Craftversa.

[MGs]

Love the old catalogue entry :thumb: Best of luck with the rod

[Lucky Strike]

Thanks Nobby, I was watching the Autumn Passion For Angling (again) last night and inspecting Venables Craftversa closely,
I also found about 3 pictures of him fishing with it in Creel and it was definitely done in red.
The clearest pictures of it are in the Passion for Angling accompanying book.
None of this matters of course and I could have it whipped in any colour, but to be investing so much time and cash into the project I'd like to restore it as faithfully as possible to it's original spec.

[Lucky Strike]

Also 'Herbert Normington' can clearly be seen trotting with one in the Grayling episode of Angler's Corner.

[Nobby]

Of course! The picture in PFA, the perch and the Speedia!


I agree, it's clearly red and what's more it looks exactly like the colour Weyfarer used to do his Swimversa with a few years ago.
Second set down:
http://www.purepiscator.com/forum/defau ... osts&t=796


I seem to recall this was some Seta Reale from Coats obtained in Guildford.


Sorry about the red/black twist mis-direction, but as it's as rare as the proverbial, I hope you'll consider it a worthwhile purchase anyway

[Lucky Strike]

No problem whatsoever sir, I'll see if I can return them.
Or if anyone on here is interested, I have two spools.

[Tench Dreamer]

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.

I just read this and I wondered about a rod that I picked up restored at the Redditch Tackle fair in Nov 2010. Its name, put back I'm told by Woodys of Wembleys main man, is as it was is " Reversa Float Rod" and it has the Tackle shop details on it. In this case a long gone East London shop that went by the name of Mitchells of Dalston.

Anyway the advert, for the Craftversa, talked of experimental models being sent out....And I wonder if this is what I have.

It definitely is a reverse taper, right through a very long handle. The handle bends as well, like none other I've ever seen.

Its a lovelly 11ft Float rod and I often wonder its true origin maybe this was it....I suppose Ill never really know

[Nobby]

I guess there's no denying a reverse taper and the advert does indeed refer to some test samples. Equally, patented or not someone may have copied it.
Is yours a 2 or a 3 piece rod?

[Lucky Strike]

Interesting, I have heard from a few people that Craftversa's also came in three pieces
even when I suggest that they are getting confused with the Swimversa.
I saw a rarity at Redditch last year, a Swimversa with the middle section tapering to whole cane rather than
split cane. It was an unusual dark coloured cane too unlike the usual toffee colour.

[Nobby]

Yes, I've seen a few Swimversas with small whole cane spliced into the centre section.

The thinking is that they are early versions and that, that thin a whole cane was a weak spot.



It's certainly possible that Milwards tried a three piece Craftversa, and there may have been some on test, but I've never heard of such a thing and it would not have that easy action a 2 piece rod has....even if safer from car doors!

[Tench Dreamer]

Nobby Its a three piece split cane right through, and not very thick at all.

I think that you may well be right when you say people copied them, and this may be a copy of a Millwards.

Definitely a Reverse taper though....