IN PRAISE OF THE ANONYMOUS

[Grumpy]

Enjoy your earworm

Still humming it!

[Dave Burr]

Enjoy your earworm

Still humming it!

My work here is done

[Delaminated]

Hi Eric,
You have really done a super job on bringing old “Marmalade” back up to scratch, I had to look more than twice to realise that this was the same pole you took on nearly a year ago.

It went to a good home and has now been transformed.

Regards Tom.

Ps.I rebuilt the tip on this pole, adding an all new split cane section. Did you keep this or have you renewed it - it looks a tad longer than as I remember.

All the best, Tom

[EricW]

Thank you Tom, it is the same tip. Obviously I rewhipped the splice to get the colour match and I re-glued one outer ferrule. A couple more splits developed, probably because of the temperature changes in my loft workshop, which I re-glued. I managed to find some very feint shadows on one section that I used as a pattern/style of whipping for the whole pole although I'm not sure if that was really how it looked. I copied the spiral whipping layout from my '1905' pole for the tip. I've had a few fish on it now and the tip works fine so your choice of donor cane was spot on. I still have the other one to look at yet!

[Delaminated]

Hi Eric,
Happy to see that the tip replacement worked out ok, it was the only suitable piece of cane I had at that time.

I must repeat my praise of your refurb and finish, the black livery on the mottled cane surface has come up a treat. It shows what skill and perseverance and untold hours spent can achieve.

You should have some fun with the other pole, a bored hardwood bottom piece and numerous cracks in the upper sections as I remember. I think I glued most of those.

After that experience I decide to move those two poles on as they were the pair of a four pole hoard that needed a mountain of work.

The two I kept were a marked Evans and a probable Evans that had lost its bottom cap and @ four inches in length. Possibly a victim of a careless car door closure. Both very fishable and a joy to own.

Regards Tom

[Old Man River]

Whilst I have never ever wielded a pole , seeing the lovely finish and workmanship on the ones here displayed make me think that if I could find one that needed a rebuild I would certainly give it a new suite of clothes and even venture to the waterside with it.
They are a totally different animal to a rod with running line, lovely to look at , and I have no doubts a challenge to master .

David

[Aitch]

I have a pair of un-named poles, both are Japanese Gourd Poles... whilst they are quite light, they are very soft and being over 20' long, are really only best used at 3 or 4 sections... My Milwards is only a 4 section pole of some 16' but is light enough to use one handed, all have split cane tips whipped with small fly rod snake guides and can take an elastic to cushion the lunges of the odd larger specimen

Here are my Japanese poles

[EricW]

Those Japanese poles are a thing of beauty, Aitch. I do have an old 'Jap' pole standing patiently in the queue but it is one of those 'seventeen and a tanner' jobs. Absolutely not in the same class as those two. Contrary to popular opinion I do not find cane poles heavy in use. It is entirely a question of balance and grip. Sitting at a slight angle to the water with the pole across my right knee, I just lean slightly upon it. Although I always use a small V pole roller front rest, I frequently find that the pole is not actually in contact with it and should a bite materialise, I lean just a little harder and lift into the fish. It is a one handed job, the second only becoming of use to play the fish. It is nice to see some real interest in cane poles among these responses as I do feel that this section is under-represented as I am sure there are plenty in use out there. We frequently hear about the direct contact with the fish engendered by the use of a centrepin reel and I feel very much the same about pole fishing. It has a beautiful subtlety that rod and line lacks somewhat and for me there is no other form of fishing that puts me so in touch with the past and that can also be achieved in great measure with short fibreglass or even 'c****n poles to fish old fashioned floats and methods. Hopefully one or two more aficianados will come out of the woodwork in the near future and give us other opinions and advice.

[TrentFisher]

Those Japanese poles are a thing of beauty, Aitch. I do have an old 'Jap' pole standing patiently in the queue but it is one of those 'seventeen and a tanner' jobs. Absolutely not in the same class as those two. Contrary to popular opinion I do not find cane poles heavy in use. It is entirely a question of balance and grip. Sitting at a slight angle to the water with the pole across my right knee, I just lean slightly upon it. Although I always use a small V pole roller front rest, I frequently find that the pole is not actually in contact with it and should a bite materialise, I lean just a little harder and lift into the fish. It is a one handed job, the second only becoming of use to play the fish. It is nice to see some real interest in cane poles among these responses as I do feel that this section is under-represented as I am sure there are plenty in use out there. We frequently hear about the direct contact with the fish engendered by the use of a centrepin reel and I feel very much the same about pole fishing. It has a beautiful subtlety that rod and line lacks somewhat and for me there is no other form of fishing that puts me so in touch with the past and that can also be achieved in great measure with short fibreglass or even 'c****n poles to fish old fashioned floats and methods. Hopefully one or two more aficianados will come out of the woodwork in the near future and give us other opinions and advice.

Hi Eric,
Poles Apart is one of my favourite reads in recent years.My pole fishing is done with two Shakespeare poles -6m and 4mtrs. They are both rigged as you would a cane pole-no elastic and all my tactics are the same as those described in the book.The crow quill floats I made get well used along with a sprinkling of dome top porkies.I have a number of wooden winders,and tackle housed in some larger old fly cast wallets picked up over the years.One concession is the use of a Shakespeare seat box to get the sitting position right and bits and bobs to hand.Most enjoyable way to fish.
All the best-Nige.