The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Yea you’re right, I’ll just fish with it and enjoy it rather than tie myself in knots trying to source the exact replacement ring to make it as original as possible

Olly wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:37 pm I have 5 LRH 2s - all different - (dates; tip rings; butt rings; screw winch fittings; whipping colours; etc) - but all work well for what I wanted them for!

Just what I found when looking for whipping colours, there’s so many variants!

Settled on the most popular for the re-build; the maroon base whipping with the Apple Green on top leaving the maroon each side.

I’m going to try something different thou for the Copper whippings at the Base of the Butt Rings and ferrules, sick of the being asked “Have they been repaired, has it snapped?” Then go through all the rigmarole of explaining it’s what Hardy did at the time to strengthen.

I’ve got some 0.35 Copper wire anodised Apple green, might look ok/might not, will try and then give judgment to use or not.

I understood the copper whippings were to stop the damage to ordinary whippings as the line they used initially was not monofilament but braid of sorts that damaged the normal silk whipping. You can of course still get it in a variety of thicknesses - in various colours.

Whipping colours well - red with green tips + no inters - green with red tips + apple green inters - green with red tips + no inters x 2 - apple green with red tips both sides + apple green inters. So a real mixture!

All have fixed screw winch fittings - - 2 with round tightening nuts and 3 with hexagonal tightening nuts requiring the spanner.

Whatever their provenance - they do work well!

That's a pokey looking rod Barbellina! Those type of rings (Monel?) always remind me of those attached to deep sea game rods, where the target is shark or tuna.

I have asked before what the letters LRH stand for, but remain ignorant.
I've been told it's Light Reel by Hardy, or Light Rod by Hardy, but it can't be both!

Laurence Robert Hardy took over directorship when William retired in 1913. I believe this is the reason behind the LRH name.

Barbellina wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 5:00 pm Laurence Robert Hardy took over directorship when William retired in 1913. I believe this is the reason behind the LRH name.

I was just about to post that it was William Hardy's Sons initials.


~ Had a word with a avid Hardy Rod user in his younger days mainly Salmon fishing, I know - and asked what the Copper Whippings were for - to strengthen the three weak spots, ferrules and Butt ring at the Handle side.

Still seems odd to me, why only Hardy Built Rods of the time?

Banksy wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 3:20 pm That's a pokey looking rod Barbellina! Those type of rings (Monel?) always remind me of those attached to deep sea game rods, where the target is shark or tuna.

I have asked before what the letters LRH stand for, but remain ignorant.
I've been told it's Light Reel by Hardy, or Light Rod by Hardy, but it can't be both!

Hi Banksy, I didn't realise it was you, when I answered the LRH question.
You know I'm a fan of Hardy, I got this for when the Trent is up and I'm looking for those little slack areas to have a little dabble in. Hope to see you sometime in the summer and we can drag Barbelseeker out as well!

Barbellina wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 5:00 pm Laurence Robert Hardy took over directorship when William retired in 1913. I believe this is the reason behind the LRH name.

Thanks for that answer, Barbellina!
I don't know why, I'm a bit disappointed by it. Hoped it would be something less prosaic?

Other rod manufacturers did the same with the copper wire - copying Hardy?

I have seen Farlows and have Sharpes, Aspindale & Chapman rods with the same copper whipping.

It goes back a long way. Copper wire was used on tip rings in Victorian times, the drop rings on some earlier rods had it on all rings.
I was told it was used to stop the cracks showing in the varnish over the whippings which usually appear at the ferrules due to the cane flexing against an inflexible ferrule.
Putting it on the butt ring lower leg has never made much sense to me. Why not both legs. Maybe cracks in the varnish only appeared on the lower leg whipping or possibly just to give the appearance of extra strength for the big fish hunters.

Wal.