The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Have just acquired a (Farstrike) Gerry Savage Carp rod, acquired recently from another TFF member. It is in need of a little tlc - looking forward to fishing with it in my local lake - close season notwithstanding!

Met GS bankside when I lived in Kent (nr Matfield); and saw him once or twice when he relocated to Cornwall: he was always very approachable - and I think an evangelist for winter Carp. I remember listening to his radio programme Good Fishing.

I'm looking forward to comparing this GS back-to-back with my Hardy Richard Walker Carp No1 - thoughts and comments welcome chaps.

John.

I had a pair of GS S/U's in Red glass in my youth... wish I'd never sold them...

I have a glass Marco? version of the GS somewhere, has a funny round button cap but has been rung with Fujis if I remember correctly.

Bluelabel wrote:I had a pair of GS S/U's in Red glass in my youth... wish I'd never sold them...

Interesting, was the blank the near see through, translucent glass? If so I have an D & F Avon in that style.

I believe the red blank (rarer) came before the green.

John.

Reedling wrote:I have a glass Marco? version of the GS somewhere, has a funny round button cap but has been rung with Fujis if I remember correctly.

Would be interesting to see that, would be a later rod than the D & F as Tony Fordham went to Marco after D & Fs demise (and carried on making signature rods*).

John.

*D & F signature rods included Gerry Savage, Peter Wheat, Peter Stone, Jack Hargreaves and Clive Gammon...clever marketing for 40 years ago.

DrJohn wrote:

Bluelabel wrote:I had a pair of GS S/U's in Red glass in my youth... wish I'd never sold them...

Interesting, was the blank the near see through, translucent glass? If so I have an D & F Avon in that style.

I believe the red blank (rarer) came before the green.

John.

Thems the ones....

I remember looking at the D and F Farstrike, I think it was quite light and stiff with very nice hollow glass joints, not the solid glass spigots Bruce and Walker used :-)

SofaSurfer wrote:I remember looking at the D and F Farstrike, I think it was quite light and stiff with very nice hollow glass joints, not the solid glass spigots Bruce and Walker used :-)

You're correct, all my D & F rods have these hollow spigots, apart from an unusual and rare match rod which is"glass to glass": reputed to be one a batch of specials made for the British Team.

I do have two B & W rods (including a B. James B & W) with hollow spigots - but I think D & F were the innovators as I have seen their early - pre Thames Street, Poole* - rods with hollow spigots.

John.

*Ware, Herts before Poole.

DrJohn wrote:

Reedling wrote:I have a glass Marco? version of the GS somewhere, has a funny round button cap but has been rung with Fujis if I remember correctly.

Would be interesting to see that, would be a later rod than the D & F as Tony Fordham went to Marco after D & Fs demise (and carried on making signature rods*).

John.

*D & F signature rods included Gerry Savage, Peter Wheat, Peter Stone, Jack Hargreaves and Clive Gammon...clever marketing for 40 years ago.

Here are a couple of pictures of my Marco rod......

Here is a picture of Mike Starkey using his Marco ‘Gerry Savage’ rods at the Tarn Pond at Cutt Mill, near Farnham Surrey around 1973/4. This Marco version of the GS rod became, along with the S/U version (for slinging out a bait further) quite popular at the time.