A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

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PrettyFly
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A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#1

Post by PrettyFly »

I've been trying to find info on these rods, one has been offered to me but there is little out there to guide myself on as to collect ability and one should pay to get one and are they even worth the effort, I did find out that it was conceived for Greased line fishing, there seem too be a #1, 2 and 3 model, a #2 being an 8wt.
This rod is a #3. Weight??? Supposedly complete, straight, no nicks, clean 19" cork, red rubber butt, sock and tube, no mention of spare tip. How much does the missing tip hurt its value?
As for fishing, can this be fished as a 2 handed dpey with floating line in the conventional manner?
I really appreciate any info on this rod
Thanks
Mike

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kimk
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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#2

Post by kimk »

IIRC about 7 or 8 years ago a #2 was put up for sale on the auction site. Reserve of 300+ some odd dollars. It didn't sell and after many weeks was listed for just a bit less. I believe it was eventually sold.
These rods were designed by Hardy to meet the desires of Mr. Wood and then later sold to the general public.
If you are interested in the rod you might enjoy "Greased Line Fishing for Salmon" by Jock Scott which is a delightful accounting of the methods of Mr. Wood with much of the information coming from his own papers. Includes a section on his rods and their development.
AgMD

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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#3

Post by 60InchDV8 »

There were several types of the Wood rod. The original cane rod had a medium slow action. Hardy later released a steel core rod which stiffened the butt section to make the action faster. This increased the weight of the rod and caused problems with de lamination. Hardy indicated that the rod had a steel core in writing on the butt section and if you want to fish this rod, it is best to avoid this particular variation. Some Hardy rods were made with just a single tip. Check the rod bag to see if it has 3 or 4 sections.

I have the original #2 AHE Wood rod, 12 ft., 3 piece, with two tips, and it takes an 8/9 weight silk or triangle taper line. I would imagine the #1 would take a 7/8 wt line and the #3 an 8/9 wt line. The rod has intermittent wraps, locking ferrules, and bridged guides for shooting line.

These rods were made by Hardy with input from Arthur Wood to facilitate his technique of greased line fishing. This style of fishing took its name from a silk line “greased” to present a swinging fly just under the surface in shallow 4 foot medium fast runs. Wood did not spey cast, preferring to cast overhead, and these double handed rods with metal ferrules were also designed to cast overhead. I prefer to use my #2 rod for fishing bombers and waking flies on the surface for steelhead and Atlantic’s with a Hardy Corona or Philip WF silk line.

A cane salmon rod with metal ferrules will break under the stress of Spey casting. A greenheart Spey rod like the Grant Vibration rod, or a cane Spey rod like the Sharpes Scotty, had spliced joints which were swelled at the bases of each splice on these 3 or 4 section rods. The splices were wrapped with leather straps which bound the two overlapping splices and allowed it to flex. This absorbed the torsional stress of the spey cast and prevented the rod from breaking above the first ferrule or joint. The impregnated Sharpes of Aberdeen Scotty spliced rods are sadly no longer made, but are still recognized as the finest bamboo spey rods. They are still available in the UK vintage markets in lengths of 12, 13, 14, and 15 feet at reasonable prices. The spliced joints can be bound with clear electrical tape gives these rods a true parabolic flex necessary for traditional spey and roll casting.

I have used my Grandpas and my fathers Grant and Sharpes rods for years. These greenheart and cane rods cast the traditional silk and modern long belly spey lines beautifully and they will also cast the new multi density sinking shooting heads with mono running lines. They are easy to cast and relatively light to handle with two hands. They will flex through to the handle and their length and added leverage, will allow you to land a chrome steelie or salmon in half the time ( 30 sec. per lb.) which facilitates your trophy’s survival following release.

I have included photos of the Hardy Wood #2, the Playfair greenheart Grant Vibration, and Sharpes Scotty spliced spey rods for your reference.
Image

Image
Last edited by 60InchDV8 on 05/22/19 00:38, edited 4 times in total.

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Lockfast
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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#4

Post by Lockfast »

I have had all of the Wood models, and still have and fish numbers 2 and 3.

Suitable lines (based on both Hardy's Angler's Guides and own experience):

No. 1 - AFTM 7
No. 2 - AFTM 8
No. 3 - AFTM 9

Number 1 was made as a delicate (and it indeed is - feels more like 5-weight than 7!) rod for smallest flies an summer angling. Number 2 was the general rod for greased line and number 3 also suitable for sunk line work. These are Mr. Arthur Woods own descriptions.

