Craftversa.

[Lucky Strike]

I know exactly what you mean. I recently sold a few very mediocre and heavy rods on ebay to fund my Hardy Marksman Specialist 13' float that I got at a very good price. Perfect for a days trotting for roach with my Aerial centre pin as it's light as a feather. But I have no love for it like I do my Swimversa which is my favourite (but heavy) roach rod, no desire to photograph my catch next to it's efficient yet charmless character.
I also use a very lightweight glass 1972 12' Hardy Matchmaker which is an amazing rod.

I always find it's a compromise between practicality, romance, aesthetics, vanity and insanity!

[GloucesterOldSpot]

I know exactly what you mean. I recently sold a few very mediocre and heavy rods on ebay to fund my Hardy Marksman Specialist 13' float that I got at a very good price. Perfect for a days trotting for roach with my Aerial centre pin as it's light as a feather. But I have no love for it like I do my Swimversa which is my favourite (but heavy) roach rod, no desire to photograph my catch next to it's efficient yet charmless character.
I also use a very lightweight glass 1972 12' Hardy Matchmaker which is an amazing rod.

I always find it's a compromise between practicality, romance, aesthetics, vanity and insanity!

I had a couple of early Matchmakers - a 1971 13 footer and a 1973 twelve footer - and they were lovely rods, but they (and all the other Hardy brown fibreglass rods I owned, including RW Superlight and Little Lake fly rods and a Fred J Taylor Trotter) had one peculiarity I couldn't get over; they are so thin-walled they take on a temporary set due to temperature differential causing variable expansion/contraction of the tube wall. It's most noticeable on a cold frosty day with bright sunshine, but I found it could happen at any time. After a few embarrasing sessions holding what appeared to be a giant brown banana they had to go.

[Lucky Strike]

The Craftversa arrived today, the handle, logo and ferrules are in good condition.
The main worry is a slight downward set to the butt section between the second intermediate and the female ferrule that I'm hoping can be remedied. The butt ring is slightly bent but this can be re-shaped.
It's a beautiful rod to hold in the hand - unlike any other cane rod I've waggled.

I've got the red/black jasper but every other Craftversa I've ever seen a picture of was whipped in a garnet/wine colour.
I'm very excited about it all but we'll see, I'll try and take a picture of the slight droop when I can.

[J.T]

Very nice LS. :hat:

[Lucky Strike]

Here's some photo's of the set I was describing

[Haydn Clarke]

I'd be tempted to lay the rod on a flat surface — two tables side by side — and tie a weight to a piece of string, lay the rod flat and rig it up so the weight is hanging down between the two surfaces. Bit of gentle heat and see what happens. Shame it's the butt as you can't really re-ring it other way up, well, you can but you'll lose the label to the underside. At a guess I'd say that is the original thread there so why not just re-whip it in Garnet. Jasper's a pain anyhow.

[Nobby]

Interesting..I thought they were all red-black jasper. I'll contact the one person I know who has one and check....I 'think' his is jasper.


That set is based around one spot...more a kink than a set...it'll come out easily. Just don't burn the cane*...heat it evenly , keep it moving and bend it between your thumbnails to concentrate the correction in the one place. Wait for it to cool, relax the pressure and see how it is.

It's right by some silk, but you still be able to do it without scorching it.

*( sorry Ken )

[Lucky Strike]

Thanks for all the help, I'm really relieved that the kink can be removed as I thought it might be fatal.
I wouldn't trust myself to remove it myself though! I'll be asking the restorer to do that.
It has an unusual action, beefier than I expected but that maybe due to the missing inches.
Some have told me that Craftversa's are fine tackle trotting rods, whilst others have said they are powerful avons. I'd be interested to know about the jasper.

[Haydn Clarke]

It will probably straighten out in the short term, at least. I certainly wouldn't bet on it not coming back. Trouble is, with a natural material like cane, or wood for that matter, the warping, twisting, cupping or what ever you want to call it is usually caused by moisture absorption. Drive out the moisture and it reverts to being straight but no soon as it takes that moisture back in, and it will do that, then your are usually back to where you started. Might take a few weeks, might take a few years.

[Nobby]

What Haydn says is true.

But cane has a resin and fibre structure so different from other things. Plasticise that resin with heat and it will do remarkable things. Why your rod has that kick, I don't know, but I'm confident it will come out.


I hadn't realised the Craftversa was 11'3"..that makes it even closer to the Aero 894B than ever!


I still think those 894B tips I told you of are suitable...we'll see.

It seems you know the feller, who I know to have a Craftversa, too....he's checking his rod to see what silk it has.


edit: He's now got back to me with a full set of images, which I have stored. His Craftversa is indeed whipped in plain red, whereas all his other Milwards rods are in black-red twist.