The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

When I was nought but a dot, my Dad brought something like this back from Singapore... the reel was a moulded plastic affair that incorporated a handle with a preformed chequered grip, the rod itself was made of a very stiff non flexible wire with plastic eyes moulded into the ends with a preformed plastic ferrule... it was totally useless as a rod and the float was a huge plastic black and white bob float thatcwould have needed an ounce of lead to cock...

Hi PH,

I will keep my eyes peeled for one if it perchance appears at a Bootie or flea market. If by a miracle one has survived and I spot it, I will get it off to you.
If you get to use one of those bijou wands, the Gods of Angling will allow that a personal best takes the bait, no promise given to land the fish is included!
Seriously, if one was to use this little rod in the margins of any water with a reasonable stock of silvers your challenge should be met.
I think the hardest part by far is to find the little rod.
I wish you success in your quest.

Regards Tom.

Delaminated wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:09 pm Hi PH,

I will keep my eyes peeled for one if it perchance appears at a Bootie or flea market. If by a miracle one has survived and I spot it, I will get it off to you.
If you get to use one of those bijou wands, the Gods of Angling will allow that a personal best takes the bait, no promise given to land the fish is included!
Seriously, if one was to use this little rod in the margins of any water with a reasonable stock of silvers your challenge should be met.
I think the hardest part by far is to find the little rod.
I wish you success in your quest.

Regards Tom.

Thanks Tom that is most kind - and to think I thought finding an original Milwards Craftversa would be a great challenge - it is clear that one of these 1960s Woolworths £1 specials tops it with ease.

Revisiting this Keith as this 1959 Airfix product sheet lists a 'Complete Angler' fishing kit and I remembered that you were asking a couple of years back.

https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/22/ ... e-list.pdf

Also, in his book - '40 Years of Airfix Toys' Jeremy Brook has this to say about it...









Maybe you weren't imagining it after all!

Hope you're well, Russ

Good detective work Russ.

Maybe we shouldn't be too critical about the "Complete Angler" fishing kit.
It's a child's toy and isn't meant to be the real thing.
I can well understand why they were popular and they were probably responsible for generating interest in buying some real tackle as the child grows a little older.

The next best thing?

PershoreHarrier wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:11 am

Delaminated wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:15 am Hi PH,
I have memories of such an item in my local “Woollies” when I was about ten years old.
It was much as you have described, I think the bubble pack was on white or yellow card and the plastic fitting were in black.
This was a couple of years before I had started fishing, but the kit looked hopeless even then.
I think it was priced about the £1 level and would have been a complete waste of pocket money.
There were a couple of “real” tackle shops nearby, and even a pet shop I passed on the way home from school had a half - dozen cheap “starter” rods in a corner of the window that would have put the kit to shame.
I think a couple were even in split cane!

Regards Tom.

Tom your memories are as mine but I recall I actually ended up having two of these rods although I never caught anything with them. You are probably right that they were a complete waste of pocket money and that the rods were probably absolutely hopeless BUT if I could find one now I would be delighted to accept the challenge and see if I could manage a very small fish with one.

I also used to stand outside a local tackle shop looking longingly at the rows of rods on display in the window and with 6d pocket money per week for which I had to clean my fathers shoes to army standards 6 days a week they all seemed hopelessly out of reach. I made a list of the rods I dreamt of back then and 60 years later I have managed to acquire everyone of them and they all get regular bankside use.

Strange therefore that the totally hopeless and cheap fishing outfit that adorned the shelves in Woolworths provides the challenge it does.

Hi Keith, Jeff Della Mura gave me a couple of "Woolies" rods a few years ago and they seemed very much like what you remember. These are a 2 piece metal sections with red plastic rod rings. Very cheap and nasty but charming. I di not remember getting rid of them so they are around somewhere. I will have a look.

I had one of those rods to take with me when the family went picnicking at Dinkley Woods on the Ribble. It was ion the 1950s when we lived in Blackburn.

Troutbeck

I remember seeing one of those Airfix rods. I half think l or my brother actually had one. I certainly had the Red Indian bow and my brother had the golf set.

Pretty dire fishing outfits, certainty not the sort of thing to give a youngster much enthusiasm for the sport.
But l wouldn't mind betting that despite its limitations as a starter rod any TFF member could wangle a few fish out using one. A triumph of experience over poor design .

I think it was at Littlehampton a few years ago that a big boat fishing competition was blown out at the last minute.
As a lark a competition was arranged in the estuary. A bigger lark was that the entrance conditions were the purchase and use of naff kids' fishing kits from the local tackle shop . Someone caught an 8lb bass!

My middle Grandchild was only about 10 when on one of our outings he caught a 13lb carp on his 5ft Poundland rod and plastic Poundland reel . Not only did the owner of the lake say that it was the biggest fish she had ever seen caught there , but it is bigger than any carp l've ever caught!