The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

The original of this rod is so rare that I’ve been trying to find one for 5 years now … so asked my good friend Andrew Davis to build for me one of his wonderful replicas of this iconic rod.

I was fortunate enough to collect this work of the rod maker's art at the Redditch Tackle Fair yesterday, after allowing him to keep it displayed on his stand for a couple of hours so that as many as possible could 'have a waggle.'

This 11ft., 3 piece rod comprises a whole cane butt with a 24.5 inch handle, a hollow built split cane centre section, and a split cane tip section.

What really makes it stand out is the nature of the compound taper build, with step down tapers to both centre and tip sections making a powerful rod with a very sensitive tip.

I am deeply grateful to Andrew for completing this commission for me, which fills a 'hole in my Precision Rods' collection which I thought would remain vacant for the foreseeable future (but I'm still looking !!! ).

The weather where I am today wasn't conducive to taking photos to show it off properly, and the forecast for the next couple of days means it will be a couple of days before I christen it ... but I hope to extol it's virtues at the earliest opportunity.

Well done Mal, he is a genius!

I think I saw it laid out on a table? I didn't dare touch as I didn't have my white cotton gloves so just looked in awe and wonder!
I have no doubt it will give you joy and pleasure, you may even catch a fish if you can take your eyes off the rod and observe your float just very occasionally!

Congratulations AC - I know exactly how you feel. I picked up my Festival Avon from Andrew a couple of weeks ago. It's a great rod. I just hope the local barbel population appreciates it as much as I do.