Light caster

[Chelsea]

Morning all!

Does anyone know the year that Allcocks changed the lettering on gold labels?

Also any info on Payne’s High Rd Balham? a light caster I have has their label on. I assume it was a tackle shop, just wondered if anyone else has come across their label on a rod?

Thanks in advance

[Chelsea]

Hi Rod fisher

Definitely not been touched up by hand and is part of the original label. I’ve seen other examples of this label on INTHENET.com. I’m assuming the red lettering is a later label going by how often I’ve seen them across the Allcocks range. It was more if anyone knew the year there was a change in the label that I was hoping to find out.



Great to see another Payne’s label

[Chelsea]

Yes an archive site it is but, an example of a gold label having with the writing different from the normal red lettering that’s seen often.

The not in original condition doesn’t necessarily means it’s the label the text is referring to.

It’s an interesting one …. Maybe someone else could shed some light on this.

[Chelsea]

Hi Rod fisher

In the case of the lucky strike the furniture could have been replaced?

In the first picture I posted of the light casters would you say that the furniture is brass?

[Chelsea]

I’m definitely not trying to fight the lucky strikes corner nor am I trying to convince you or anyone else for that matter that the gold and black lable pre-dates the gold and red.

From the link you sent regarding an old post concerning the lucky strike JOC said that he had seen one and another forum member wrote that someone reliable had also seen one many years before in a tackle shop?

I’m not sure the lucky strike can be disregarded because of the handle and furniture because it isn’t completely impossible that the Rod had had a complete makeover?

What I am saying is though, is that the light caster I have has what would appear the same lable other than the name of the Rod and that the one I have the wording ( light caster ) hasn’t been written on the label, it is actually part of the labels print?

I’m definitely not as informed as you Rod, I would also be happy show you the Rod?

I’ve added a few more pictures… in them you can see certain parts of the furniture is green which would suggest to me that the fittings are brass? Again maybe you can put me straight on this.

[Nobby]

This is probably a way of creating transfers that can be adapted to any rod model post-war. Allcocks had a real problem getting tackle manufacturing going again with soldiers kept on in Germany and other territories for many years after 1945. It follows that others struggled too and complicated transfers might not have been possible.

What the war had done was get aluminium manufacturing off the ground and post war Allcock and others quickly went over the aluminium reel mounts. I'm not aware of any rods being made post war with brass reel bands.

If we take the the Guides at face value it's hard to see why the Lucky Strike would have these interim adaptable transfers though...unless the rod was made sooner than the Guides suggest. They are not infallible...the poor Lucky Strike had its images changed to a Holdwell eventually!


This is another of those questions we should have asked of Tony Croft whilst he was still with us...........

[Nobby]

They are not infallible...the poor Lucky Strike had its images changed to a Holdwell eventually!

I believe it was the Record Breaker and the Holdwell, no?

Indeed it was. The Lucky Strike shares the page with them but is never illustrated.

The images stay in place but the names of the rods first moves in 1956. When the Holdwell moves to a different page in 1961 its image stays behind with the Record Breaker. The error persists through 1962 and '63 Guides. There is no image of the the Record Breaker at all in 1965 and 1967 when it was seemingly discontinued.

I have however, seen a Record Breaker Deluxe which is uncatalogued but is in the post -merger colours.

[Nobby]

I've just gone through all my Guides and the thought that the screw reel fitting is post war is wrong! It has brass reel bands in 1934 but the screw one is illustrated in the 1936 Guide.

This changes things a bit ...if the rod has a gold oval and a screw down reel clamp this version of the gold oval has to be pre-war.

Allcock used different labels on different rods pre-war, maybe the fist gold oval was an idea to suit several rods but was replaced post war by the gold oval with red letters on all Allcock rods?


There is an image on the net of a Lucky Strike with a gold oval and a hand written rod name on it, just like Chelsea's rod. This is a bit of an anomaly since it appears to be using a transfer discontinued in 1939 when rod making is thought to have ceased.

According to John Ollif-Cooper the Lucky Strike has 'been around since the late thirties'...........https://www.fishingmagic.com/the-lucky-strike/

[Chelsea]

Does anyone know the year the brass furniture changed? Excluding the brass reel bands.

[Chelsea]

Thanks, Rod Fisher