Chapman The Bengeo

[Lea Dweller]

I knew that Chapman's produced a Bengeo, but I had never seen one until now!

[Fredline]

BENGEO... that is a new one on me.

Does anyone know anything about the name ?

As with most Chapman rods named after a small Village in Herts. Just north of Hertford. Also named after rivers.

I thought it was named after Ron Chapman's 2 labradors, Benny and George.

[Champ]

A great find Ljm.I had not seen that one before or the listing.

[Duckett]

What a lovely find Lee. I’ve never see one of those. I used to know someone who lived in Bengeo!

Phil

[GameKeeper]

Lovely rod,one I have not seen before !

[Greentura]

Would anyone have the tip tapers of a Bengeo ? As it's stated as being 10' and 1lb test, could it be similar to or the same even as the Peter Stone 'Ledgerstrike' ? I built myself similar construction rod as a two piece 10'10" rod with one of my replica Craftversa tips that i wasnt happy with for the thickest end and had to shorten it to remove the bad bit, a shame to cut it shorter so I built a spliced in whole cane to whole cane butt section, with a short handle, that with hindsight i should have made a few inches later, might still do that. Anyway, it's be interesting to find the Tapers of a real Bengeo if anyone can help

[BoltonBullfinch]

Would anyone have the tip tapers of a Bengeo ? As it's stated as being 10' and 1lb test, could it be similar to or the same even as the Peter Stone 'Ledgerstrike' ? I built myself similar construction rod as a two piece 10'10" rod with one of my replica Craftversa tips that i wasnt happy with for the thickest end and had to shorten it to remove the bad bit, a shame to cut it shorter so I built a spliced in whole cane to whole cane butt section, with a short handle, that with hindsight i should have made a few inches later, might still do that. Anyway, it's be interesting to find the Tapers of a real Bengeo if anyone can help

Would John not let you have the tapers, they must be written down somewhere at his place....

Thanks
BB

[Barbelbonce]

For the tip taper: I would guess that at the tip ring the dimension would be .095": many of the Chapman top joints for rods of that type used the same blank. I stand to be corrected as I am only making an educated (after a fashion!) guess.
John has said more than once to me that the Chapman "Taper Book" is not really a book, just a collection of jottings (or pages or similar) and is very incomplete and a bit haphazard. This is because it was all pretty informal and tapers were recorded, not for posterity (for the likes of us years after the event) but as a purely workshop record. They also made a large number of rods in very small numbers - ?one-offs as customer requests? - which may never have been written-down and recorded in the "Taper Book".

I always think of "The Beane". A lovely-looking small river rod, partially whole cane (Butt and Middle?). I have only ever seen one example on the 'net and that same one a few times in different places. It came up for auction and I was an under-bidder. It fetched very good money, I seem to remember.

I also remember The Beane featuring on a web-site which, I think had a connection with John Oliff-Cooper, which I can no longer find. It had little essays and listings of rods by all the well-known makers, some of which were for sale. Anyone known where that site has gone?
Or even what it was called? I can't remember, but I can see it in my mind's eye.......
Mike

[Rod Fisher]

I also remember The Beane featuring on a web-site which, I think had a connection with John Oliff-Cooper, which I can no longer find. It had little essays and listings of rods by all the well-known makers, some of which were for sale. Anyone known where that site has gone?
Or even what it was called? I can't remember, but I can see it in my mind's eye.......
Mike

Olliff-Cooper had two; http://www.cane-rods.mistral.co.uk and http://www.interalpha.net, both now defunct. You may be thinking of inthenetuk, which has a Chapman "Beane" on this page.

[Barbelbonce]

Bingo!! "inthenetuk" is the site.
Many thanks indeed, RF. I'm glad to have the site back and available. A fount of information. I believe it has not been updated for a long while?

Anyone here know what happened to the Beane that turned up for a while and then was sold, only to disappear.....?

Mike