The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I restored one of these over the winter this year, but didn't have a fish on until the new season. It's an early one, with the sheet cork handle, gold label, red writing and seem finer than the other one I have. It is a lovely little thing, and brilliant for chub fishing. It originally had blue whippings, but I re did it in yellow with black tips. Also put agate tip and butt rings on it, as I prefer these to the original plain wire. I have caught barbel on it to about 6lb, but it is a little on the light side, and is much happier playing chub. I also had to make a new ferrul for it, as the butt ferrul was cracked, as they often are. I love it dearly.

st.john wrote:I restored one of these over the winter this year, but didn't have a fish on until the new season. It's an early one, with the sheet cork handle, gold label, red writing and seem finer than the other one I have. It is a lovely little thing, and brilliant for chub fishing. It originally had blue whippings, but I re did it in yellow with black tips. Also put agate tip and butt rings on it, as I prefer these to the original plain wire. I have caught barbel on it to about 6lb, but it is a little on the light side, and is much happier playing chub. I also had to make a new ferrul for it, as the butt ferrul was cracked, as they often are. I love it dearly.

Sounds lovely st.john

Sounds like all your work was more than worth it!! :thumb:

It wasn't that bad to do. No intermediates to speak of, and I used thicker silk to keep it closer to the original look.

I would agree with st.john on the earlier Lucky Strikes being a finer rod.I have an early gold oval blue whipped one.It has a composite cork handle and a ceramic tip ring.Its a lovely light rod and is finer than a later rectangular transferred one that has the yellow black tipped whippings that i also use.

I often take them when fishing for rudd in ponds and small lakes.The carp usually move in on the intended rudd baits before too long.Ive caught them to over eight pounds on the later rod.The early rod gets packed a way as soon as they start mooching around when i am using that one!. :shock: ...

bloody right!! i was cubbing on the wye and hooked into a 6lb barbel. on 3lb line and the lucky, hairy wasn't in it! the fish took the bait 2 foot below the float in about 6 foot of water... that's quite high for a barbel in my experence. i usually only get the barbel to bite when it skims right across the deck.

st.john
I know what you mean. I have an early model like you, same yellow and black tipped whipping in fact.

A couple of winters ago, I was fishing the Test for roach and grayling, hooked a 5lb 8oz sea trout. Took
me ages to get it in, but it managed it. Excellent rod for roach, chub, perch etc lovely action and feels
really well balanced.

I purchased a dilapidated Lucky Strike from a customer this week for a song (not literally :notlisterning: )..it has a near perfect gold oval label with red writing, brass fittings, and the tapered brass bezel(?) at the front of a cork handle. The decaying threads look like they were the yellow version and look to be original and I intend to redo them on this colour with the black trim. However,All my research suggest that they should be blue. I do appreciate that there is no exact science where Allcocks were concerned. As there are no guides on the blank bar a few rusty remnants and I do intend to refurb this rod any advice on the relevant ring sizes would be most welcomed.

I've got one that I call my Lucky Strike-alike as unfortunately it has no labels. I bought it for £30 on Ebay and it neded very lttle work to get in fishing order. Like St Johns it had a cracked ferrule (middle/tip), but I procured a replacement from Chapmans . Other than straightening a slight set in the tip, resetting the butt/middle ferrule and a coat of varnish nothing else was needed. All the furniture points to a late green/black label model.

I find that mine is an excellent small river trotting rod when paired with a Rapidex and it has enough backbone to cope with most that I connect with (I don't use it on the middle Swale though!).

Here are a couple of pictures from grayling fishing on the Calder yesterday:

Love the photos Sean especially the last one. :thumb: