The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

All the very best for the future

Very best wishes for your new venture. As you acquire the skills you will gradually get quicker and improve on what you do.it's great the tradition is continuing.

All the best! You certainly got the best equipment to start with. Keep us updated please!

I visited John Chapman at his works in Ware this morning to collect my repaired F.J.Taylor Roach Rod which he had just completed for me. The works do indeed now look very bare indeed with only a few items remaining to be removed. I understand the works have been sold to a developer but that John Chapman is going to continue doing some work.

I have three Chapman rods all of which I use and I hope I will do so for many years to come. Many thanks John Chapman for sorting out the FJT - much appreciated.

Good luck with your new venture Andrew, and all the best to the Chapman brothers.

I saw your rod there, and he was working on a Peter stone Ledgerstrike while I was there. I've just about filled the gaps in the equipment that I didn't get, and it'll still be a while before I'm up and running, only a week tomorrow that I took possession. In some ways I feel like the custodian of these machines, especially the Llewellyn milling beds which are the machines all the Chapmans rods were made on before 1995. Johns ok with me making rods to their designs, but I have my own name to build under, and to build as a brand in its own right as well as for reproducing other rods and blanks, as well as my floats, nets, net handles and other traditional items. I will be a customer of Johns still for culms and some fittings but hope to be making some of my own. Early days but I intend to be here for a while, and training up someone to follow me too ;)

I definitely wish you all the very best for your business. I've read many of your posts on the Facebook page. Am I right in assuming by a 'tackle factory' your looking at the same type of business model as the old companies we know and love so that rods will be available off the shelf rather than built to order? If I've understood that correctly do you have a target price in mind for a cane rod, say a MkIV carp?

It had to happen at some time but it will still be a sad day when they close. All I can do is wish them both all the best.

I'm not sure if this is the done thing around here, but whenever I've helped launch a business, which I've done a number of times, we have generally made a bit of a fuss and had some sort of reception with posh wines, waiting staff and the hope of snaring some investment.

Your business isn't like that, but would it be an idea to have an open evening? Maybe when you are close to launch day, an open invitation for us welly-wearers to make the place look a little less tidy, understand how a thicket of cane becomes a rod, the stages involved and so on. Maybe understanding of the investment of time and soul, as well as cold hard cash can give people more appreciation of where their hard-earned is going when they order a rod, what customisation, if any, is possible; the other product lines, why it takes a time for an order placed to become a waggleable rod, that sort of thing

In my experience, customers who have an understanding of a business are likely to be more loyal customers and exhibit a tendency which we in the IT game refer to as emotional investment.

We all know what you're doing is a brave thing, it's expensive for you in terms of time with your family, lost opportunities to watch the school play, possibly years without a holiday, long days and the emotional roller coaster of business start-ups the world over, and I would bet evens that if I threw a waggler at any number of TFFers, I wouldn't have a hope of hitting one who wished you anything but the absolute best of luck.

I for one would love to hear the story, experience the smells and sights and also see what I could afford to order on the day.

The Bowling Road premises may have closed down but in the name of accuracy... John Chapman continues to trade Chapmans of Ware

John confirms that Chapmans is still very much in business and points to his company’s website which states:

Please note our workshop at Bowling road is now closed. If you would like to place an order by phone please call:

Tel 07713 057249 or e-mail us to info@chapmanblanks.co.uk