The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

That looks, Sir, like a cross between my Dawsons of Bromley 7ft ... detailed in the thread below, and an A. E. Ridge fly rod I have ... 7ft 9" with a 12 inch handle, the cane just above the handle measuring 9.04mm inc. varnish :-

http://www.traditionalfisherman.co.uk/v ... it=+burley

I could be barking up the wrong tree entirely but it looks like a small spinning rod utilising a similar butt blank as the fly rod (the aluminium at the top of the cork looks identical), and similar to (but lighter than) the Dawsons "Burley" ...

.... but there are others far better qualified in the Forum to comment, I assure you, Sir.

It looks similar to an 8' rod that I got as a 'freebie' for me to do up. Mine certainly isn't a Rudge, or any other up-market builder. The 'label' on mine was almost all gone, but from the remaining fragments the best I could guess at was a 'Gatehouse Yeoman'. I assume that it was a spinning rod, it had old 'low-bells' rings on it that were definitely original, given the rust, and there was no evidence of it ever being refurbished. Currently it's been stripped, cleaned, has one coat of varnish, and I'm messing about with the whippings. It had lots of intermediates, and I'm wondering if I can face another session of intermediates (having just put 88 on my grandson's rod, that is finally nearing completion!). When my 'Yeoman' is finished it will do for my grandson as a heavier rod than the one I've made. And if he's not interersted I'll be happy to use it myself. I'll be interested to see what opinions are forwarded on your Rudge.

AshbyCut: Just noticed that your Rudge has whipping by the handle that is very similar to that which was on my 'Yeoman' - I can't face putting all that lot back...

Fat Fish Floats wrote:perhaps made as a spinning rod.

That was my point, Sir ... using a similar or identical butt blank with, perhaps, a different tip section and guides suitable for a spinning rod.

Perhaps it was built with their Helical casting reel in mind for light spinning? :think: