Tom Watsons of 5 Canal Street Nottingham

[Nobby]

I have now found out who made these rods for Tom Watson! I have posted it elsewhere on the boards.....somewhere.....but I suppose I should add it here too.

As I had suspected it was Ken Johnson of Astwood Bank, a southern suburb of Redditch where Aspindale and Tony Croft were also based. When the two Aspindale brothers Peter and William split up in 1949, William took half the assets, including machinery, and set-up again taking on Ken Johnson to make the rods as he was just an accountant himself.

The firm was called 'Aero' after the range of rods the two brothers had produced and didn't last long and Ken was lucky to get the job of making the ferrules for the 'other' Aspindale firm, Aspindale and Son, Dalesman Rods. This too didn't last long as when they were joined by ex-Allcock employee Tony Croft he ended up making the ferrules in-house.

After Peter Aspindale suffered badly in a motor accident that firm closed too but Ken continued making rods in the Aspindale style supplying tackle shops, including Tom Watson, but matters were later complicated further ( as if that were possible!) because a recovered Peter set up Aspindale yet again with Tony Croft who had been making rods under the Croft's Competetive Rods banner. This fourth Aspindale firm closed down too, but Peter later set up again*...a FIFTH time.....making rods himself, whilst Ken continued also...both of them supplying Tom Watson with rods.


Ken later named himself Falcon Rods....thank God he wasn't tempted to use the Aspindale name.......


* These Peter only Aspindale rods are easily spotted as they bear a logo....a sticker not a transfer I think, .... black print on a silver sticker with an angler netting a fish. For reasons I don't yet know, Tony Croft, now moved to the South coast used the same logo on his rods after he had split with Peter....surely this is no coincidence?


And you thought Game of Thrones was complicated............

[Olly]

I have all sorts of Aspindales - but yet to try and date them.

[Barbelseeker]

Yes, my father used to supply both his Canal Street and later his Huntington Street with willow/cane fishing baskets. Bob Watson was a right card, but JIm Sharpe was the best angler in the shop - often used their mail order, just wish I had kept the catalogues. From memory also a gentleman called Ian who I believe had contacts with the hook trade in Redditch

[Reedling]

I have a rod that could well be a Watson rod which has the details.. 'Trent special' and 'For Bert Coley' written on it. Have you heard of this name at all Barbelseeker? just a long shot.

[Barbelseeker]

No - no records of the same - sorry - I presume he must have been an individual anger who had his name placed on the rod, Could have been a Notts AA member or similar.

[Reedling]

No - no records of the same - sorry - I presume he must have been an individual anger who had his name placed on the rod, Could have been a Notts AA member or similar.

Thanks, as I say it was a long shot and I thought something like you say would be the case. All the best,

[StefanDuma]

Yes, my father used to supply both his Canal Street and later his Huntington Street with willow/cane fishing baskets. Bob Watson was a right card, but JIm Sharpe was the best angler in the shop - often used their mail order, just wish I had kept the catalogues. From memory also a gentleman called Ian who I believe had contacts with the hook trade in Redditch

My grandfather was a friend of Jim Sharpe who died I was told early and unexpectedly.

Did your father have anything to do with the baskets made for FWK Wallis?

Regards

Stef

[Nobby]

I thought the name Jim Sharp rang a bell and sure enough he is credited as the creator of Tom's 'Trentman' floats in the '69-'70 catalogue. By then made in balsa and stained green or brown, they look for all the world like Camafloats from Park Royal in London and are surely inspired by Billy Lane's Canal Wagglers. In an earlier catalogue , '65-'66, they are said to be fragile and hard to handle, perhaps they were initially made in pith?

Tom Watson sold a range of 'interesting' floats;.... fluted avons in camouflage (!), ridged trotters, reversed turkey quills, double-bodied 'Welland' floats etc etc . I wonder who made them all?

I love the floats of the late Sixties.......mostly hair-brained ideas, but just such great fun.

[Barbelseeker]

regarding F K Wallis - all I can state is that my father was making wicker baskets - fishing, potato, cycle, pigeon from 1948, unless I could see a decent photograph of the basket I cannot comment. If before 1948 the answer is no.

Regarding Jim Sharpe, he think he passed away November 1994. (Well that's what my little note book informs me!)

I'm sure that either Billy Clarke or Billy Lane were customer - can anyone shed any light where they had tackle shops. Memory is a bit dim.

[Shaun Harrison]

Billy Lane was Coventry, Billy Clarke's is in Sheffield.