Tom Moran 8′ #5-weight 2-piece 2-top c2001.

Tom Moran (who died in 2014) was quite rightly regarded as one of the most important and refined craftsmen in the modern era of split cane rod making. Knowledgeable connoisseurs treasure his work as some of the finest, if not the finest of all time.

We are living in a rather fickle age and I am becoming concerned that our late friend Tom’s work is not always attracting the recognition it deserves. The best rod makers working now, whether they realise it or not, owe a great deal to Tom, whose work eclipsed all but a few of his contemporaries in terms of quality, style and originality.

We are proud to have a very nice selection of Tom Moran rods at the moment and we fervently hope that readers will accept our advice that a collection of fine split cane rods should contain at least one Moran. Not having one would be a bit like a classic aircraft collection lacking a Tiger Moth, or a cabinet of watches missing a Jaeger-LeCoultre. Unthinkable!

This rod is in really super original condition. It has had one careful owner and has been lightly fished since it was made in 2001, when Tom was living in Chisbury (a hamlet near Marlborough, Wilts). It has its excellent dark tan leather case made to measure by Ger Vroomen of the Netherlands (who made almost all of Tom’s cases) and is ready to fish.

The action is Tom’s interpretation of the Garrison 212E taper, which is one of the all time classic designs for a 2-piece 8’ #5-weight. I’d pair it with a classic Hardy such as a St George, Bouglé or an LRH Lightweight. As you might expect, it performs exquisitely with a Phoenix DT#5 silk line -a match made in piscatorial heaven.

Specification.

8’ 2-piece 2-tip #5-weight precision built medium flame-toned split cane. Swelled butt construction with classic 3 x 3 node spacing. Sections are absolutely needle straight and retain 100% of their vigour and resilience.

The tailor made rod bag has a stiffener to protect the tips and was made by Tom’s wife

Ferrules are Moran-made Swiss pattern nickel silver, blued and lacquered. The distinctive Moran ferrule stopper is in place.

The guides are Moran-made bronzed stainless steel snakes with a Mildrum SRMC size 10 nickel silver & carbide butt ring and matching tip-tops. The hook keeper is also Moran-made.

Whippings are transparent Pearsall’s Gossamer, with Tom’s signature single thread tippings. The way Tom achieved his tippings was original to him in rod making, although he revealed his method to others and it has since been quite widely adopted.

The reel seat spacer is highly figured tiger maple. Tom hand filed his spacers to fit typical Hardy reel feet perfectly. Tom’s nickel silver metalwork, blued and lacquered to match the ferrules & guides, provides a completely secure reel mounting of exceptional elegance.

Apart from the tip rings and butt ring, every component on this rod was made by Tom Moran to extraordinarily high standards. This is a unique achievement in professional rod making, and it should be reason enough for any serious connoisseur to own a Moran.