Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp rod

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Mark
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Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp rod

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Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp rod.

Mark (Administrator)

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Hermit
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Re: Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp ro

Post by Hermit »

Really informative and enjoyable viewing - Chris is a 'natural' in front of the camera! :Thumb:
Fishing is worth no more than its pleasure. Bernard Venables.

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Richard C
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Re: Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp ro

Post by Richard C »

Totally agree, very informative.
And Chris does appear to look more youthful than ever! (no money has yet changed hands :Cool: )
"We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.".
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Caractacus Potts
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Re: Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp ro

Post by Caractacus Potts »

An excellent find Mark, thanks.

MHC

Re: Chris Ball taking about the Richard Walker Mk IV carp ro

Post by MHC »

Thanks for a very interesting talk on the Mk IV carp rod, I have made a few MkIV's and a Mk IV Avon. I graphed the taper out in order to understand it. I seem to remember that the 'compound' of the taper was in one area at the lower end of the tip section, in some circles that area is know as the 'hinge', the rest of the taper seemed to be relatively even to the tip. The hinge is a level area or maybe even a slight bulge, in the MK IV I think it was level.I cannot find the chart and am working from memory of this.
I made a butt section of a MK IV and found that it had scorch marks from heating so I made another. I turned the reject section into a wading staff and it may console anglers who are fearful of moisture wrecking their rods if any gets beyond the varnish that the staff is in the water at my side for hours on end, the varnish has been dinged and scuffed, but there has been no staining or degradation at all and sometimes I put all of my weight in leaning on it. I am of the belief that a rod made using modern glues could remain unvarnished and would not suffer as a result, I seem to remember one maker creating just such a fly rod. Equally, there is no possible way to eliminate all moisture and prevent it returning. As a natural material bamboo will expand and contract even after precise heat treating and varnishing.
The jury seems to be out as far as impregnated rods go. Plastic resin is in effect pressured into the bamboo, it is known that the weight will be increased and some think that the character of the bamboo is altered. Personally I do not see the need for impregnation for the reasons already described.
My Mk Ivs did not have the dowel under the handle, I just extended the taper of the bamboo. This has even more oooph than dowel I would think for casting as the bamboo stores the energy of the cast , but most importantly, I feel that from a construction point of view there is no cane / dowell join which could be a weakness (in my opinion). I may be wrong about this and Paul Cook and I have discussed this before, but possibly the dowel was used as the lengths of bamboo culms available at the time were shorter than the usual 12' available now, so rods were extended under the handle.
After some thought I shortened my handles to 24" as 26 -28 seemed very long indeed, and I did not see the point in too much rod extending behind the angler when held, just beyond the elbow gives more than enough leverage both casting and playing fish.
I have caught a good many carp on my rod and once slugged it out with a 25lb chinook salmon from a boat in L Ontario. In my opinion the rod has a surprisingly fast taper from butt to tip and the secret in slowing it for delicate casts is that 'hinge'.

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