Barder Rod Co ‘The Wallis Rod’ 11′ 3-piece Avon. Whole & split cane.

In 1996, when Colin and I were thirty one and clearly incredibly talented, we received a special commission from a valued customer. Our  brief was to build a rod that embodied the aesthetics and style of a really good vintage Wallis Wizard, but with a contemporary action and every possible refinement of craftsmanship and finish.

This rod was our Bentley Continental moment. No, not the modern GT for heaven’s sake! The proper 1956 Fastback with the H. J. Mulliner coachwork. I get it out of its bag quite often to look at it. I’m growing covetous. It’s among the best three piece rods we’ve ever made, with a whole cane butt, and it’s available now for a very, very reasonable price. It’s a properly superb fishing rod. Hint, hint.

Anyway, now we’ve got that straightened out, I’ll tell you about the rod. All fittings of our own make and bronze finished in the traditional manner, finely knurled, complete with a conical collar at the handle top. It has spigotted ferrules to match. Colin loved making those. Don’t know why he made such a fuss really. Silk whippings are the pre-1939 Allcock’s Burgundy. We saturated this silk with varnish so it’s translucent, waterproof and won’t crack. You’ll see from the accompanying pictures that the whippings are intricate and beautiful, as is the flawless hand-applied marine varnish finish.

The overall effect, as I trust the accompanying pictures illustrate, would earn H. J. Mulliner’s approval.

The rod’s action is helped along by its exceptional whole Tonkin bamboo butt section. The middle is stronger than an old-style Wizard’s and the tip, while fine and sensitive, is more robust. We mustn’t denigrate the original Wizard’s action though. Those rods were made when silk running lines and gut hook lengths were the norm, neither of which had any stretch, so a softer rod was essential.

This rod has the feel and function of a top class Avocet, if you are looking for a comparison. There isn’t another one like it, and because we put so much into its construction, it is admirably suited to vigorous modern angling in the hands of you, a vigorous modern angler. A unique, unused rod in as-new condition. Time to take it for a spin!

Specification.

11′ 3-piece. Butt section: flame tempered, straightened Tonkin bamboo from the stock I obtained from Cliff Constable. Split cane middle & tip made from flame tempered, hand split and precision built vintage Tonkin bamboo.

Handle:  Flor grade  cork, 25″ long with a classic Wizard-style ergonomically correct top, finely knurled & bronzed fittings and a red rubber button with a green felt disc.

Ferrules: our own make, bronzed & lacquered with spigotted males and hand-turned Poplar wood and cork stoppers.

Silk whippings: classic pre-1939 Allcock Burgundy red, varnish-impregnated.

Rings: Amberfin butt and tip, with hard chrome plated stainless steel stand-off intermediates.

Varnish: Now fully mature and durable. Flawless marine grade varnish, hand-applied.

The rod comes in its tailor made bag with press stud fastenings and a pocket in the flap for the ferrule stoppers.

Reel lines: 3 -6 lbs BS. Casting weights: up to 1 oz.

Take this rod and sit where FWK Wallis sat, by the Royalty’s Bridge Pool. Like him, you really might catch a fourteen pound barbel or a thirty pound salmon. It’s a happy thought isn’t it. Perhaps this rod will make such a dream come true.