Rem - Holland fishing rods (REMPLOY)

[Wanderer]

Gentlemen, I am trying to find out about Rem - Holland fishing rods and any other tackle that they may have made.
Many people will remember the old Remploy factories that were spread around the country.
At least one of these factories produced fishing rods, with the REM - HOLLAND name.
I have an 11'6" Heavy feeder rod, made of that dark grey stuff that we are discouraged from mentioning and rather nice it is too.

What I would like to know is -

Where were the Remploy factories that produced the fishing rods ?

How long were they producing fishing rods ?

Did they make many fishing rods ?

Did they make any fibreglass fishing rods ?

I will be grateful for any information from the learned gentlemen on the TFF.

THANK YOU.

[Rod Fisher]

Gentlemen, I am trying to find out about Rem - Holland fishing rods and any other tackle that they may have made.
Many people will remember the old Remploy factories that were spread around the country.
At least one of these factories produced fishing rods, with the REM - HOLLAND name.
I have an 11'6" Heavy feeder rod, made of that dark grey stuff that we are discouraged from mentioning and rather nice it is too.

What I would like to know is -

Where were the Remploy factories that produced the fishing rods ?

REM–Holland rods were originally made at the Moorland Business Centre, Bradford Road, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. There followed a move to Skinner Lane, Pontefract.
Unlike Remploy’s usual model of matching and training disabled people to existing vacancies, in this instance they created an outlet for a disabled man who was already making fishing rods, and he trained other disabled persons in the craft.

How long were they producing fishing rods ?

The only references I've found are from 1985 - 1988.

Did they make many fishing rods ?

They hand-built between thirty and forty fishing rods a week.
The range included a 1¾lb and 2¼lb carp rods, 12 and 13ft match rods, a 10ft leger, 11ft 6in heavy feeder, 10ft and 10ft 6in fly rods, and a 10ft quivertip rod, all carbon-fibre.
They also offered a rod-repair service on the premises, so you could have your rod rebuilt or re-ringed.

Did they make any fibreglass fishing rods ?

No, they were all 96/98% carbon fibre.

I will be grateful for any information from the learned gentlemen on the TFF.

THANK YOU.

They were also the main UK distributor for Au Lion D’Or hooks, and had a match team called Smithies-Rem-Holland based at Barnsley.

[Wanderer]

Thank you for for all of that information Rod.
Absolutely fascinating.
I had no idea that fishing rods were made at Remploy Pontefract, and that they had a repair service, I thought it was only furniture that was made there.
It all makes a kind of sense, because I bought my Rem - Holland rod just three miles from the factory at Skinner Lane Pontefract..

Thank you, once again.