Replica B James Bag??

[Beresford]

One of my clients has her logo embroidered on her work jackets. She only had a short run done. I can ask her who did the work for her if anybody really wants to have some replica lables made up. It's quite a shock to think a rod bag less contents could be worth £30 or so quid.

[Colonelgsc]

OK, let's stir the pot up some more. Edward Barder furnished me with a new bag for my Barbus Maximus at a cost of 40 quid last year. I know, more fool me for paying that price, when I could have got my 'Gaffer' to re-stitch the Barder logo onto a cheaper alternative..................but then it would've been a 'replica', wouldn't it?? Out of respect for that magnificent wand, it had to reside in a genuine bag, even at the expense of the Colonel's pension !!!

and yet he only charged me £30 for a new bag for the Bishop Avon I bought on ebay without a bag!
(but then I do supply him a very nice 'special' blueing solution!)

One good turn.......an' all that, Prof.

'Bishop Avon' ? Would that be a one off special? Or am I covering myself in embarrassment?

[Beresford]

I recall an Old Kingfishers of Stow ad in which Simon Legge mentioned there were four Light Bishops built. I presume this is one and the same rod?

Snape
Did you ever manage to ask EB why he dropped the Carp Crawler?

[Snape]

Colonel and Beresford, there were 2 Bishop Avons built as a one-off order.
Simon Legg sold the one I now have to the chap I bought it off. I don't know what happened to the other one.
I still haven't got around to visiting Edward (he is going to give the Bishop Avon a bit of a once over) and I suspect it will now be April before I get down there and I will ask him about the carp crawler.

[Colonelgsc]

Colonel and Beresford, there were 2 Bishop Avons built as a one-off order.
Simon Legg sold the one I now have to the chap I bought it off. I don't know what happened to the other one.
I still haven't got around to visiting Edward (he is going to give the Bishop Avon a bit of a once over) and I suspect it will now be April before I get down there and I will ask him about the carp crawler.

Thanks, Prof, that fills a gap in my knowledge, of which there are many. I surmise the rod will be something between a Merlin and a Bishop, would I be correct ?

[Snape]

Colonel and Beresford, there were 2 Bishop Avons built as a one-off order.
Simon Legg sold the one I now have to the chap I bought it off. I don't know what happened to the other one.
I still haven't got around to visiting Edward (he is going to give the Bishop Avon a bit of a once over) and I suspect it will now be April before I get down there and I will ask him about the carp crawler.

Thanks, Prof, that fills a gap in my knowledge, of which there are many. I surmise the rod will be something between a Merlin and a Bishop, would I be correct ?

No. It is lighter than the Merlin having only a 1lb tc whereas the Merllin is 1.25lb and the Bishop is 1.5lb. It is the same as a MKIV Avon but due to being 1 foot longer it feels much 'floppier'. I haven't used it yet as I want Edward to do a bit of work on it first.
It will be fine for chub, tench and perch but I wouldn't want to hook a decent barbel or carp on it. I find the Merlin copes fine with double figure barbel although the Barbus Maximus takes the biscuit there.

[Beresford]

Snape

I was watching a clip of Caught in Time the other day and Yates is fishing Jade lake. He gets stuck into a big fish and it appears to be Barder rod that he is using. He mentions the rod has a 2lb test curve. I have the second Barder catalogue, the blue book, and I'm sure within it the t/c of the Bishop is listed as 1.5lbs. On the web site the Bishop it is currently listed as 1.75lbs and then here is Yates perhaps using an even heavier version? A 2lb Bishop was sold recently on ebay for £940 listed as an S/U.

I'm just interested that's all, I won't ever be able to afford one but is Barder slowly upping the power of the rod are the early ones just too floppy?

[Snape]

Snape

I was watching a clip of Caught in Time the other day and Yates is fishing Jade lake. He gets stuck into a big fish and it appears to be Barder rod that he is using. He mentions the rod has a 2lb test curve. I have the second Barder catalogue, the blue book, and I'm sure within it the t/c of the Bishop is listed as 1.5lbs. On the web site the Bishop it is currently listed as 1.75lbs and then here is Yates perhaps using an even heavier version? A 2lb Bishop was sold recently on ebay for £940 listed as an S/U.

I'm just interested that's all, I won't ever be able to afford one but is Barder slowly upping the power of the rod are the early ones just too floppy?

My mistake . The Bishop is 1.75tc and the Barbus Maximus is 1.5lb tc. The blue catalogue doesn't seem to mention t.c. only casting weight but the 2000 paper catalogue does have the t.c.'s. I think the Bishop S/U was probably another 'one off'. He used to do a lot more bespoke stuff but stopped in the late 90s along with the extras (and Colin Whitehouse's floats and catapults) when he had to work flat out to meet demand for the basic range.