Hi -

I have got a 9'3" #7/8 Hardy Richard Walker Reservoir Superlite rod. It has a patent number and says on the silver part on the reel seat " Made by Hardys England"


Anyone heard of this rod or have any info on it. I have the original rod bag too...

Thanks

There's a question. I had two of them during the 70s.

Made from phenolic resin glass fibre utilising calculated tapers, this rod was, at the time, the biggest selling rod that was ever manufactured. I don't know how many were made but the quantity was huge. The spigot ferrule was reinforced with carbon fibre according to Hardys.

It was very light for a rod of this length and power, weighing just under 4 1/2 oz. The reel seat was made out of plastic and aluminium. I don't think Hardys ever made a reel seat quite like that one ever again, certainly I never saw one

It was equipped with snake rings together with a tungsten tip and stripper ring. Unfortunately I badly grooved the rings on one of my rods due to me using it a lot on a lake with a very sandy bank. I replaced the rings with single leg Fujis.

In good condition these rods can fetch a decent price, over £100 I would say.

I gave one of my rods away and smashed the other in a car door. I would love to feel the action of this rod again, it would bring back many memories.

That brings back memories! I had one as my only stillwater rod for years and did the same as Ron, replaced the worn snakes with single leg Fujis. I've still got it in the garage.

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Thanks for the info. It certainly feels light for a rod that old! It is in good nick for a rod that old too!

I think I will sell it. If anyone here wants it pm me.

Here is a couple of pics of it:

In it's day it was the only rod for almost every lake & res fisher, there was simply nothing to touch it for ages.

Several years after Hardy's intro'd a second rod in the series "The Richard Walker Little Lake" fantastic rod 9' #6, but it didn't catch on like the "Superlite".

I've got 1 of each, they need re-ringing though, I've also got & still use the fantastic "Superlite" net, why Hardy's discontinued it I've no idea, brilliant piece of kit.

Have you evidence of this?



http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/imag.../10220543.aspx

Carbon Fibre was first discovered and manufactured at RAE Farnborough.
I, obviously mistakenly, thought Hardy first incorporated carbon fibre in their Richard Walker Farnborough which came out several years later.

anyone want to buy it for £70 delivered ?

The page describing the fact that the spigot ferrule was reinforced with carbon fibre was in the Hardy catalogue of 1973. The rod certainly was not a carbon fibre construction throughout.

The Richard Walker Farnborough came out ca 1976 and was certainly the first carbon rod made by Hardy's. It was available in two line weights, a 7/8 at 9 foot and a 8/9 with extension handle at 9feet 3 inches. These rods cost a fortune by today's standards - £85.00 is my memory serves me right. They also had a reputation for being easily smashed, especially by waving them in the air under zero line load.

The first carbon fly rods were marketed by Shakespeare, and the advert showed a picture of William Shakespeare holding the bent rod. But the best fly rod blanks in my opinion were made for Fenwick in the USA. I made up two fly rods using Fenwick blanks. They were superb.

Those Fenwick blanks ARE superb. still have one made up for me by Geoffrey Rivaz who was then the Chairman for the Hungerford town water, 2 peice 9ft #5 ,has caught trout,grilse,grayling ,perch,jack pike,and mackeral .Wish lord Geoff would hurry up re ringing it !

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Andy Wren
Winter grayling taking a year off !
Claret not just a great dubbing colour!

I still have several rods made for me by Owen Caudle, the other half of that partnership, I believe that they too are on Fenwick blanks and are also superb, I have had them over well 20 years and still use them.

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary