MK4 Carp Rod Garage find - Restored
Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 4:24 pm
MK4 Carp Rod Garage find - Restored
A coupe of weeks ago I posted about a garage find that I bought off EBay. It was a Richard Walker MK4 Carp that had been in a guys garage for over 40 years after his dad stopped using it back in the 1970’s.
It had at some stage been altered and changed from its original look and once I had stripped off the old whippings and layers of old varnish I could then see where the original intermediates had been. Unfortunately the rod had also lost its decals which is why the guy selling it was probably unaware that it was anything but an old cane rod that his dad had owned.
Thankfully though the cane was still in excellent condition. I used to make and repair rods for a fishing tackle shop back in the early 1980’s and have got back into it having recently restored two cane rods. With this rod, it had a non original tip ring and a different agate butt ring to the original low bell type. However the butt ring is in great condition so decided to keep with it and I already had a spare agate tip ring that fitted the rod. The main thing for me was the intermediates. It was impossible for me to re-whip up to 300 inters, my eyes would never make it, I would end up looking like Clarence the lion, lol.
It was at this point that I decided that this rod, which I have loved for many years but thought I could never afford to own would be unique to me in its own way while also sharing some of the original features of its heritage. So I re-whipped the rod in a garnet whipping which is as close to the original as I could get and added inters every two inches. I cleaned the cork handle, all the rod rings and the ferrules. The rod fits together good, no knocking or movement and pops when taken apart like my other cane rods do.
I have seen Richard Walkers original MK4 number 1 rod and so added the four whippings in two groups just above the cork handle as his original rod. This rod having no decals, I thought this adds to it being a MK4. I finally gave it four coats of varnish.
I loved every minute of every day restoring this beautiful old rod and am delighted with the finished result. Restoring something so old and for so very long forgotten about, I wanted to be respectful about seeing it gain a new life by my hands. It is a rod that will be with me for the rest of my days and will be regularly used too.
It was quite something taking it to my favourite lake and showing it the water again after so many years of neglect. Restoring this rod has created a connection with me and the rod and that bond will remain, always. Before I made my first cast I rested the rod on my creel and gave it some time to soak up the atmosphere of the lake. The bird song, the soft breeze in the trees, the warmth of the sun. And catching this carp on it was just perfect, this old rod has found its breath again and a new life, no longer forgotten and lost among the dust and cobwebs of a dark garage.
I must say a big thank you to this forum because without your help, posts and all the wonderful information that this forum has here, I could never have gained the knowledge and understanding of vintage tackle. Yes I used to be that guy with the matching carbon carp rods and matching bait runners etc, but I sold the lot and became a traditional angler with creel and vintage tackle and now love fishing more than ever. Kind regards to you all. Here are some before and after photos.
Sparkling in the sunshine
No longer forgotten and lost among the dust and cobwebs of a dark garage.
A coupe of weeks ago I posted about a garage find that I bought off EBay. It was a Richard Walker MK4 Carp that had been in a guys garage for over 40 years after his dad stopped using it back in the 1970’s.
It had at some stage been altered and changed from its original look and once I had stripped off the old whippings and layers of old varnish I could then see where the original intermediates had been. Unfortunately the rod had also lost its decals which is why the guy selling it was probably unaware that it was anything but an old cane rod that his dad had owned.
Thankfully though the cane was still in excellent condition. I used to make and repair rods for a fishing tackle shop back in the early 1980’s and have got back into it having recently restored two cane rods. With this rod, it had a non original tip ring and a different agate butt ring to the original low bell type. However the butt ring is in great condition so decided to keep with it and I already had a spare agate tip ring that fitted the rod. The main thing for me was the intermediates. It was impossible for me to re-whip up to 300 inters, my eyes would never make it, I would end up looking like Clarence the lion, lol.
It was at this point that I decided that this rod, which I have loved for many years but thought I could never afford to own would be unique to me in its own way while also sharing some of the original features of its heritage. So I re-whipped the rod in a garnet whipping which is as close to the original as I could get and added inters every two inches. I cleaned the cork handle, all the rod rings and the ferrules. The rod fits together good, no knocking or movement and pops when taken apart like my other cane rods do.
I have seen Richard Walkers original MK4 number 1 rod and so added the four whippings in two groups just above the cork handle as his original rod. This rod having no decals, I thought this adds to it being a MK4. I finally gave it four coats of varnish.
I loved every minute of every day restoring this beautiful old rod and am delighted with the finished result. Restoring something so old and for so very long forgotten about, I wanted to be respectful about seeing it gain a new life by my hands. It is a rod that will be with me for the rest of my days and will be regularly used too.
It was quite something taking it to my favourite lake and showing it the water again after so many years of neglect. Restoring this rod has created a connection with me and the rod and that bond will remain, always. Before I made my first cast I rested the rod on my creel and gave it some time to soak up the atmosphere of the lake. The bird song, the soft breeze in the trees, the warmth of the sun. And catching this carp on it was just perfect, this old rod has found its breath again and a new life, no longer forgotten and lost among the dust and cobwebs of a dark garage.
I must say a big thank you to this forum because without your help, posts and all the wonderful information that this forum has here, I could never have gained the knowledge and understanding of vintage tackle. Yes I used to be that guy with the matching carbon carp rods and matching bait runners etc, but I sold the lot and became a traditional angler with creel and vintage tackle and now love fishing more than ever. Kind regards to you all. Here are some before and after photos.
Sparkling in the sunshine
No longer forgotten and lost among the dust and cobwebs of a dark garage.
