Pezon et Michel

[Nigel Rainton]

Clive,

I will post about the fly rod when I have refurbished it :-)

[Mole-Patrol]

Hi Banksy. Many of the P&M reels shared the same body and internals, in various sizes. There were differences over the years in the rotors and bail arms.I have a Luxor Sport that has the same round body as yours, with the same raised lettering, but the stem of the foot has an anvil for the bail to strike and return as per the Black Prince. The handles also differed through the range and years.

On a previous thread: viewtopic.php?t=29127 Wal posted some catalogue photos from a Farlows catalogue that depicts a reel very similar if not the same as yours; Luxor Luxe (the de-luxe version). I would estimate it to be late 50's to mid 60's. P&M were not exactly innovative in their range of reels. They were much of a muchness and it was only the later Relax model that broke the mould.

Nigel, Thanks for that. I will look forward to the report.

[Liphook]

I shall redouble my attempts to find a file of information on P&M I have somewhere....

[StefanDuma]

Thats a great article Clive and I do have somewhere, information on P&M rods.

I met Madam Ritz in Paris on a few occasions when I was invited to join the Fario Club after I had written an article on parabolic rods.

i have a list of P&M rods and how to date them that I will dig out.

[Coral Maestro]

A very interesting read Clive. It prompted me to dig out a P & M Luxor No. 2 N and Crack 200 from my collection. Although I believe they are the equivalent models (middle of the range), the P & M weighs 362g whereas the Crack weighs a hefty 472g. The gear casing and winding cup on the Crack are more substantial but I would much rather fish with the P & M. By the way, any idea what the "N" stands for in the No. 2 N?

[Barbellina]

Great read. Thanks for that Clive

[StefanDuma]

As some of you might be aware I am in the process of putting the Antique Tackle Observer into a digital format/ebook so that it can be deposited in the British Library digital book section and be available to read.
In 1997 I wrote an article on Parabolic rods and Steve Negus, Pezon et Michel contributed a piece for me to include in the magazine which I reproduce in full below. Somewhere I also have tables to go with the article and will try and find them.

Chapter 3 HOW TO READ A PEZON & MICHEL SPLIT CANE ROD Steve Negus

In addition to the inscriptions which tell you the make, model, length, weight, line size AFTM and the unique “T” mark, which is located at exactly 23cm (approx. 9 inches) along the rod from the handle, with which to measure the minimum legal length that a brown trout may be killed - there is the rod serial number at the base of the rod. Up till 1970, the serial number basically gave the rods date and series number. For example, the serial number 1510691, indicated 15 October 1969, the first rod in that series. For rods after 1970, Pezon introduced the rods specification reference number which denotes the rods power characteristics. For example, rod serial number 7274877, reads as follows: - The first and last number give the year 1977, specification reference 274, thereby a Longcast type Batault, with length of 8 foot 7 inches.

Finally, in the mid-1980’s to-date the serial number refereed to the year month and the specification reference. For example, serial number 9703281, is 1997, March, specification reference 281 namely the Fario Sport which is 7 foot 2 inches. Another interesting and nowadays unique feature, on all Pezon et Michel cane fly rods, are the small red indentations on the ferrules, known as ‘witness marks’, which when aligned together, will ensure that all the line rings are perfectly aligned. All the rods have two tops as standard. Both tops have a serial number reference and are numbered 1 and 2 respectively. The long ferrule stopper, due to the staggered rod section lengths, also carry the serial number reference.

Steve Negus August 1997

[Mole-Patrol]

One of the interesting facts about the P& M rod making is how late they discovered that cane rods needed to be cured in ovens. When you think about it, the English rod makers were baking rods before 1900 and they learned it from Americans. The timing of P&M discovering the process coincides with the time that Ritz joined the company. Perhaps he brought this process to their attention.

When you think that they had bought two established French rod makers and had been making their own hand built rods for years and yet were forty years later than Hardy in curing cane in ovens.