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Len Butterworth Powerods.

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Werriscreekwonda View Drop Down
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    Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 3:23pm
I'm a bit of a fan of the old Butterworth rods from the 1970's.
My Dad has a couple and I have been collecting a few over the years.
Between us we have-
Montego Bay, light saltwater spinning rod.
Blackfish Deluxe, two piece blackfish rod.
Tara Deluxe, two piece light estuary rod.
Superbarra, snapper rod.
Superbarra Deluxe, two piece snapper rod.
Still always looking for more...anyone got a spare Ebbtide laying about.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 3:28pm
I think I've got an early/mid 90s Butterworth baitcast rod.
It was probably the cheapest low end rod that ever carried the tag but I thought it was the nuts at the time.
I'll have to check what it actually is.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 3:38pm
I think during the 80's the brand changed hands, Jarvis Walker might have been producing them. Len Butterworth and Dick Snyder continued as Snyderglas, good rods too, got a few of them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote micknq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 4:37pm
Would a nice Sea Nymph be of interest?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nicho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 4:37pm
ive got a couple im sure....will check the names.
ive got several jarvis walker solid glass that i have a soft spot for...good aussie names on them generally named after rivers.
my favourite to use is the clarence.....if you get a decent jack on it the rod bends all the way through to the butt where your holding it...fun fishing.
my grandfathers rod is a RAMBLER .....i should do a post on them.
if my butterworths are of use to you, i will drop them in someday when im visiting my oldman in clarencetown.
Nichos Maulers Homemade timber lures....THEY CATCH FISH!

YA DONT KNOW...IF YA DONT GO...SO GET OUT THERE AND... FISH IT
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 4:55pm
Yea I'm sure my rod would be from the mass produced era.
But when I got it I was associating the Butterworth brand with references in much older literature that I'd devoured.  So it felt like a very exciting step up from kids combos and stuff I had got from Parklea Markets.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chep Buxley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 5:54pm
Thanks for showing us!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2015 at 6:42pm
I had a 90's era straight butt baitcaster butterworth, powergraph I think, wasn't bad for the money.
I can't recall what sort of rod a Seanymph was?
The old "clarence" rod wasn't bad Nicho, had a neighbour here with one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Screamingreel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 8:51am
Some details on the Len Butterworth Pty Ltd rods 1966-67 "Pastime" fibre glass rods

I was surprised at the number available.


Regards John













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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nicho Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 9:12am
You never cease to amaze me with the info you have collected over the years john.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Screamingreel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Nov 2015 at 9:27am
What about the number of different coloured thongs for your Bass luresLOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davent Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2015 at 9:25pm
I had a super barra, and I loved that rod. It was the first graphite rod I owned. 7ft, fuji guides, and for early graphite, it was tough, I spun litery hundreds of bonito, mack tuna and frigate mackeral, aust salman , rat kings, caught bait from south coast nsw rock ledges. With that rod. Mine was black, red and white binding, and was stolen from my car with the rest of my loved, and hard earned fishing gear, all LBG gear, penn inter 50TW, old blue spheros, a 4500 baitrunner, an fsu4120G and TSMIV., camera etc etc

Butterworth Rods to me bring back memories of getting off the school bus from Port Mcquarie at about 5pm, running home, school clothes off, and run to the rock ledge for spin, and usually put out a live tailor and day dream of a jumbo yellowfin like I saw Bobby Russo with at devils gorge in old fishing world magazines......
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jaybonnie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Nov 2015 at 9:31pm
The old Butterworth rods were very good for their time
THE CODFATHER
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 5:53am
I had a couple of Pastime Estuary's, great rods and for a maladroit like me, they were and needed to be tough.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bassnbob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 6:18am
ive had 2 or 4 of the surf rods & ONE OR 2 OF THE BLACKFISH RODS OVER  the years great old blanks ya can put heap of wood on emClapBig smileBig smileregards bob
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 6:52am
There was an early 70's Powerrod brochure on evilbay a while back that I was tempted to grab. It had most of the ones i own on it and a few others. It even showed a pistol grip rod, I never knew they made one.
The Superbarra is a great rod, ours has caught umpteen fish over the years, you can still buy the blank from a couple of companies i think.
Sadly someone snipped the tip on the 2nd hand one I got.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tony Mc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 1:05pm
A couple more -
 

Exmouth, 50 lb (22.4 kg) rated 6'6" game rod, fully rollered, underbound, gimbal.

