Constable of Bromley - History and Models

[kevin55]

Could be, it said 'deep honey colour' a phrase I associate with cane but it doesn't say it's cane

[Parabolic]

Updated again


Added:

Manley SB 12’ glass fibre beachcaster

10’ 6” Grilse cane fly rod

Dual fly rod - 2x butt sections 2x tip sections. One combination is 6’ I'm looking for more information on the combination lengths.


I've come across another 12' glass beachcaster. I think it's called the 'Segal', but don't want to add tot he list until I've clarified this.

[Liphook]

There's some good info on Constable fly rods on the Classic Fly Rod Forum in the Collecting Bamboo section under the heading 'Meet the Constables'. It shows a series of pictures from a catalogue of the U S importer Anglers Mail, as well as a members considerable collection! Apologies but I can't add a link or pictures using this phone

[Liphook]

From the above mentioned articles I've created the following list of rods marketed in the USA by the catalogue retailer Anglers Mail. It appears that in addition to the Wallop Brook series of rods there were also the C.C Lightweight series and the R.H.Woods series. Cliff was apparently known to be continually tinkering and trying to improve his tapers and several rods labelled the same have been found to be quite different. This makes things additionally interesting and to me at least intriguing!

R.H.Woods series - staggered ferrule parabolics
6'9" #DT4
7'6" #DT5
The Eighty -Two 8'2" #DT 5 or 6
The Dual 6' /6'9" twin buts #DT3.5 and #DT 4

The C.C. Lightweight series - little info apart from known examples in 8'0", 9'0" and 9'6". Equal length sectons. Progressive action.

The following are also listed
The Dart 5'9" # DT4.5 to DT 5
The Connaught 5'9" # DT4
The Brokenstraw 7'3" 3pce #DT4.5 to 5
The Empress 8'0" #DT4


All of the above were also available as 'Classics' which came with spare tips, Challenger aluminium rod tubes and were denoted from the 'standard' single tip builds by different thread colour schemes.

[Liphook]

My apologies - almost all of these rods appear on the opening list - I should have double checked 1st! So perhaps the only additional information is the 'Classic' label denoting those originally sold with twin tips, the inclusion of the Connaught model and the Dual lengths of 6' and 6'9" (further edit - the shorter butt is sometimes referred to as the Dualette).
I'd be interested to hear more about his glass fibre models and where the blanks were made/sourced from?

[Orlando]

Hello everyone
Hopefully I may be able to add to some information to Cliff Constable's inventory. Constable used to make his Rods in a loft which was in the back garden of where my great grandmother used to live at 48 Addison Road. Bromley. Kent. I have 4 rods made by him, a 9ft "Renown" Pier rod made of Split Cane and the rings are double whipped with silk and copper which I believe was probably made in about 1954. I also have a matched pair of "Pheonix" 12ft Solid Glass fibre Beachcaster's these were made in about 1972 ish and were commissioned by my grandfather one for him and one for me. I would have been 12 years old at the time. I had no Knowledge of him after my grandmother's death in 1975 until I happened upon a shop in what was either Lee Green or Hither Green near Lewisham. south east London in 1981/2 with his name over the door so I went in and remembered myself to him and ended up purchasing another rod from him, a 11ft Linton made from a material that must not be mentioned. I would think that this would have been around about the time that he eventually retired.

[Mr B]

Hello everyone
Hopefully I may be able to add to some information to Cliff Constable's inventory. Constable used to make his Rods in a loft which was in the back garden of where my great grandmother used to live at 48 Addison Road. Bromley. Kent. I have 4 rods made by him, a 9ft "Renown" Pier rod made of Split Cane and the rings are double whipped with silk and copper which I believe was probably made in about 1954. I also have a matched pair of "Pheonix" 12ft Solid Glass fibre Beachcaster's these were made in about 1972 ish and were commissioned by my grandfather one for him and one for me. I would have been 12 years old at the time. I had no Knowledge of him after my grandmother's death in 1975 until I happened upon a shop in what was either Lee Green or Hither Green near Lewisham. south east London in 1981/2 with his name over the door so I went in and remembered myself to him and ended up purchasing another rod from him, a 11ft Linton made from a material that must not be mentioned. I would think that this would have been around about the time that he eventually retired.

I know that little house in the garden ( I work in Bromley and have a soft spot for Bromley made rods, Constables, Dawsons and Marco, could well be more) I think that is now 48a Addison Road. ( after a bit of research a couple of yeas ago)
Todds Tackle And Guns at Lee Green would have stocked there rods. Lovely old shop.
Peter Dawson passed on not that long ago..three years? Could be wrong, time dose fly.
Constables did an impressive range of rods for a little outfit in a back garden.
Hats of to them.
Mark ( aka Mr B)

[MarkG]

This was in a job auction lot. A big beach caster, very heavy, must be solid glass but quite a rod in its own way. May have been made for a really strong bloke. I can just make out CONSTABLE and BROMLEY and underneath 12ft-6inch and the B66 which I suppose might have been a model number if not a one off.

[Parabolic]

I've added it into the list

[Parabolic]

Just added the 6' Bosun glass boat rod to the list.