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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#5

Post by Dr. Heller »

Although 12 feet long and with a 22" cork handle these rods were made as single-handed rods. Lighter in the tips than other Hardys and for overhead casting. No Spey-Caster. Until 1960 with steel-center catalogued. The long cork-grip was used for continually manipulating the line and for playing the fish. Mr. Wood normally practised short to medium long casting so Aftm is only a rough guide. Hardy built one No. 3 on order for me in 1977 and it is more an 8 weight when casting over 15 yards. By the way: I cast and fish it double-handed.

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Lockfast
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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#6

Post by Lockfast »

Dr. Heller wrote:Hardy built one No. 3 on order for me in 1977 and it is more an 8 weight when casting over 15 yards. By the way: I cast and fish it double-handed.
Yes, it should be more than 8 weight, since the recommended line for No. 3 was number "8" Corona double taper silk, which is very close to 9 in AFTM scale. The line recommended for the Wood No. 2 was Corona number "6" (DT8 in AFTM scale).

The line I use with my 1940's Wood No. 3 is Barrio Spey line class 9/10.

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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#7

Post by Dr. Heller »

Fine that you found a modern line which suits you and your Wood rod. Here is something to think about. In 1930 the tapers of these rods were changed from normal butt-actioned Hardys to Mr. Woods likings: You can read that in the 1931 cataloge. About 1950 the Number-System of Coronas changed from the pre-war Nos.! 1 was the heaviest about Aftm 13, No.6 the lightest Salmon-line about Aftm 7. In that System Wood No.1 is IBI (Trout size!) No.2 is Corona No. 5, and Wood No.3 is 4a ! In 1937 it was this: No.1=IBI, N0.2= No.6, No.3=No.5. After the war: No.1=No.4 Corona Superba, No.2=No.5 corona, No.3=No,7 corona. In 1958: No.2=6Cor., No.3=8Cor. . In 1969, the last year it is shown in the cataloge, only the No.3 is left, Aftm 8. Now we all get dizzy.

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Lockfast
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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#8

Post by Lockfast »

Puzzling, yes… but.

Hardy did both change the tapers of the A.H.E. Wood series and the numbering of the Corona Salmon lines.

The Corona Superba IBI trout line with its thin ends is a seven-weight line (I’ve tried it). The weight of the entire line was only 8 drams (less than 15 g) lighter than the lightest Corona Salmon line (No. 6) even though the latter was 7 yards (!) longer than IBI. I believe that the reason was that No. 1 was meant for delicate summer fishing with low water flies in sizes 5 to 9 and dry flies.

The changes in tapers or numbering of the lines did obviously alter the suitable line weights of the Wood rods very little, if at all.

Let’s take an example. When one compares the suitable lines recommended for various Hardy rods in the 1938 supplement, all of the rod models to which number B Corona in recommended – or Corona IBI (1930’s), GBG (1960’s) – are seven-weight rods. This is a fact even in those cases where the rod tapers have been "adjusted". This is obvious for example when comparing three different versions of the Knockabout Rod (later Halford Knockabout) from the years 1910, 1940 and 1956. All of them cast best with a 7-weight line, even though the difference in the tapers (the older are more delicate) can be seen by plain eye just by looking at the rods without any measuring tools.

I’ve tried and used several different lines with my Woods No. 2 and 3, from plastic DT8 and 9 lines to equivalent silk, from GAF silk to modern shorter and longer spey and switch lines. The Wood’s are not ideal switch or spey casting rods but not bad either. My 1940’s No. 3 has also Studlock joints which are superior to the Lockfast when spey casting. As usual, the line for switch or spey casting can be a bit heavier than the one for overhead casting.

Yes, I use my Woods double handed too but I have tried casting the No. 2 single handed as well. Heavy, but not too terrible, if one has experience of casting long and heavy single handers (rods of over 10 feet and 8 oz).

I have always thought that the last Wood in the catalogs from early 1960's onwards was the 8-weight model, No. 2.
My 1964 version of that rod is definitely somewhat lighter than my 1944 No. 3 and works best with 8-weight line, which is too light for the former.

Here are the line recommendations from the 1938 supplement:

Image

Dr. Heller
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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#9

Post by Dr. Heller »

When the rod was made as the A.H.E.Wood without No.1, No.2, No.3, it appears in 14oz., 420gramms, Aftm 8 in the cataloges. 14oz. are 397gramms, mine weights 392gramms. The inscription on my rod is: A.H.E.Wood No.3, K/X-J5025,( built Oct. 1977).

Dr. Heller
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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#10

Post by Dr. Heller »

That special Corona No.4a, in 1931 cataloged, made for No.3 Wood rod, had a centre of.060, the No.4 had a centre of .064, the No.5 a centre of .056. So Wood must have asked for this special line. I found out that up to 15 yards a DT 9 is fine, for longer casts a DT 8.

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Re: A.H.E.Wood, Hardy 12'

#11

Post by kakaryan »

These line weight, #8, is a single hand line rating #8 or spey line rating #8?

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