So......?

So I started collecting cane rods, not always the best, in fact my colleagues (I work in the tackle trade) often ask my why I don't consolidate things and get just one well made can rod. But where would be the fun in that?

Some of the rods I have are "blue collar" American models, shop built, factory finished but nonetheless interesting, often attractive and sometimes good fishing tools. Others are UK made, varying from the long and heavy, to surprisingly light and useful rods from well known UK makers.  Then there are the reels.

One of the reasons cane rods have a reputation for being heavy is that often modern reels are not heavy enough to balance the rod.I learned the importance of correct balance a long, long time ago when working in the museum service. A colleague and I were looking for items in the local edged weapons collection when he handed me a Scottish basket hilt broadsword. These were the swords carried by the Highlanders during the Jacobite rebellion. Five pounds of steel, the blade nicked and chipped, so it had been used, and...it just floated. There seemed to be no weight at all, even though the blade was more than three feet long. We'll come back to this business of balance in due course.

 Basket hilt broadsword, courtesy of Wikipedia

From tomorrow I plan to start sharing some of the items from my collection, and some of the things I've learned.  I also hope there will be some diversions, fishing trips, interesting books or web sites, that sort of thing,  The whole point is it ought to be fun...