Milward Bamboo Six Sided Rod

Question
I found this Milward Rod in my Garage. It have been ther for 45 - 50 years. It is in 3 pices + extra top. Total lenght is 10 feet. It is in Very Good condition. On the metal cone on the "big" end is writen: Made in England. No marks for typ. Just the Milward sign.
Is save to use this old "stick" for fishing?

Best Regards
Palmi Hloedversson
Reykjavik
Iceland


Answer
Hi Palmi,

This is an interesting find.  Miward rods are good quality rods and have reasonable value in todays market.

The 10'0" model might make a nice steelhead or trout or grayling rod depending on line weight.  I would try 6WT through 9WT lines on it and find the one that seems to work best.

Before you fish with it or cast it, you will need to check it over good.  Make sure the reel seat is solid (not loose) and the handle is solid with no obvious cork damage that would prohibit using the rod.  Often the older glues that were used will dry out over time and some components may loosen on the rod.  You should also check the ferrules for dried glue and looseness.  If any of these items are loose, you will want to have them removed and re-glued by a rod builder to restore the rod for fishing.  If they are not loose, you should be OK.

Next, check the individual rod sections for an loss of varnish or delamination of the bamboo strips.  It is normal to service a bamboo rod by applying a fresh coat of varnish, if needed, from time to time.  If the varnish is in good condition, you may want to wax it using a good auto wax.  If you find any damage related to delamination of the bamboo strips (i.e. spots where the six strips in each section are coming apart), you will want to have those spots repaired by a rod builder before you try to use the rod.

Next, check all the guides to make sure the guides are sound and the thread wraps are in good shape.  If needed, have rusted or broken guides replaced.  If needed, have any thread wraps that are loose replaced and have any thread wraps that are worn re-coated by a rod builder.

The easy way is to simply find a local rod builder and have him check the rod over for you.  He can make any repairs needed to restore it.

Once you have done these things, you should be able to fish with it.  Assuming the rod is truly in Very Good Condition (which is likely if stored in it's original container in a dry location) you may be able to inspect the rod yourself and decide it is still in fishable condition.  Milwards rods are good quality and should be fun to fish with.

Thanks,  Joe