john metcalfe rod

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:49 pm

Hi all

Bought a quantum world surf as a christmas present for myself at christmas time big grin

(very happy with it indeed) and was out a few weeks ago at a car boot and purchased an old John Metcalfe rod.

The Metcalfe rod came with an old mitchell 600 real and purchased both for £12.
Due to the poor fishing have not been anyware near the sea to try it out.
Just a shot in the dark and was wondering if anyone on the forum knows anything about them as there are no details on it except his name and the tackle shop in walton printed on a small blue ish /green label.
The rod looks fairly old and is in two sections short butt section and longer main section. Has 7 rings with orange whippings and is of a softish action.
Would like to know what age and rating it is and wether fixed or multiplyer. I think its multiplyer due to small 15/20mm diameter first ring?.
Hopefuly fishing next thames league charity match at walton, will pop in to meta-lite tackle and enquire anyway.
But any information would be appreciated,

Tight Lines and happy fishin

Sweatysock

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:03 am

I do know the rod is fiberglass this acounts for its soft action, as for the reel, it came out in the 60's along with the 602 and the 624. They were proper workhorses and were popular at the time in fact I have 3 Michellls from that era.
Cheers
keith big grin

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:33 am

Not familiar with the rod but it is a well thought of brand, so should be ok, the Mitchell 6oo P is a favourite of mine, not got all the uptodate gismo's that modern reel have but it wont let you down if maintained and 'Goes the distance so to speak'..........mine is as good as the day that I bought it!!!.............(you watch it'll fall to bits now, given it the kiss of death lol big grin

)...........and I would agree with Keith in all that he has said .

All in all a right result for £12!!!!!!!!!!!!!................JOLI daydreaming

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:38 am

I agree with all above , and even if the rod fell apart , the reel is worth more than 12 quid anyday. big grin

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:27 pm

The rod is also worth more than £12. John metcalfe founded Meta-lite rods, while i cant tell you which model you have, I can tell you than they were good and reliable throughout the range and that they had a lifetime warranty for the buyer. The tackle shop is still going strong and being run by a very good match angler called Richard Holgate.
Just Google the name Meta-lite for contact details, Richard may also be able to help I.D. the rod as he worked for john metcalfe from a very early age and took over the business. big grin

Hope this helps, Carl.

Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:32 pm

I did post this previously but the server move did for it ...

Its unlikely you have a "Metalite" rod and more likely just a rod that has been built from new or rebuilt either by Richard or John Metcalf. From the early 80s onward they must have done a vast number of rebuilds etc and at times their workshop was literally full of rods of just about every brand known to man.

All the Metalites have carried the brand name in large lettering and it makes sense that if the Metcalf sticker is still intact the Metalite name would be, unless of course someone has deliberately had it removed in which case it would be very obvious to the trained eye. As far as I'm aware there was only one production Metalite blank built without the brand sticker on it from new and i only know that because I built it in the late 80s when they first came out ... certainly at the time you could normally only buy the complete rod and I don't think that has changed.

The early Metalites were all built on Conoflex blanks and were originally all short pendulum rods with a very tippy action ... I've had one since they first came out and they are a very usable rod capable of good distances in the right hands but still light enough to make fishing a pleasure - if you have got one of them then you got an extremely good deal.

Ultimately whatever rod you have the build jobs that came out of the shop have always been of a very high quality, particularly those built by Richard and so long as the rod and reel work, £12 is a good deal - it doesn't buy you much these days..