Hardy Allround

[AllRounder]

Nobby, I'm beginning to get very confused with Hardy rods
I have a Hardy Allround rod with as you say low bell rings but with red whipppings and an Avon rod with stand offs and green whippings. I'm fairly new to collecting. Any thoughts?

[Chris Bettis]

Mal you will enjoy using this rod, it is up there on the short list of best rods ever made.

[Nobby]

Nobby, I'm beginning to get very confused with Hardy rods
I have a Hardy Allround rod with as you say low bell rings but with red whipppings and an Avon rod with stand offs and green whippings. I'm fairly new to collecting. Any thoughts?

Do you know I think I may have later mis-labelled those images!


I seem to recall the buyer wishing I was holding onto an Avon for him, when in fact it was an Allround. It was some years ago now and I'm sure I only recently gave the files proper names. I have some images of fibreglass butt MkII Avons here and they have green whippings.


Yet Mals rod is an Allround with green whippings....it seems they varied then??

[Paul F]

Nobby, I'm beginning to get very confused with Hardy rods
I have a Hardy Allround rod with as you say low bell rings but with red whipppings and an Avon rod with stand offs and green whippings. I'm fairly new to collecting. Any thoughts?

Lets try and help here
The FWK Wallis Allround was manufactured from 1934-66
The FWK Wallis Avon was manufactured from 1934-57
The rod carried the full script "The FWK Wallis Allround" (or Avon) until after the war when they were just "Allround" or "Avon"

I have super bottom catalogues from 1935, 37 & 39
The catalogues say graduated stand-off "fullopen" bridge intermediate rings (low bells?)
high stand off (high bells) rings are not mentioned as an option in my 1930's catalogues for any rods, so I would assume were not available.

It is mentioned the only difference between No1 & No2 is the additional aluminium tube, this is not true!
The No1 of both models had nickle silver suction joints (Ferrules) and was close tied throughout (inter whipping)
No 2 brass joints, close tied tip & middle
No3 plain brass joints, close tied tip only

Now this is a personal opinion from what I have seen;
I have only seen unrestored Avon No1's in red and they were pre-war, the rest have been green, I have seen both restored, some red some green.
Bear in mind when ordering your rod if you wanted it in red, yellow, green, blue, if hardy had the silk they would do it for you.

I don't have 1950's super bottom catalogues, and would be interested in the listings.

[AshbyCut]

I don't have 1950's super bottom catalogues, and would be interested in the listings.

I have a 1951 guide on it's way to me, Sir. I'll keep you informed.

[AllRounder]

I have the Hardy 1955 catalogue which only lists the FWK Wallis Avon
As you say the "plain" Avon and Allround must have followed later perhaps after the production of the Wallis rods ended?

[Paul F]

I have the Hardy 1955 catalogue which only lists the FWK Wallis Avon
As you say the "plain" Avon and Allround must have followed later perhaps after the production of the Wallis rods ended?

approx 5-6yrs before 1955 they had dropped the FWK Wallis name on the rod, but it seems they still called them FWK wallis in the catalogue!

We could do with people who have rods dated from the late 40's/early 50's to confirm when the name changed on the rods.

1946 - G25210-G26257
1947 - G26258-G26718
1948 - G26719-G27502
1949 - G27503-G28689
1950 - G28690-G28389
1951 - G28390-G30595
1952 - G30596-G30814

[CWK]

I have a Hardy Avon rod which has the number G31633 on the butt fitting . This has been beautifully restored by Jason White and he assures me that the FWK Wallis nomenclature was not previously written on it .. So it seems my rod was just called " The Avon " by Hardy's ..

[Paul F]

I have a Hardy Avon rod which has the number G31633 on the butt fitting . This has been beautifully restored by Jason White and he assures me that the FWK Wallis nomenclature was not previously written on it .. So it seems my rod was just called " The Avon " by Hardy's ..

G31633 is 1954

[Wallys-Cast]

I have rod number G35986, green whipped. The "F.W.K.Wallis Avon" . A truly lovely rod to use and more than capable of subduing the larger fish when encountered.

Wal.