Cane Walking Stick / Poachers Roach Pole. Help!
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 10:19 am
I picked up this beautiful item at Romsey on Sunday and was amazed when the seller had told me not one person had looked at it. It is a 4 piece bamboo and cane bottom 3 with a greenheart top.All the pieces fit perfectly inside each other, as with all good poles but like a lot of quality tackle it is unmarked. It is 36" long and 11' 9" when erected. These items are quite rare and a quick troll over the internet solves nothing. Has any TFF member seen one like this before as a maker and possible date would complete what is a quite superb item of vintage tackle.
I have discovered that these sticks were not for poachers at all but for illicit angling on a Sunday. Any activity apart from church was frowned upon in the 19th century on a Sunday hence the "Sabbath Stick". A poachers stick of the same format would probably not have had the same quality.
I have discovered that these sticks were not for poachers at all but for illicit angling on a Sunday. Any activity apart from church was frowned upon in the 19th century on a Sunday hence the "Sabbath Stick". A poachers stick of the same format would probably not have had the same quality.
I am totally jealous what a find absolutely beautiful . It could be Sowerbutts because J H Sowerbutts was mainly a stick maker with only about 25% of his work was actual fishing rods . Is there any markings at all .
mike