The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Apparently, Southwell supplied JB Walker, so you're probably correct.

As far as I have so far been able to ascertain the only 'provenance' for Bob Southwell supplying JB Walker with rod blanks is the one written reference by Dick Walker.

JB Walker owned two mills for cutting cane to size. It hardly seems there would be any profit in it for him if he instead bought in ready made blanks from a reputed split cane maker like Bob, whose order books were surely full enough that he needed to offer no discount to other makers.

Here's the second page to the letter from Dick to TFFer Bob Wilson, mentioning the rod blanks in question:




Now it just might be that Bob, as a dealer to the trade, would not deal directly with the public, so that even the well-known Dick Walker was required to 'go through' a trade intermediary for his cane blanks...but if so why not go to B.James with whom Dick was already in talks and for whom Bob already made split cane blanks?

Of course, the above letter was written over 30 years later, but didn't Dick also indicate elsewhere that JB Walker only supplied rod-making sundries to him?

Thanks Nobby. Very interesting.
But isn't it so that the late Bob Southwell is on record stating that he didn't supply Richard Walker with blanks and nor did he supply J. B. Walker with blanks during the relevant period? Not sure were this was, but I think I have read this somewhere too.

I haven't heard that Hans, but in the very early days Bob did say he wasn't aware of the MkIV rod...so presumably he couldn't have been making them? Now just where did I hear that he didn't know of the rod....????