Barder Rod Co 7½’ #4-weight 3-piece 2-top fly rod c2005.

Apart from some very slight patina to the bluing on one or two of the ferrules, this rod shows very little signs of use. It is in superb condition overall and has a really superb and desirable specification, including snake guides made by the late Tom Moran, a tailor made raw silk rod bag and a hand stitched English bridle leather case.

This seven foot six inch three piece four weight is an ideal all round small stream rod. Its rifle-like accuracy combines with finesse and reserve power to produce a particularly satisfying rod to fish with. It looks exceptionally attractive with its honey coloured bamboo, significantly swelled butt and transparent Pearsall’s Gossamer silk whippings.

The nickel silver ferrules are a superb fit and the rod is absolutely straight and lively. The unblemished blued nickle silver metalwork and olive wood spacer create a functional and beautiful reel seat. The guides are blued stainless steel, made by the late Tom Moran. The matching tip-tops are Tic coated and the butt ring is a carbide-centred nickel silver Mildrum -particularly good and no longer made.

The split cane blank is made from flame tempered vintage (up to fifty years old) Tonkin bamboo, hand split with the grain and straightened before tapering to tolerance of +/- one thousandth of an inch.

The flawlessly hand applied marine varnish finish is impeccable.

Apart from the leather case and guides, every other part of this rod was made in-house and completed in July 2005.

This is a lovely example of a model that doesn’t come up very often. It is, to use an old rod making term, pretty nifty.