The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I've just picked up a Marco Test and after doing a bit of trawling on the site it would appear I might be missing a ledger tip, was this standard or an optional extra?

Harry H wrote: ↑Sun May 16, 2021 1:52 pm I've just picked up a Marco Test and after doing a bit of trawling on the site it would appear I might be missing a ledger tip, was this standard or an optional extra?

I have a late Marco Test. It was unrestored - it still had the crude late black whippings using thread the thickness of string! The tip ring was not a ledger tip amd had no screw thread. I got Wal to strip, re-whip and re-varnish it for me and he re-used the tip ring:


Hope that helps.

Phil

The Test was sold with two top sections, but I don't know if this was standard or an optional extra. One top was full length and the other slightly shorter.

I restored a 10ft. 6in. "Test" about 5 years ago, which came with a much stronger separate tip which converted it to a 9ft. rod.

It was sold by the owner's niece after he passed away, and she told me he used the rod to fish for barbel on his local Oxfordshire river.

I can only assume the additional tip came as a 'factory supplied optional extra.'

I was int3erested to see that the stronger of the two tips had a 'tulip' guide ... which may have been a 'customer option' too.









The original post is here ((photos missing, sadly ... but I added these from my records)).

Thanks for your responses, I suppose the other option might have been a mishap with the tip and a replacement sort and the original made into a ledger tip.
Having had another look at it does seem to have a fair bit of power in the butt so would be suitable for ledgering.
Anyway here's a few pictures of the rod in some lights the whippings look like they have a green tinge to them.




It's had the tip ring put back on a bit wonky also the tip has a bit of a set and missing a low Bell but apart from that it's not too bad.

I had a number of Tests that I did up and sold on a decade or so ago. Milled cane and very stout they rarely take a set. None of mine came with extra tips but I did see a number on eBay that had full length tips as well as shorter 'ledger' type tips. I took them to be broken tips re-ringed accordingly.

Of course it was just an assumption......Marco catalogues are in very short supply, the few who offered them for sale on eBay asking ridiculous prices at which none ever sold so I imagine they moulder to this day in the back of a shop in Wales ;-)

I think they are probably shortened or broken tips too. I have restored over a dozen Tests and all came with three section rod bags, none with a section for the legering tip.
I have had Dawsons Sabrinas with extra tips too but no rod bag section for it.

Wal.

My test has three tops
9 1/2'
10 1/2'
11 1/2'
The short one is quite stout and looks like it has been broken and a new ring fitted, but not a leger ring for swing tip.