I see. This Norcro also had this on the other dide of the butt section...Crofter Series. and raphona Cane.
I've not been able to find any other reference to raphona cane so perhaps it was his 'word'.
In which case I missed out on a lovely fly rod by him at an auction a while back....didn't meet its reserve of £30. Had Hardy nickel silver and real agate rings on it.....tsk, tsk!
Yes, perhaps raphona is his word. It's not used on the Croft series rods that all seem to be be different in the details of the fittings and fixtures he used. It really does feel that the used what he had at the precise time of finishing the rods. I do find it a bit of a mystery, and I include the modern Sharpes of Middlesex rods in this, in that they rarely come up for sale, it's almost like a whole generation of rods disappeared as I rarely hear of folks saying, 'oh I've got one of those'. I was daft missing out on a lovely Fred Taylor that didn't sell on ebay for £150. But in my defence it's not a rod I could have imagined myself using, unlike a certain dream rod that is up on the bay at the moment…
For those who missed it last year, I have two Norcro rods :-
My Norcro "The Crofter Series" is a 2 piece, 9ft. split cane rod bearing the words 'The Crofter Series. Raphona Cane.' ... and ...
My Norcro "The Intercepter by Howard Humphrey" 13ft., 3 piece glass rod with ferruleless joints.
Pictures are on this site ... or on my own site (link below).
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.
