A different Milwards Featherlite.

[JohnL]

When I saw this going for £30 I couldn't help but snap it up.







Now I had never heard of an 11' two piece Featherlite before, it's had a reasonable restoration, straight - full length, three step down splices - incredibly slim cane before the split cane tip, nice big agate butt ring and agate tip. Needless to say it's very light - you could hold it all day. Would I be right in guessing this is a fairly rare rod?

[Nobby]

I'll check my Milwards catalogues, but it does ring a bell.....never, ever seen one though......


That will surely be an awesome roach rod.


Yes, it's in both the 1956 and 1962 catalogues so it was made for some time. In '56 it cost £6 5/-. which is the same cost as the 3 pice 10'6" Featherlite..Lord knows they're both rare rods.


Both catalogues say of the 11 footer; " This rod is a combination of Spanish Reed and female Tonkin and has a spliced top."

Interestingly the tonkin butt and jointed Matchmaster at 10' 6" is cheaper at £6 2s 6d.

Both Featherlite and Matchmaster ..." are designed FOR CONTEST FISHING IN THE U.K. AND MUST NOT BE USED FOR ANY FORM OF HEAVY FISHING"

I think they're telling you to go easy with it

[Reedling]

I like the look of that rod, if it anything like my very similar Trent rod you will find it a joy to use.

[JohnL]

Thanks for that info Nobby, if it's a '56 that's the year of my birth so there might be something special in this rod for me - maybe that 2lb river roach. I don't suppose there are any clues as to the original colour scheme - some sort of twist I'm guessing.

[Nobby]

Sorry, no...it doesn't say...game rods were gold and black twist, coarse rodswere red and black twist, but all the Featherlites were in blue silk, probably unsealed, that went virtually black once varnished. Only in the sunlight might you spot a hint of blue.

I'd guess that would be what yours had originally.

[PondLife]

I've got two both whipped in black. Same as the other featherlites.

[AshbyCut]

As Nobby suggests, the Feartherlite whipping were originally blue, but look black. This picture is of the reverse side of the original whipping I took from a Featherlite which I had marked down as black before starting to work on it.

[JohnL]

Thanks gents, if I decide to re-whip it I'll use dark blue silk without colour preserver.

[ReelMaker]

Dear friends I think Steve Middleton had one of these earlier in the year and it sold for £160 a good buy .An ideal light rod. Reelmaker