The Hardy ‘Palakona’ Richard Walker Carp Rod. 10′ 1½ pound test curve.

I first saw a Hardy split cane carp rod in Chris Partington’s vintage tackle shop in Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury, in 1987. I wish I’d bought it but all I could run to was £18 for a Wallis Wizard with a broken tip section.

The next one I saw was four years ago. These two were from the one year in fifties when Hardy’s offered a carp rod.

Between times, I’ve seen quite a few of the later Hardy carp and Avon rods, which were typically whipped with black silk tipped with red. This is the first example of the 1969 Richard Walker carp rod I’ve seen with its golden olive silks tipped with red. I must say that it was love at first sight. This is a really super rod, in mint condition. I’m told that it has been on a couple of outings but it hasn’t been troubled by a carp, yet, and it is in exactly the same as-new condition that it left Alnwick in fifty six year ago. Incredible.

According to the production records shown in Jim Hardy’s excellent book about his family firm, this model was made only in 1969. They were the final demonstration of Hardy’s love of bamboo. One or two others have turned up in recent years but they haven’t been quite as perfect as this one.

Very scarce and desirable from a collector’s point of view, it is, first and foremost, a tremendous fishing rod. Its tapers are exactly right and its quality is beyond reproach. It’s absolutely straight, with a firm ferrule, pristine cork and really very attractive silk whippings. It has that class and pedigree that’s particular to Hardy’s.

As its Indian ink inscription tells us, it is a Richard Walker carp rod (Walker was very involved with Hardy’s at the time) made from ‘Palakona’ split bamboo, with a 1½ pound test curve. The letters above the handle top indicate 1969 as its year of manufacture.

The ferrule is nickel silver, with its aluminium and cork stopper. The rings are hard chrome plated bridge pattern with a Hardy agate and nickel sliver tip ring.

The rod is very light in the hand because it is unencumbered by anything unnecessary. It comes in its original Hardy labelled bag (it has faded a little but so have I since 1969).

I’d dearly love to fish with this rod and I am completely confident that you will too.