http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281247173640? ... 1439.l2649
I've taken some pics but had a problem sending them and ran my mobile's batteries down so will try tonight!
Some sellers are just idiots
! This chap called Steve rammed it into a bad fitting plastic drain pipe and managed to break the butt ring whippings and bend the wire in the process 
!!Anyways, the rod was well worth the money and was just about what I was expecting!
It's a 2 piece 10' 2" split cane avon looking with approx. the about same taper as a Chapmans 500, the cane at the butt is ~12mm, 8mm in the middle where the ferrule is on the tip section, and at the tip it's ~3mm.
The handle is a full 30" long with flared cork at top and bottom, and in Indian ink is written Mark Ray 1956. And the balance point (no reel) is 1" above the handle.
The butt ring is a whopping ~18mm internal diameter and is placed 11" from the top of the handle, and the next intermediate ring is 14" further up the handle from the butt ring. From the tip down, the intermediate rings are 6", 73/4", 9", 121/2" and 131/2" along the tip section. Apart from the big butt ring, all the rings are low bells!
The rings are whipped in black/gold jasper and all look original!
Whether or not Mark Ray was the maker or the rod was made for him by a reputable maker is a matter of conjecture; unless one of you chaps can help and have heard of Mark Ray or recognise the rods maker by the design/fittings etc.
So why was the seller selling it so cheap and used a bad pic; because there is an old 21/2"repair band of whipping in the tip section! I'm hoping this might be down to a little delamination! I started cutting this whipping with a razor blade to discover what was underneath but then decided it was a bad idea and best left alone as part of the rods character. This old repair appears very strong under tension so I think it's best kept the rod's secret, and if it should break then I'll know!!
All in all I think it was a good buy, and with a little restoration on the ring whippings it should be a very usable rod.
And I'm hoping one of you chaps recognise the maker, if not Mark Ray! Possible Sowerbutts or similar???
