NEW ASPINDALE EXPERIENCE

[John Harding]

Hello all,

I am a fan of Aspindale rods and I have several different models, not long ago I was lucky enough to obtain two Aspindale match rods. One was a split cane rod and the other was a new experience for me, it was a tubular aluminium alloy match rod called The Croftdale. The rod is a 13ft model with the butt and middle sections being aluminium alloy and the top section having an 11 inch (including the ferule) bottom part with a 36 inch glass fibre section for the rest of the top section, the middle section has three steps down in diameter. I have never used a tubular aluminium rod before and I was curious to see how it performed, not wanting to risk using it where I might come accross some larger specimens such as tench or carp I decided to have a session of the canal this morning.



At 13ft it is rather too long for canal fishing, I normally use 11ft rods, but I decided to give it a go anyway as I wanted to see how it handled. I suspect when it was made it was considered to be a sesitive match rod but when you compare it to modern match rods, well, there isn't really any comparison, I would not describe it as a rod with a sensitive match tip, it picks up the line and it sets the hook as it should and all of the action is in the glass fibre tip section. I don't think I should have worried about hooking into a tench or a small carp as I am sure it would handle them very well, I don't think that the action of the rod would progress much lower than the glass fibre section. As I said earlier I had never used, or even handled a tubular aluminium rod before so I can not compare this one with the Apollo or the Forshaws alloy rods. I don't know if this rod is simillar to others, as there were quite a few smaller rod makers in those days I doubt if those that supplied this type of rod made there own aluminium blanks, they probably bought them in from one main manufacturer.

There was a boat moored oposite to my favourite swim so I had to try the next spot along, oposite to a willow tree :-



The fishing wasn't too bad considering the weather, it was very cloudy to start with and looked as if it was going to rain at any moment, thankfully it managed to hold off and indeed the sun actually came out for a short while. Bites weren't coming rapidly but I did manage to catch a few before the boaters woke up and started to come through one after the other, when that started it was time to pack up.



All in all I was quite pleased with the rod and I am sure it will perform better on a more open venue than a canal and I think I will see how it handles a bit bigger fish (if I manage to hook any !)

Regards,
John

[Nobby]

Those were some of the last rods made under the original Aspindale banner. Only a few were made, testing well in matches, and the production run was all set up only for the bank to withdraw their loan offer. Peter Aspindale went on to offer cane rods, perhaps not having actually built any up until this point, but his partner Tony Croft, the rod builder moved South to join Davenport and Fordham before going to China for Berkeley and setting up their factory there. He later set up his own company again in Dorset.

Apparently, your rod blank was made by British Aluminium in Redditch and has walls only 12 thou thick! Think 'feeler gauge'. It would date from about 1965 to 1970.

[John Harding]

Thanks Nobby,

Great information, regarding the wall thickness of the rod, when I initialy handled the rod and felt the weight of it whilst it was still in its bag I was amazed out how light it felt, I know why now. It is always nice to have such detailed history and adds to the pleasure when you are using the items.

Regards,
John

[Nobby]

Yes, it's nice to learn a bit about the old gear we use, especially when that information was almost lost. A chap I heard of has been working on this stuff for years...let's hope he gets it all published one day.

I made an error, not related to the rod but to Tony Croft; he improved an existing factory in China for Normark, not Berkely, from whom they had 'head-hunted' him.