Another Snyder Glas

[Little_Flatty]

6 hours ago, Ryder said:

It’s a bit of both really. The fibreglass are a bit more durable than graphite, especially around the rocks. Graphite can take a bruise if it gets knocked around.

With this CR145 it’s the blank that’s the money, that thing can almost bend in half. I’ll strip it completely, put on a plate reel seat and maybe shrink wrap grips to take more weight off. It’s fun, I can’t wait to use it.

I’ve got nothing against modern gear, I just bought graphite telescopic I’m taking to Tasmania next week, and looking at a Tony Fordham Carbon Kevlar that was imported from the UK.

The shop I got this rod from is full of Parker and Chiswell furniture, back in the day that’s what everyone had. In the 80s and 90s they were chucking it out, now it’s worth a small fortune.

The Butterworth and Snyder glas were both iconic Aussie manufacturers,( when we had a manufacturing industry) made to suit Aussie anglers and Australian conditions.

I sound old to myself now…They just don’t make em like that anymore.

 

Yes my wife loves her vintage furniture, clothes and old sewing techniques, so I get occasional glimpses of old fishing gear.  Nothing like what you find though!

I’m also intrigued by coarse fishing gear. I suspect it’d be devastatingly good for luderick!

Kids are almost ready for ‘proper’ fishing rods, so contemplating building a couple with them on the school holidays. Found a very reasonably priced glass rod kit that is reminiscent of the first and only rod I ever built. Good for them to see the process and something for them to keep.

[wazatherfisherman]

4 hours ago, Ryder said:

70s Black Queen De Luxe with the agate guides. There is 1 up for auction now asking $600. It’s mint.

That’s pure nostalgia, it was many peoples first fishing rod.

The only difference between the Black Queen and the Deluxe were the guides. The Agate runners were later replaced with 'Aqualite' guides, then porcelain Fuji's. The 'standard' Black Queen had chrome plated guides. Quite a lot of the premium range of Jarvis Walker rods had a single Aqualite stripping guide and they are still sought after, even though their were thousands made. Difficult to break 4-5lb mono on one of those!

Other really popular models of that line were: The Stanley-2 piece about 7ft, Swansea 3 piece 9ft Luderick rod with moulded black foregrip, full wooden but - (my first Luderick rod and it was really heavy solid glass!) Burnie Deluxe (I actually hooked a Marlin on my Burnie Deluxe), Mundoo 2 piece 8 or 9ft, The Stephen Howard 2 piece 10ft (I think Rick Marlin had one of those also) The Clarence 2 piece about 7ft from memory.

Jarvis Walker made rods for all types of fishing applications- solid fibreglass which were pretty much indestructable. They brought out several hollow glass models before launching their 'Gold Medal' range of 'new' hollow glass rods that were built to a higher standard. The popularity of the old Black Queens dwindled a fair bit with the release of 'The Port Hacking' a lightweight 2 piece 10ft Luderick rod in brown glass, had quality cork grips and closer spaced guides- it was my first hollow glass rod, but nowhere near as sturdy as the old Black Queen's.

The old Agate and Aqualite guides are also highly collectable, as are the old red Agate guides set in German silver- things of beauty if you like old tackle!

[wazatherfisherman]

9 hours ago, Ryder said:

It’s a bit of both really. The fibreglass are a bit more durable than graphite, especially around the rocks. Graphite can take a bruise if it gets knocked around.

With this CR145 it’s the blank that’s the money, that thing can almost bend in half. I’ll strip it completely, put on a plate reel seat and maybe shrink wrap grips to take more weight off. It’s fun, I can’t wait to use it.

I’ve got nothing against modern gear, I just bought graphite telescopic I’m taking to Tasmania next week, and looking at a Tony Fordham Carbon Kevlar that was imported from the UK.

The shop I got this rod from is full of Parker and Chiswell furniture, back in the day that’s what everyone had. In the 80s and 90s they were chucking it out, now it’s worth a small fortune.

The Butterworth and Snyder glas were both iconic Aussie manufacturers,( when we had a manufacturing industry) made to suit Aussie anglers and Australian conditions.

I sound old to myself now…They just don’t make em like that anymore.

 

If they brought out a new series of Sportex, Grizzly or Butterworth (Snyder) Luderick rods they'd completely capture the Luderick fisher's market. Other than exacting performance, their robust construction meant a long lifetime versus the 'fragility' of graphite rods- particularly when used from the stones. We used to lift fish up 2 or 3 mtrs on the old 3145's when fishing higher up for Ludes or when Bream fishing at night- wouldn't recommend doing that all the time with graphite.

[wazatherfisherman]

1 hour ago, Little_Flatty said:

Yes my wife loves her vintage furniture, clothes and old sewing techniques, so I get occasional glimpses of old fishing gear.  Nothing like what you find though!

I’m also intrigued by coarse fishing gear. I suspect it’d be devastatingly good for luderick!

Kids are almost ready for ‘proper’ fishing rods, so contemplating building a couple with them on the school holidays. Found a very reasonably priced glass rod kit that is reminiscent of the first and only rod I ever built. Good for them to see the process and something for them to keep.

I have about 4 x 12ft coarse rods from the UK and they do make really nice Lude rods Mike and they are pretty light for fibreglass rods.

The rod you felt the weight (or lack of!) was an old off the rack Shakespeare Luderick Special, I've got both the 10 and 11ft versions. They were really cheap to buy- only about $22 because they had really cheap chromed guides and neoprene grips. I rebuilt both of mine, one with Varmac guides and the other with red and black Abulon guides. Shakespeare also brought out a 10ft Ugly Stick Luderick rod which was about triple the price but another great rod for purpose, but due to the cost they never really took off. Considering you could still get Sportex and Butterworth's or search for a Grizzly, the Ugly's were probably priced out. My one was stolen sadly

[XD351]

These are the guides I had 

The Bonnie doon had the black ring with white ceramic centre - it was a later  model rod iirc 

Edited October 23 by XD351

[Robbo from Sydney]

On 10/20/2024 at 4:05 PM, Ryder said:

In the same antique store I picked up a Sportex 663 last year, today I found a Snyder Glas CR145 3W.  ( Club Rod 145 inch 3 wrap) What does Club Rod mean?

It’s an early black 2 piece, glass ferrule. I think they are sought after. Currently built as a light surf it should make a great blackfish rod, if I can get the recipe.

 

You have inspired me to dust off and use my Butterworth Powerods Spin Caster.   I have probably had this rod since the early to mid 1970's and haven't used it for 20 years or more. 

It is so heavy compared to my graphite rods and so much thicker in diameter too. I have teamed it up with a 2500 Stradic C14 and taken it out in the boat . It has already shown it can still catch fish. Certainly not fragile like the modern graphite rods!

The next thing I have to try is my old blackfish rod - which is of a similar age. I built it on a Butterworth 3 wrap 145 blank for use off the rocks. It was a lovely soft rod with a slow taper and the ability to bend almost from the but.

 

[Ryder]

1 hour ago, Robbo from Sydney said:

The next thing I have to try is my old blackfish rod - which is of a similar age. I built it on a Butterworth 3 wrap 145 blank for use off the rocks. It was a lovely soft rod with a slow taper and the ability to bend almost from the but.

Yes, do it. The GP3145 is fantastic. McGoo had his out at the Doughboy a couple of weeks ago and the tip almost touched the bottom half of the blank.