| Green
and Pleasant Lands - He moved to the
Countryside of Sussex and continued making Cane
Rods and rebuilt the business. He visited his
friend Cliff Constable a few times before he died
and dscussed their mutual admiration for American
Rodmakers. |
| |
| Some
years later Agutter wrote to Courthaulds for
documantation on the Hexagon. As he wanted the
Angling Media to know. Especially when the first
Hexagonal laminates were made later by Diawa and
Bruce & Walker. Thier design was incomplete.
He contacted Sam Oke in Japan, and they were not
interested, as this would of been an admission to
the origin of the design and inventor. The Media
were not interested in embarrasing themselves or
the Company's that used the design and never paid
a Royaly to Agutter the inventor.
Original Documents - Click Here For Original
Documents |
| |
| In
view of the editorial coverage.Prior to 1981
British Fishing Tackle Manufacturers supplied 78%
of the UK Market. After 1986 only 4% was produced
by UK Companies in an 1,100 million pound Market. |
| ____________________________________ |
| In
1982 Agutter recieved a phone call from Johnny
Walkers telling of his planned retirement.
Agutter went and collected the remaining Cane,
bamboo and formers to make the Walkers range
including the Richard Walker MKIV Avon Rods. As
the business grew and the demand grew again for
Cane rods, the orders again become longer and
customers become more impatient. To the left at
the bottom is a picture of the Last Walkers
Catalogue. |
| |
| The
Perfect Marriage - In January of 1993
Brian Norman of Paramount took over the business
and retained Agutters services, eventually in a
Consultancy Capacity. |
| |
 |
Words From
Alastair Agutter - In 1993 Brian
approached me regarding the business, our
waiting lists for rods again had grown to
over three months for the Valhalla Range.
I required more machinery and more staff.
Brian had all of that and more. He and
his Son John are two very fine Engineers
and very experienced Business Managers.
Their Engineering skills showed within a
fornight of taking over the business by
making Nickel Silver Ferules of a quality
only ever seen from the USA. Picture left
of Alastair Agutter. |
|
| |
| Norman
Agutters today is in fine hands. The Company
makes excellent products and caters for every
persons budget. Today they make custom made Cane
Rods for Authors and well known personalities. In
our time we have made rods for Royalty, The House
of Lords and Commons, Diplomats, the Duke of
Wellington, The National Fly Team, World
Champions in Fishing and many more. |
| I
wish them well, and I wish you great enjoyment in
using one of these fine product's. |
| |
| In
1992, I met Harold Sharpe and shared with him
fascinating insight and stories of our Industry.
He like so many great Rodmakers I have met was an
inspiration as regards to his knowledge of the
trade. He very generously gave me all his
original documents of the Sharpes range. In 1982
I spoke to Bill Hardy by phone, we joked and I
told him, a name as famous as Hardy's should make
Cane again. Clifford Constable was the closest in
his time to our American Cousins for Rods, he
sold a great many to the states.
"Cussey" his friend and mine who worked
at Modern Arms together showed me one day in his
little shop at the bottom of Blackheath, how they
use turn a cork handle, not using sand paper, but
in those day's they used a cut throat razor. When
Cane rodmaking, you will never forget the sweet
and unique smell of Bamboo. |
| |
| I
am often asked who was the Greatest Cane
Rodmaker!. |
 |
In my personal opinion. I
believe the Greatest Split Bamboo
Rodmaker of all time was "Paul
Young" of Paul Youngs & Co USA.
He took the Profession to another Plain
with his Compound and Parabolic Tapers.
Like many he was a Perfectionist, and
beleived every rod he made could be
better. Picture left of the great
rodmaker Paul Young. |
|
| Sincere
Best Wishes and Good Fishing To You All! |
| Alastair Agutter -
February 2000 |
| ____________________________________ |
| Letter
From Tom O' Reilly, Illustrator and Writer |
| More To Come.... |
