The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

This is the Dawsons' Rival.

Length 10ft 6in. In 3 sections, the butt and middle section being whole cane and the tip section split cane. Golden cane, red whipping, high bells rings.

Looks a nice rod dgc, thanks for uploading the pictures on here. :thumb:

A nice looking float rod

Just picked up a Rival.
Has a split in the butt section that,s now been glued and had extra whipping.
Has a very dark tip section.
This one,s 11ft 6in in length.

Odd, I have one with a split in the butt, too.
Do you like the feel of it? Mine feels top-heavy, and I think they chose far too thick and slow-tapered a piece of cane for the middle joint - but maybe it's just mine.

Vole wrote:Odd, I have one with a split in the butt, too.
Do you like the feel of it? Mine feels top-heavy, and I think they chose far too thick and slow-tapered a piece of cane for the middle joint - but maybe it's just mine.

I don,t like the feel of the rod, i don,t think it,s just your,s as my rival feels top heavy as well

Must get round to measuring that middle section - maybe we can source two better bits of Tonkin.
Their built cane was pretty good stuff, I believe; it would be sad to see it sold short for want of a decent bit of garden bamboo.

I may owe the old Rival a bit of an apology. I dug out a couple of other bottom rods of the same pattern, a Milbro "Competitor" (I think) bearing the marking F42G and another, lighter "probable" Milbro; I have no problem with the feel of them. I checked where the balance point was on each: on the Rival, it was an inch along the female ferrule of the butt section; on the little Milbro, about 5" down from that point, but the shock was the Competitor: it balanced only about two inches lower down the butt section than the Rival.
Part of this was due to rings; I've re-rung the Competitor with five inters on the tip section (originally three) and three (from two) on the middle; whereas the rival has but three on the tip and none on the middle* - but the Milbro still feels "right" ... am I just prejudiced against the Dawson by my teenage memories of a Sabina?
(The lighter Milbro is ludicrously under-ringed with but two inters each on the tip and middle... no wonder it feels light).
I'll just have to lash some rings on and fish with it, won't I? Very, very light rings...

*Not by design, it just arrived in that state!

I,v just checked where the balance point is on the Rival i have and it,s two inches past the male ferrule into the middle section, i also checked the 12ft Sabina i have and that has a balance point two inches before the female ferrule into the butt section. Comparing the two together when set up there,s very little difference