A Yank with a question....

I'm new to your board, but old to bamboo rod collecting. I recently acquired an 8'3" Wilson International by Sharpes'/Farlow from another collector here in the US that thought that the rod was a P et M dirivitive... as did I. I now know that it was a product of Dermot Wilson in conjunction with someone else.

The rod needs to be re-whipped, and I need a description of the correct colours to redo the rod. The existing whips appear to be a sort of teal blue with white or yellow tipping... I have no idea if they are original.

I would also like to get as much detail (sorry... I'm an engineer) as to the design/manufacturing/etc of the rod as well as the probable date of manufacture.

As you are no doubt aware UK rods are not highly sought after on this side of the pond, thus information tends to be a bit scarce.

Many thanks for any information furnished!

Ralph Shuey
Huntsville, Alabama
USA

When Sharpe's pulled out of cane manufacturing in the late 1960s, their machinery and patterns were sold to Taylor & Johnson of Redditch, and has now ended up with John and Steve Weaver of S & J Tackle www.sandjtackle.co.uk. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

There's an old article about Sharpe's Scottie rods here http://fishing.co.uk/article.php3?id=164.

You might be looking on the wrong continent though - Dermot Wilson used to be associated with Orvis.

Regards,

Doc

No, I think I'm wrong there - it was actually made by Sharpe's, with an "F" for Farlow transfer, and designed by Dermot in conjunction with Peter Alport, President of Norm Thompson. Alport was also involved in the Lee Wulff rods by Sharpe's/Farlow's.

Sharpe's were making rods for Orvis at that time though, and it wouldn't surprise me if they sold it in the US as well as Norm Thompson.

regards,

Doc

Ahhhhhhhh!!! Some new input... I knew about Alport, but had no idea of who the H he was... that gives me some additional strings to follow. There seems to be a lot of convoluted history about that time. Norm Thompson could well be the US importer, although there was another firm that handled all of Constable's stuff, and I would have suspected Wilson's as well.

I'd sure like to get a lead on whipping colour, as my fellow is going to re-do the rod soon, and it would be nice to have the correct colours on the rod.

Thanks,

Ralph

Mine is blue with yellow tipping. Send it to Gary Marshall if you want it restoring sympathetically. I'm pretty sure there was some input or at least influence of Charles Ritz in the design and specification of the rod. Some of them have a trumpet handle, mine has almost a trumpet handle but there is step down to the reel seat rings, the trumpet handle versions have no step but simply taper smoothly in the reel seating area in one subtle curve.

Why not fish with it a bit before you send it for rewhipping etc.?

richard

__________________
Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

We had a 4 day outing in the Smoky Mountain National Park last week where I fished the rod every day on streams varying from 10-40 ft across and lots of brush and trees on the bank. That's one of the reasons I'm so excited about the rod. It roll and Spey casts wonderfully. Side arm roll casts and short casts keep me out of the trees.

Love It!!!

Ralph