Badge engineering has been a fact of life for centuries. Ford Mavericks and Nissan Terranos are effecBadge engineering has been a fact of life for centuries. Ford Mavericks and Nissan Terranos are effectively the same 4x4. And closer to our subject, Chapman split cane blanks have seen life in more than one guise. In recent years, the very cleverly designed F.J.Taylor Roach Rod blank has appeared as a very successful barbel rod. If it works, and that barbel rod did, this is a perfectly legitimate marketing initiative. I suppose I’d hesitate a bit if the rod builder proudly boasted that all his cane was made in house, and was superior, or unique to his company.

 

What ‘ere its beginnings, the Avocet has proved itself over the years. It’s now cult enough to codify the features the various incarnations. I’ve been told that the James Avocet might have been made as early as 1949. I must admit, I’ve been unable to have that confirmed by any of my sources within the trade. I understand that there is still one ex apprentice of Southwell’s who may remember those times. I’m hoping to track him down soon. Anyway, let’s assume that the rod was born somewhere around that time.

 

Type 1: VERY RARE .  Say, around 1950. Dark Southwell blanks. Modestly sized whole cane butt, giving quite a through action. 23” shive cork handle, tapered at the fore-end to a tapered aluminium shoulder collar, external taper on reel bands. Superb bought-in spiked stock ferrules, with brass female centering receivers for the spikes, and with thin silvered layer underneath. ‘Built to Endure’ diamond-shaped transfer over gold, with separate Avocet transfer over gold. White/grey jasper silk whips (possibly Pearsalls-made-thread) and intermediates (this looks yellow under aged varnish). Real agate low cradle butt ring, small graduated intermediate low bells rings, and real agate tip ring.

 

Type 2: VERY RARE.   Possibly 1953. Dark Southwell blanks. Modestly sized whole cane butt, giving quite a through action. 23” shive cork handle, tapered at the fore-end to a tapered aluminium shoulder collar, external taper on reel bands. Superb bought-in spiked stock ferrules, with brass female centering receivers for the spikes, and with thin silvered layer underneath. Earliest B.James & Son script label  - B. James, Ealing, Lond. Green silk whips and very graduated intermediates. Real agate low cradle butt ring, small graduated intermediate low bells rings, and real agate tip ring.

 

Type 3: Possibly 1954 –56/7 Dark Southwell blanks. Slightly larger sized whole cane butt, giving still quite a through action. 24” shive cork handle, with very small trumpet flare, and flat two shoulder aluminium shoulder collar, internal taper on reel bands. Specially made high quality un-spiked ferrules, with distinctive concave collar, and again with thin silvered layer underneath. B. James script label  - B.James & Son, Ealing, London. Green (usually) silk whips and very graduated intermediates. Real agate low cradle butt ring, small graduated intermediate low bells rings, and real agate tip ring. Small nickel silver hook-keeper.

 

Type 4: From around 1956/7. Lighter coloured B.James blanks, with a slight increase in diameter (maybe to make up for the less steely cane resulting from lower bake temperatures). Slightly larger sized whole cane butt, giving quite a through action. The rods feels hevier overall, and slightly ‘soggy’ compared to the early Southwell versions (still very nice rods to use). 24” shive cork handle, with onion shaped bulge at fore-end, and small aluminium shoulder collar, internal taper on reel bands. Some variation in ferrules fitted, but they are un-spiked, and some still have the distinctive concave collar. There is no silver layer underneath. B. James script label  - B.James & Son, London, England. Red (usually) silk whips and very close ungraduated intermediates. Agatine low cradle butt ring, small graduated intermediate low bells rings, and agatine tip ring. Small nickel silver hook-keeper. Some Avocets of this period are provided with high bells rings.

 

Type 5: As design four, with detail changes. Label reads B.James & Son, England. No hook keeper, and no shoulder collar.

 

Type 6: Split cane all through, and with high bells rings. An Avocet in name only. This is a notably excellent all-round strong rod, but it is so far from the original concept that it is hardly an Avocet. Nevertheless, a very fine rod which serves well for heavy float-fishing. To my mind, it somehow seems more appropriate for still-waters. The perfect tench rod. Brilliant lead rod when re-ringed with Low Bells rings.

 

A few Avocet oddities have cropped up over the years. It is certain that post 1957 James made a few with unserrated butt ferrules that were flared to fit slightly larger whole cane butt sections. These rods are a bit heavier, but they are very strong, and therefore make excellent barbel rods. Interestingly, I had one chap claim that he had a 12’ whole cane Avocet that was said to be otherwise completely fitted out as standard: name, labels, and all. He sounded perfectly sane on the phone, but I never actually saw the rod in the flesh. I have seen one Avocet with no intermediates. This was undoubtedly original, and appeared to be an early 1960’s rod. These odd-bods were not really production versions, and probably came about from special requests by valued customers, or from temporary difficulties in the supply of James’ standard ingredients.

 

It is unlikely that the evolutionary changes to the Avocet were considered to be anything of real consequence to its makers. Major changes to the rod’s appearance are now regarded with some seriousness by Avocet users, and (God help us) rod collectors. The only real event of interest in this sequence was the change from Southwell-supplied blanks, to those made by B.James themselves. The Southwell made versions are profoundly superior. Although the identification points listed above are pretty accurate, there will almost certainly be some overlap.      Return to home page.