Meet The Pope ?

[Deaf Cat]

The Pope - Not the 10ft Dry Fly but a spinning rod







93 inches assembled = 7ft 9in
Dark honey split (hex) cane
Deep red whipping, intermediates ½ inch (butt)to ¼ inch (tip) apart
2 piece (tip ½ inch shorter than butt)
Lockfast ferrule
Keeper ring
Lined butt ring
2 rings on butt, 4 + tip ring on tip section
Brass fittings
Hardy’s reversible brass butt spear, patent no. 5517, in base of butt

A52060 would date it to 1910 but I'm not confident with the A at the other end! 52060 unletterered would signify 1900.
The only “Pope” I can find is a 10ft dry fly rod made between 1899 and 1970
This is obviously a spinning rod, it feels right and is definitely older than anyone on this forum!
I guess that makes it old enough to have been broken and rebuilt! The dry fly rod had lined butt and tip rings.

Bottom brass fitting (top) reads:

52060A
----------
HARDYS PAT
RINGS NO 2307

Bottom brass fitting (underside) reads:

THE “POPE”
__________

HARDY BROS LTD
MAKERS
ALNWICK

Fixed brass-screwed lower reel fitting (Weeger) reads

HARDY’S
W
FITTING
REGD
16.8.73 (This is the date for the Weeger winch fitting patent, the first patent recorded)

Hand written, spiralling around the rod itself:

No. 246936
“Palakona” Regd.

On the base of the butt/spear

HARDY’S PATENT NO 5517

[Scott]

Are you 100% sure it's not a fly rod? The static part of the reel seat would suggest that the reel sits right at the back of the handle like on a fly rod.. ..of course I might be completely wrong.. ..lovely looking rod non the less, bet it feels great to fish with something that old.. ..if only it could talk...

[Deaf Cat]

Mmmm.

Well, yes the fittings say it is a fly rod and, since I can find no evidence that Hardy ever made a 7ft Pope, I think I have to assume that it started life as the 10ft fly rod.

Still it is a lovely rod and it is nice that someone took the trouble to do a good job of rescuing it. It has been around longer than me so it has probably got over the trauma of what must have been at least one serious break!

I shall put a little Altex on it and go Jack hunting in the Winter. That should make it feel better.

:o

[Watermole+]

I was given an almost identical rod to this as a keepsake some 40 years ago now. It was originally bought new by a Gentleman I was privileged to have known, one Sir Frederick Russell (decd.), academic, artist and angler, who, after highly distinguished service with the R.F.C. as a front-line photographer throughout the First World War, went on to play a major part in the development of the famous Marine Biological Association in Plymouth.

I can assure everybody that it is indeed a spinning- and not a fly rod, as is suggested by the short length and stoutness of cane! You must remember that spinning then was nearly always done with the Nottingham-or free running centre pin, such reels being commonly sited below the hand for balance, not above, as is the vogue today.
My own version is of similar vintage and in remarkably good fettle; the only difference being that the reels seat is of hardwood with a down-locking, sliding brass ring.
Too old to fish with now, it makes for an attractive display item.

Regards,

wm+

[Deaf Cat]

Oh but this is a great forum!

Thank you so much for that WM++; I knew the rod felt right even though the evidence seemed against it. :hat:

However, dare I use it now that I know?

:think:

[Scott]

Nice story wm+. I stand corrected... ... :thumb: