The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Just found a load of fibre glass rod blanks, ferrules, etc up for sale by Olliver's of Knebworth - all on an auction site.

Sorry to say Olly, these have been on the auction site for well over a year, when I decided to try my hand at refurbishing some cane rods, I was so scared I might ruin them, so I bought three blanks, plus all the fittings from Ted and Tina, ie Olivers. I rang them on a number of occasions for advice, and finally made from scratch, an 11ft Avon, a 9ft ledger and a 11ft carp rod, I then posted some pics on here to see if the members thought I was good enough to have a go at cane, haven't looked back since. I still buy most of my stuff from them including whipping binders, silk, and rod eyes, I was lucky enough to get a clear agate butt and tip eye a couple of weeks ago, and they cost me well under what the usual suppliers were charging, so they seem to have quite a bit of old stock, and from what Tina said, the are still buying in eyes and stuff.

Well the glass rods were always quality! Made several for myself & others in the early age of glass. Regrettably I no longer have them!

Dear me but some of the things in that listing reminds me very strongly of the 12 ft Fibatube tench rod kit I built a rod from in 1973 and that disappeared in my mother's clear out in 1985 (along with a Fibatube Mk IV carp, a Delmatic and an Efgeeco seat box). May have found a summer project.