Chris Yates’s first proper fishing rod – the Freddie Green rod.

The single most important item of tackle from Chris’s formative years, given to Edward Barder to restore in the 1990s and used again by Chris on its return twenty years later.

More recently, in issue 15 of Fallon’s Angler, Chris writes about Mr Green’s gift in The rod that was broken. In issue 16, Chris writes about his return to Wallers Haven in his story Schooldays Revisited. Here, after sixty years, he fishes again with the rod he used on his first visit, aged eleven. The rod was, of course, Freddie Green’s.

Fallon’s Angler made a delightful film of Chris fishing with Mr Green’s rod at Wallers Haven. You can view it by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnAHBFFbvLU

When Chris gave it to me to do something with, the rod consisted of a nice whole cane butt. The ferrules were plain brass tubes and the handle fittings were also of brass. Actually, there was one sliding band left and the butt cap had cracked. The tip had been irreparably damaged by the young CY.

For many years, Freddie Green’s precious rod lived in a dark corner of a steel cabinet. Once in a while, I’d take it out and say to myself that I really should try to do something with it. Then it would go back to its corner for another five years.

Chris never once asked how the restoration was going. I’d mention it from time to time and he’d tell me not to worry- all in good time.

A few years ago (2018, I think) we’d made a batch of tip sections for three piece rods. One, for a twelve footer, was left over. We measured Freddie Green’s rod and found that our newly made tip would suit it perfectly. Work began to bring the rod back to life. The result is a truly lovely three piece twelve foot rod with a whole cane butt, whole cane middle with a split cane upper joint leading to the ferrule and a split cane tip.

Because the original ferrules and fittings were either missing or worn out, we made new nickel silver ferrules and handle fittings. We whipped on a new set of stand-off rings with Elephant Brand Royal Blue silk to match the original whippings.

The Rod was re-born and Chris, who’d not quite forgotten about it, was amazed by its transformation. He started to fish with it straight away and first cast, caught his best ever perch- three pounds eleven ounces on a prawn.

The rod comes with a letter of provenance from Chris, written on Golden Scale Club headed paper and copies of the two issues of Fallon’s Angler in which Chris’s story of the rod were published.

Specification.

12’ in three sections. Original whole cane butt, replacement whole & split cane middle, new split cane tip.

The action is ideal for traditional float fishing. As the accompanying pictures illustrate, the rod has plenty of flex to deal with tench, perch and chub.

24” Flor grade cork handle with finely knurled nickel silver butt cap, sliding reel bands and shoulder collar.

Hard chrome plated stand-off rings- with a blue centred Amberfin butt ring (to match the silk) and a clear centred Amberfin tip ring whipped with Royal Blue Elephant Brand silk.

A flawless hand-applied marine varnish gloss finish.

Indian ink inscription: 12’ Freddie Green

Oxidised nickel silver splint end waterproof ferrules with hand turned olive wood stoppers.

A tailor made compartment bag.