The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Branded"Farstrike".

I am lucky to have (from new) a Davenport and Fordham, Clive Gammon Bass rod (beachcaster), in green with green and black (tipped) whippings, I usually team this rod with the (red) Ambassadeur 6000 I bought at the same time at Gerry's of Wimbledon around 1974 - the pair where around £50; does that sound correct?

I have another D&P sea rod, but shorter and lighter than the Clive Gammon but it's unamed, but similiar in style and build to that rod. I forgot to add, to this original post, that I also have a Farstrike"Trotting Rod", 10.5', brown blank (actually toffee coloured!), with red whippings tipped black - lovely rod, only showing some age with minor crazing of the varnish and some tarnishing of the chrome rings.

Does anyone else have one of these fine rods?

John.

i have just picked up my dads broken mk1v and whilst there i asked him where is his old glass green trotting rod i have always loved this rod and so does he.

its called The specialist trotting rod 10.10 in length and has a label that states
Farstrike by davenport & fordham ltd ware herts

guessing the must have moved at some point

it's a lovely rod and im going to get it refurbed when funds allow

regards

bjp

Am I right in thinking that the D&P MK IV and Avon were hollow built, making them lighter than the James equivallent?

I did handle a MK IV Avon a short while back. I thought it was very nice.

Haydn Clarke wrote:Am I right in thinking that the D&P MK IV and Avon where hollow built, making them lighter than the James equivallent?

I did handle a MK IV Avon a short while back. I thought it was very nice.

sorry i might have mislead, whilst i was collecting his broken cane b james mk1v i also picked up the glass trotting rod no experience of their mk1v's

regards

bjp

I have a D & F Farstrike MI IV, iI don't think it is hollow built. It does have a long handle compared to some other MK IV rods though.

I notice this is an old thread, but just had to mention one of my favourite beach rods, bought new in about 1970 and which I still have.

Twelve foot, two-piece Green hollow glass beachcaster, wire low bridge rings, whipped in red with 'fastish' taper tip on a glass & dural butt with three shaped cork grips and a full chromed winch fitting reel seat.

My Davenport & Fordham 'Surflite' still get an airing on rare occasions.

Not sure this is the right place for this but here goes.

Thanks to a kind forum member, I am now the proud owner of a Davenport and Fordham Farstrike MK IV. These seem to be pretty few and far between as far as MK IV variants go.

I have a question about the ring spacing. My rod has one agate butt ring. The tip section has an agate tip ring and five low bells. The only other one I have seen a picture of has one less ring on the tip
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-VINTAGE-MK1 ... 7675.l2557

Looking at the useful information on Chapman's website, they give the rings of their MK IV as two on the butt section, five low bells and the tip ring.

Does the addition of the additional ring make any significant difference to the action of the rod? Do any of the other variants have a different layout?

Give Tony Fordham a ring on 01892 770344, most helpful if you catch him
on a friday afternoon.

He told me that the blanks used for the mk1v's were supplied by Chapman's.

I'm not totally sure, but I don't think Davenport & Fordham used agate/agatine
lined butt or tip ring's. Tony would know for sure.

Thanks.

DrJohn wrote:Branded"Farstrike".

I am lucky to have (from new) a Davenport and Fordham, Clive Gammon Bass rod (beachcaster), in green with green and black (tipped) whippings, I usually team this rod with the (red) Ambassadeur 6000 I bought at the same time at Gerry's of Wimbledon around 1974 - the pair where around £50; does that sound correct?

I have another D&P sea rod, but shorter and lighter than the Clive Gammon but it's unamed, but similiar in style and build to that rod.

Does anyone else have one of these fine rods?

John.

Funnily enough I also had the Clive Gammon bass rod couple with the Ambassadeur reel (5000 in my case) also bought from Gerry's at about the same time as you purchased yours. I used it for many years for bass and even found it a great rod/reel combo for pike. A really superb rod. I also had a D & F fly rod, my first, and found it to be the worst casting rod I have ever owned. I tried it with lines either side of the recommended but still could not put out a decent line with it ! During the same period I had the Farstrike 6 oz beachcaster which I used to great effect on the cod from the Dungeness area and was my favorite rod of its type for many years.