The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

The rod on eBay has certain features that appear on both of mine. The ferrule stopper is identical. The reel bands are the same. The 3 small intermediate whippings just above the butt are the same. The intermediate eyes are the same but my rods have brown agate butt and tip eyes. If it is a kit rod made with a Sharpes blank and Sharpes fittings does that not make it a Sharpes rod ? It would be very interesting if we could find a catalogue from McHardys showing a kit. I will be watching the end of the auction, not bidding though :-)

I'd love to see the details in the Mc Hardy catalogue I used to pour over it in the early 1980's. My father bought a rod by them on a Fibatube blank and it was very nicely made up. We still have it.

Oh I'm in no doubt that it's a Sharpes blank and I've written consistently that I think it's a nice rod but I don't think it's an as new ex Sharpes factory rod, which is what the ebay listing implies but is careful not to state this categorically, ie. 'not used by me.' As to whether a rod made on blank is a 'genuine' example must be up to the individual to decide but knowing for certain either way would effect it's market value.

As Wal says it might be salmon spinning rod in which case it's still a genuine Sharpes rod but just not a Carp rod.

Kit rods can be a can of worms.


I went fishing with a whole cane butt kit rod last year......most probably a J B Walker 'Super Avon'. I'd fished with the rod in the margins on another trip with Bumble, but on this second outing I tried an overhead cast......and watched my tip section and middle section sticking out of the mud 30 yeards out!

The whole cane butt hadn't been heated to take the ferrule it had been cremated!

I was lucky enough to find another donor butt section in the loft.......

OK Probably a one-off case and possibly only one that will affect whole cane butts.......but a kit rod might well not be as good as a rod-maker built rod...indeed, it shouldn't be really or we'd all be rodmakers......

I think the handle would have been shorter if it was a spinning rod and there is no obvious sign of a fixed reel fitting having been removed, the corks look consistent. Were the spinning rods made on the same blank as The Carp ?

There is another Carp for sale ....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-SHARP ... 6016.l4276

There is also a spinning rod. The carp rod has a standoff butt ring with white agate, the spinning rod has a standoff chrome ring ! I am totally confused. This is far too complicated to be a conspiracy, I need a beer.

It would be great if someone on TFF won this rod :-)

The entire handle might have been rebuilt, it's almost certainly been cleaned however, it does look consistent with the handle shape of the Carp. As Wal noted the fitting of the butt cap is not consistent with Sharpes quality so it makes you ask, why not?

I've often wondered if Sharpes just used one of the Salmon rod blanks for their Carp rod which has always been reckoned to be 'not quite a MkIV'. If so this would suggest there is a cheaper way of obtaining a Sharpes Carp!

The handle on my 9ft 3in "The J. S. Sharpe. spinning rod is 25 inches long with sliding reel bands. Its the only one of these spinning rods I have had with sliding reel bands but it is also none impregnated cane so could well be a customer specified rod.


Interesting to see the other Carp rod on ebay is 9ft 6in long and the Carp label looks right on this one. It just shows the variations you can find in what you think is a standard design.

Wal.

SofaSurfer wrote:I hope it tops £400 :-)

£430. Your wish has been granted SS. Personally I think it is a good one, despite the misgivings aired on here. I do hope so for the winning bidder.
Bob

£430 - excellent result. Did anyone on TFF win it?

A matched pair ought to be worth over £1k :-)

Bob,

Posts crossed. I agree, there is far too much variation in these rods to condem a rod on the basis of a few photos. I would want to waggle it before bidding. Time for another beer :-)

I'm glad it did well, it is a very nice looking rod, restored or not and has a great pedigree.

I am sure whoever bought it will get a lot of pleasure from using it and by the way they are increasing in price lately it looks like a good investment.

Wal.