Chris Yates Barbus Maximus 11’9″ 2-piece + handle.
Built in 1992 for Michael Nadell, the famous patissier and author of Poles Apart.
£1,650.00
This rod was built for Michael Nadell as part of a three rod set. Each rod was ordered with half inch spaced intermediate whippings and the best possible specification. I took a picture of the three rods in my workshop at North End, on the Hampshire side of Newbury, in the summer of 1992. I was twenty six at the time, with no fat on me and a fine head of hair. The restaurateur giveth and the male pattern baldness taketh away.
The original 11’9″ Chris Yates Barbus Maximus has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Barbel fishing has come full circle insofar as the fish themselves are less commonplace than they were in the late 1990s and their capture demands finesse.
The other reason for the rod’s popularity is its versatility. It has a nice crisp action, plenty of sensitivity in the tip, power in the middle and butt and it’s not too heavy because the middle is hollow-built.
It makes a really super chub rod and equally, a marvelous tench rod. No reason not to use it for bream and perch either. Some people eschew the bream, but a good one from clean, cool water is actually quite nice. Chris Yates favours a lemon sauce and recommends the bream from the Hampshire Avon.
As you can see from the accompanying illustrations, this is a very good looking rod indeed, with a super specification, fantastic near-mint original condition and an abundance of class.
The price is nice, its provenance is interesting, the fishing you could enjoy with it would surely be magnificent.
Specification.
Hand-made split cane tip, hollow-built split cane middle and a detachable split cane handle. All in perfect condition and straight.
Lightweight nickel sliver tip-to-mid ferrule, waterproof splint end ferrule between handle and middle. Lovely hand-turned Poplar wood and cork stoppers.
Genuine pre-1939 agate lined butt and tip rings. Hard chrome plated stainless steel intermediate bridge rings. Hook keeper ring.
All whippings in dark green Pearsall’s silk. The varnish is marine grade.
The detachable handle has an onion shaped top, aluminium reel bands, a tapered aluminium butt cap and a red rubber button.
The rod comes in its original hand-sewn tailor made bag.
Reel lines: 4 – 8 lbs breaking strain.
Casting weights up to 1.5 oz