 |
Engraving and
Inlays - Agutter read and heard
about the new tapers and designs of Cane
Rods in the USA. Names coming to the fore
like Youngs and Thomas & Thomas.
Agutter began to introduce ornate |
|
| engravings
onto his fittings, and inlays into handles, again
he was frowned upon for his ideas by the UK
institutions. |
| |
| Some
years later Alastair Agutter when talking to
Johnny Walker, as Walkers were closing due to
retirement and Agutter bought the equipment and
the remaining tools and cane. John Walker said to
him, "for years we have been making Cane and
we use to say! You can have any length of Rod, as
long as it's 3/64" at the tip". He went
on....... |
| |
| Never
a True Word - ........to say! "We,
like Hardy's and Sharpes have always made good
cane. We are good at manufacturing. But the
Americans, they have made Split Cane rodmaking
into a science" |
| |
| In
those later years when Agutter met and become
friends with many of the old true manufactures of
Cane in the UK. There was a mutual silence of
respect, and an honesty between them. They knew
in the late seventies, what he was trying to do. |
| |
| To
celebrate 300 years of Izaak Walton out of all
the manufacturers and Rodmakers in the UK.
Agutter was comissioned by the Izaak Walton
Foundation to make a limited Edition. His
Rodmaking skills were recieving acclaim by the
National Press and featured on the BBC. A stamp
was also made by the Royal Mail for the Izaak
Walton Tercenteenary year. |
| |
| The
first Izaak Walton Rod he made was a gift to the"Secretary
General of Canada" from the Izaak
Walton Foundation and the London Chamber of
Commerce. |
| |
| He
recieved further acclaim as "Best
London Rods". The only other
Company to be dourned such as name was "Best
London Guns" James Purdey & Sons. |
| |
| The
Big Picture - By the early beginning of
the 1980's the tackle industry in the UK
manufactured 78% for the UK market, the old
traditional companies beleived they were
infallable. |
| |
| Agutter
was shown a new rod import from Japan made by
Kunnan in 1979. It was Carbon fibre and the
finish was superb. The Japanese had used an epoxy
resin to finish around the whippings. At that
time also in the Thatcher years, Diawa from Japan
was making tackle for the UK Market. At that time
he was being pressed by Anglers in the UK to make
a production range of laminate rods for the UK
Market, but incorporating the standards and
quality of workmanship used for his Cane rods. He
feared that if the Japanese got a foot hold in
the UK, they could wipe out the British Fishing
Industry. The Japanese were not only making
fishing rods but accessories too. |
| |
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