Really Old and Dainty Rod and Reel Combo

[David Lehmann]

These photos are of a spike reel and a rod that appear to be perfectly matched. The reel is a simple, single-action, brass, spike reel. The rod has a brass band under the reel. The cutout in the band is perfectly sized to constrain wobble of the reel on the rod. The hole through the rod is shaped to precisely match the shape, width, taper and length of the reel's spike. The reel is quite small: 1.5" in diameter and less than an inch wide. The three-piece rod is only 9' long. The butt has a receptacle for a screw in spike. (The hole in the butt is less than 2" deep, so it is definitely not a tip compartment.) The rod is stamped "CRAIG" and "DUBLIN". I'm still trying to determine whether Craig was a retailer, rod maker, reelsmith, or all of the above.

So far, the only reference I have found to Craig is from Jerry Girard, who wrote, "A. J. Campbell and & I examined the rod and were surprised with not only the quality, but it's delicate nature, clearly a dainty valise rod, each section approximately 25 inches in length, not having been measured. It was made of hickory in the early 19th century British style with brass ferrules and flip ring guides with a brass escutcheon for a spike reel and the butt section fitted for a spike. The diminutive reel is the Irish spike reel style. The rod has five joints and the butt cap engraved 'Craig, Dublin'. Examples of this type of rod are described in the 1839 John Cheek fishing tackle catalog."

Although the rod I recently acquired is not a valise rod, other aspects of the rod that A.J. and Jerry examined match the characteristics of the rod I acquired. The rod and reel combo are photographed with a Zebco Cardinal 4 (medium freshwater spinning reel) for scale. Closeups of the reel have a quarter for scale. The tip guide is certainly a replacement, but the rod shows no indications that it was cut down. The taper of the rod is consistent, and ferrules fit perfectly.

If anybody has information about who Craig was, please let me know.

[Nick in NY]

Now that combo l can appreciate! Very nice...last couple years I've gotten sidetracked from big game and ultra rare surf reels to start collecting high end fly reels... almost getting pulled in another direction! Very nice!

[kyreels]

That was one of my favorite pieces seen at the St. Augustine show. It is early, and very high quality. Shows a lot of history in a small package. Wonder how that aligns with some examples in AMFF. I think it stands up extremely well.

[klonder]

Is the double foot rivets on the head plate and the single foot rivet on the tail plate indicative of a particular maker and/or typically Irish?
For course bait fishing or maybe "dappleling"a fly (length)?

[reelsmith.]

.
I agree with Matt, that was one of the neatest pieces I saw in St. Augustine.

My only issue with it is that I did not see it first !

Dean.

[David Lehmann]

Tailplate foot attachment is a steel screw, while the foot is attached with two rivets on the faceplate. Pillars are held to the tailplate by round nuts on threaded extensions of the pillars. One of the nuts is missing. I'm not sure about characteristics of early Irish reels but am hoping to learn!

I'm thinking that it is a trout and/or light coarse fish rod. It is not really adequate for pike, salmon, or other large fish. It would have likely seen dual use as a fly and bait rod, as many rods and reels of that time frame did. The spike receiver in the butt screams "bait fishing," while the light action and fine tips make it one of the best early rods for dappling or short casts with a fly that I have seen.

[Paul M]

Nice find!

[Steve]

Craig might be the Joshua Craig who was running a fishing and fowling tackle warehouse at 4 Crompton Quay, Dublin, in 1846. By 1847, Joshua Craig, presumably the same person, was a fishing tackle manufacturer at 26 Upper Ormond Quay.

[David Lehmann]

Steve,
Yes; that's the guy. Paul Adams has business addresses in Dublin for him from between 1843 and 1855. He moved three times.

[Whiteadder]

What a lovely combination, all that I would expect to see of an Irish rod and reel combination from the mid nineteenth century. Received wisdom is that spike and clamp winches pre-date those with a foot, but the odd thing is spike winches seem to have prevailed in Ireland for much longer than anywhere else. As for manufacture, Allcocks have a spike winch in their 1885 trade catalogue but that method of attaching the foot, two rivets on one side, one on the other, is reminiscent of the London workshops. It is worth remembering that at this time Ireland was still part of the UK and retailers would have been buying in the same market as the ret of the country.

I do have a couple of Irish rods made up for spike winches in Whiteadder's Fly Fishing Museum, I'll try and upload some images for comparison.

[Whiteadder]

As promised!!






The first rod is unmarked the second less well preserved having lost the brass collar for the winch fitting, however that does mean we can see they the wood itself is shaped to receive the square shank of the winch spike. Ntoce also the significantly different position of the winch mount relative to the butt between the two rods.

Despite having fared less well through time, the second rod has other interesting features. Not the threaded male ferrule between butt and mid. It is also clearly marked for Kelly and Son, Sackville St., Dublin. Martin Kelly traded from the Sackville Street location until just after WW1 when the building was taken over by Petersen Pipes.