Chris Yates’s 9’ Jo Bonham ‘St Leonard’ fly rod & Farlow ‘Kennet’ fly reel.
The outfit Chris used for Dorset Stour trout and grayling. SOLD.
£500.00
Oliver Joseph Bonham (known as Jo) was one of a handful of small independent split cane rod makers working in post-War Britain. He worked from his home in Drayton St Leonard (hence the St Leonard name) near Oxford. His rods were very nicely made. I’ve known anglers who commissioned rods from him and he earned their loyalty.
One such person, who became his protégé, was my friend Homer Jennings the legendary American rod maker. When Homer lived in Brackley, Northants, he used to visit Jo Bonham to learn all he could about split cane rod making.
Chris Yates, who has enjoyed fly fishing rather more than most people realise, bought this rod at an Evans & Partridge tackle auction (held at Sparsholt Agricultural College) in the early nineteen nineties. He had access to some Stour shallows where, during the mayfly, enormous wild trout would sometimes appear. Chris fished for these elusive monsters with his friends Tony Hayter and Ronnie Butler, among others. The St Leonard nine footer was his rod of choice.
The rod is perfectly matched with his pre-1939 Farlow’s Kennet fly reel. This is a super vintage reel, made for Farlow’s by JW Young. Its 3⅜” x ¾” dimensions are just right for a size 6 floating line and backing.
Using this outfit, Chris caught several fine wild trout, and grayling to very nearly two pounds.
The rod comes with a letter of provenance from Chris Yates written on Golden Scale Club headed paper.
Jo Bonham St Leonard rod specification.
9’ #6-weight in 2 pieces, built from hand-made split cane. The sections are straight and sound. The ferrule was made by an ex-Hardy ferrule maker and retains its firm fit.
The handle is a half-Wells shape, turned from very nice cork. The reel fittings are lightweight alloy butt cap and band on a cork spacer.
The rings are hard chrome plated snakes with a Regalox lined butt ring and a hayfork tip ring. The whippings are a very attractive apple green silk with black tippings.
The Indian ink inscription indicates that the rod is a 9’ Special General Purpose for a #6 line, made in 1975 for J R Flury.
It comes in a Barder Rod Co bag.
Farlow & Co Ltd ‘Kennet’ reel specification.
A practical cage construction reel with a duplicated check mechanism. Lightweight, functional and very nicely made by JW Young for Farlow pre-1939. It has much attractive patina and remains in excellent working order. It comfortably holds a DT or WF #6 floating line and backing.