The Swiftdale

[Mushy]

My angling mate Mick has been telling me of his old battered cane rod for some time and I kept saying bring it along next time and let's have a look, knowing full well I'd buy it whatever, just can't resist ! Eventually he turned up with the rod recently and said oh its got Aspindale on the bag, maybe that's the maker. Well, as you can imagine my eyes lit up and I tried to conceal my excitement so as not to escalate the price ! Here is the label:



So I carefully removed all three sections to find a rather nice Swiftdale, 11 feet, 3 sections, split cane throughout, quite thin in the tip and a quite unusually long handle at 22 ", maybe a good rod to chase them golden Crucians ! It will need straightening up and probably turning, but no delamination as far as I could tell and the ferrules all seemed Ok, no knocks and they just fitted tight ! I reckon its had a new set of rings re-whipped at some time. So a good project to look forward to. Some pictures:





If anyone has got one I'd be interested to see what you think.

Oh and I guess you are wondering what price we agreed, well we didn't, he gave it to me happy to see it go to a good home and be brought back to life to fight another day !! This I must say was despite some efforts to give him a fair price but he wouldn't take anything except eventually, after rummaging through my float tube, he asked for a few crow quill floats which I shall gladly make for him.

If anyone has any historical knowledge of The Swiftdale and information on the original whippings etc I'd be most grateful.

[AshbyCut]

So ... if I send you a few quills ... ?????

A nice acquisition, Sir ... but one I have no knowledge of ... apart from seeing it mentioned on another site as 'an avon/barbel rod.'

[Luga00]

Other forum members here have experience of this rod Mushy, so a general search will kick up all the threads relating to the Swiftdale.

viewtopic.php?f=94&t=6828&p=95310&hilit ... ale#p95310

[AshbyCut]

PS ... the River Swift is a 16 mile tributary of the Warwickshire Avon, joining it near Rugby. It was being restored by Warwickshire Flyfishers Club ... not sure of the current status.

http://www.warwickshireflyfishers.co.uk/18.html

[AshbyCut]

There's mention of a Swiftdale on PurePiscator in 2009 ... described as "Mine was last on an outing in July after roach and small chub. A very nice little rod. Similar in action and feel to a Lucky Strike. A little more tippy perhaps."

http://www.purepiscator.com/forum/defau ... osts&t=127

[Mushy]

Many thanks AC and Luga00 for your Swift replies, sorry couldn't resist , yes a tippy Lucky Strike seems to sum her up well !

[Woodytia]

I had one, possibly a later version though, I used it when I used to go down to the local canal for a couple of hours. I'd rate it as a light line rod for smaller species, probably great for Crucian Carp.

[Mushy]

Thanks for the feedback Woodytia

[Nobby]

I'm pretty sure the Swiftdale is a later rod, from the time of Peter Aspindale...who once said he thought all Aspindale rods were hollow-built. It follows that your is then possibly since he probably built it ... ?



It probably had a transfer once, or rather a silver foil sticky badge.....I almost think I can see the glue residue there.......and it has no address as the early rodsa did, Manor Works or Astwood Bank.


The thing about these later Aspindales is that they were made with modern glues and don't seem to suffer the delamination issues of the earlier Aeros and the like.


I agree it's been re-ringed at some time, but a professional job, I'd think.

[Mushy]

Thanks Nobby, that's interesting, it does seem quite light, so maybe hollow.