style, and only set about planing cane once they had a customer?
I'd have thought it would have made sense to keep a few standard models in the windows of the local tackle shops, especially Davis's, which is right by the Royalty fishery's entrance. There must have been hordes of people getting off the train, taking their first look at the river, and realising they needed re-arming, pronto.

[Nobby]

My impression is that Priory rods made a number of Avocet style variants and some were more 'budget' than others. Ceramic rings and few intermediates suggests a more budget rod to me.

Keeping costs down in this way might reflect a rural firm having to build for local pockets as opposed to someone in London with a huge populace on his doorstep. But if he builds on rubbish cane he's soon going out of business......

People often talk of a rod having 'the look' of some fine maker, but isn't it more likely that a chap will go into his local firm and say he's seen this rod he fancied...nice dark cane with a bit of stiffness about it.....lovely green silk with an onion handle,....and the rural rod maker says " I can build you that!" ? That's business, that is.


I might gently point out that those 'mistral' pages, as they have become known , were uploaded by a man who happened to have for sale the very rods he eulogised.......he seems never to have had a rod he didn't think a 'magical wand'


Do you get it....'magical wand'...wizard.....



It's the way I tell 'em!



I too have a Priory Rod, I think. It didn't cost me too much so I put a cruel, cruel bend in it. Nothing.

I let it spring back and it leapt in my hand. This one is a keeper and it's getting the best work I can manage on it. I hope your is the same and that they both meet a Bertie soon!

[JohnL]

If Priory made budget versions they certainly didn't skimp on the cane, the ones I've restored have been of the finest quality I have come across, dark, steely and without a hint of a glue line. They did tend to have short handles though, I guess the style at the time with the reel fitted behind the hand.

[MaggotDrowner]

I have seen that, Bumble. I think it is the same rod but it was back in 2005 and we all know how much the price of cane can fluctuate. Value doesn't really matter. I don't think I'll be selling it. It's just a matter of interest now. I'm too attached already and I haven't even fished with it yet!

What sort of strength line should I be looking to use on this rod? Would 6lb be a bit on the heavy side?

[Bumble]

Certainly no more

[MaggotDrowner]

What do you use with similar rods, Bumble? My tench pool is very weedy so I usually use 6lb with glass or carbon.

[Bumble]

On most of the reels now I have either 5 or 6 I have one for Barbel that has 8 on in case I fish close to a snag I am not a massive fan of heavy lines on cane rods but that is just a personal thing.
Bumble

[MaggotDrowner]

THE ROD IS FINISHED!

I thought I'd update you with a few photographs. I chose to do the whippings in red, tipped with gold. I think this extra detail makes the rod look nice and the gold tips complement the gold colour of the label. Perhaps others will not like the colour, perhaps they will think it's a bit bright, but I like it. I am really pleased with how it turned out. More so than with the 11ft floatcaster. And it has cost no more than £35! I cannot wait to try it out.

The whole rods - before / after.


The logos - Before / after.


I have painted my name under the varnish. I guess this tells you I became to attached to consider selling it!


New rubber button. I chose red to match the whippings.


Whippings to the butt section ferrule. The issue of the conical shape of the original ferrule was met by using a big replacement and using string under the ferrule to attach it to the thinner end. You can just see that the rod was originally coned in shape before the ferrule.


Testing the line guide spacing. I chose to keep just the six guides. The rod feels lovely and balanced, and not at all tip heavy with just the six guides. I have also found reference to another Priory rod with similar measurements (again no model name) having only six guides, so I think that must have been the original number. I think the curve looks okay with just the six?

[MaggotDrowner]

I would like to know if anyone thinks that the middle section is not bending enough, due to lack of rings, or is this just a rod that is surposed to have most of the action closer to the tip?