Plugcaster, 6' pistol grip, with wire runners.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 1:55pm
That was the pistol grip, Plugcaster, the one I saw had the old abu record style grip though. Looks like an old daiwa Millionaire too. I just rebuilt our old one, used so much the level wind wore out.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tony Mc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Nov 2015 at 9:04pm
Hi Dave, I bought the Plugcaster with the Daiwa Millionaire 3HM from a deceased estate auction in Brisbane about '92. Used to have a 6RM with a Daiwa rod that i used as a kid, but sold it when i was out of work (and food) about '88. Smile
It's part of the collection, doesn't get any useSmile
Love your Super Barras', they were the rod to use live baiting for barra & jacks in NQ '80's, matched with a Shakespeare 2450 Blue series reel, very tough outfit... now I'm rambling...
Cheers.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2015 at 6:35am
Our old Superbarra deluxe was my dads old cod rod, paired with the Millionaire. Actually i caught my first cod on it too. I still use it now and then, paired up with an old daiwa Black Diamond reel.
I've got my old blue shakespeare 2450 on the Montego Bay rod, makes a pretty good freshwater baitfishing combo.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2015 at 5:48pm
Originally posted by Werriscreekwonda Werriscreekwonda wrote:

There was an early 70's Powerrod brochure on evilbay a while back that I was tempted to grab. It had most of the ones i own on it and a few others. It even showed a pistol grip rod, I never knew they made one.
The Superbarra is a great rod, ours has caught umpteen fish over the years, you can still buy the blank from a couple of companies i think.
Sadly someone snipped the tip on the 2nd hand one I got.
 

My father had a pistol grip Super Barra that a brother in law snapped the tip off. A dark brownish / purplish blank. He bought it in the late 70's after this brother in law came back from Darwin after a few years saying that you could not buy them in Brisbane.
Martin-

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2015 at 7:17pm
My dads later cod rod was a superbarra blank with the tip and butt cut back. paired up with a Penn levelmatic 920.
The Butterworth hollow glass rods seem to range in colour from a light brown and dark brown to black.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote codyak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2016 at 12:22pm


What would this Black beauty deluxe be worth? its in very nice condition.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2016 at 11:13am
It all depends on the buyer I suppose, they are still great fishing rods and there is a certain nostalgia factor with them. I also suspect some models were a lot less common. I've bought a couple for only $20-$50, but they weren't in the best of nick.
Better ones seem to go for $70-$100. I've seen some with a $200-$300 pricetag, dunno if they sold though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2016 at 6:22pm
One of these "Black Beauty Deluxe" was my first "surf / rock" rod. Caught all of my tailor for 5 years on it until I finally grew a few inches and could handle something larger.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2016 at 8:02pm
she certainly looks to be in very good nick
cheers Steve r
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2018 at 8:09pm

Butterworth Powerods Tarago.
A nice light threadline rod.
The Shakespeare 2400 didn't come with it though,but suits it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kimo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2018 at 10:15pm
Hi Creekwonda
I fished a Super Barra I think from memory Delux 7 Ft for snaper for a long time untill my son took it
Not sure if he still has it. I never liked a 7 Ft rod in the boat but it was great as the tip was light enough to feal a whiting bite but strong enough to handel a 25 lb + snaper
Still got I think a 12 Ft surf rod for an alvey and I think there may be a couple of others hanging around in the garage
Do you fish them or collect
Cheers Kimo
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 2018 at 1:09pm
I collect them and still fish them.
I find the Montego Bay rod I have one of the best bait fishing rods I have used in freshwater.
The superbarras were a great old rod. I think the blank is still available through other manufacturers.
I'll swap pretty painted sticks for an Ebb Tide if anyone has one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hic81 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2021 at 7:49pm
Hi mate, I’ve got these rods that where my late granddads, I think I’ve got the Tare & Barra Buster rods. I can’t see how to upload photos off my phone here. This is my email ihickmott@yahoo.com if you & anyone interested in them. Thanks 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote trevron1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2021 at 8:20am
Hi, seeing all the above posts a short history on Butterworth. Having worked in the tackle industry in Bris for over 40 years, I came pretty familiar with them. In fact one of their longest serving employees now in his late 80's only lives a couple of streets away. Len Butterworth started off making split cane rods after WW2 in a workshop in the CBD. He moved to Stanley Street (now Southbank Parklands) in the early 60's, that's when the solid glass came onto the scene. Another name in the tackle scene L.Wilson & Co, (a one man business then) made and supplied the reel seats and ferrules. I think the Stanley St factory was burnt down at some point. He moved to Annie St, Coopers Plains and brought out Dick Snyder from the USA to develop the hollow glass. Dick was one of the pioneers of Shakespeare Wonder Glass which went onto the famous Ugly Stik.  At some point Len sold to QUF (Qld United Foods), but kept running it until his contract  lapsed. He retired to Bribie Island where he passed away (20 years ago?) Dick went into partnership with Adrian De Berg, Len's son in law and started Snyder Glass just across the road from Alvey Reels. In the last few years Snyder Glass was sold to Wilson's (full circle) who have the Snyder blanks made in NZ. Dick died quite awhile ago, and Adrian last year. Hope this didn't bore anyone, but after reading the previous posts I thought some first hand knowledge was needed.
Trev
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2021 at 1:53pm
Thanks Trev, great info on great products and people 🙂👍
Cheers Steve R !!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Werriscreekwonda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Aug 2021 at 11:34am
Thanks for the info...
They were...and still are great rods.
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