As regular readers of this ere blog may recall my Father passed away a couple of years ago . Now Apart from the great memories and a scruffy old cap. He left me his Millwards featherlight Cane match rod and the matching Rapidex reel. Which he assured me had bought on his 21st birthday. Which would make the rod and reel almost exactly 72 years old. A couple of years before he left us We had a chat about the rod , he was keen that I used it and didn`t just hang it on a wall , He actually thought I might sell it as he didn`t think I would use it. That is never going to happen. But when he passed away I decided that on his birthday on 6th Feb every year I would take it out and use it this year would have been his 93rd. The first year with Covid and foul weather it didn`t happen but I was determined that this year it would, As it happened though the 6th was foul weather heavy rain strong winds and to be honest delaying it a few days didn`t bother me, Dad hated fishing in the wind so he would have appreciated that. Anyway yesterday I took a day out and went to my favourite stream. I decided to fish in the appropriate way. No waistcoat , My old brady bag a grayling society leather float tube with several very traditional floats , a three nuns tin with some split shot and some hooks to nylon although these days barbless ones , otherwise very much in the manner I fished with my Dad years ago.
Also apart from the obvious wear on the cork handle , the fact that the original ferrule stoppers are there and the lovely condition of the rest of the rod reminds me of how much care Dad lavished on it.