Tackle made in the UK

[steve2]

Following on from the Chinese rod free giveaway post.

How much made in the UK tackle do you have? I have very little apart from my old centre pins and a couple of rods marked made in the UK. Where the rod blanks were made it could could have been anywhere in the world.

 

[103841]

Following on from the Chinese rod free giveaway post.

How much made in the UK tackle do you have? I have very little apart from my old centre pins and a couple of rods marked made in the UK. Where the rod blanks were made it could could have been anywhere in the world.

I don’t reckon I have anything in my collection other than two centrepins from back in the day.

German washing machine, Japanese tv, phones, Ipads, Czech car, I’m struggling to find much at all in my home, proud of my British Brompton bike, no doubt some components came from overseas.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I think that there are very few rods in particular that are 100% made in the UK . . . . typically some rods are "finished" here but only on imported blanks.

There are some centre pin reels that are 100% made in the UK but many of those are out of the pocket range of many anglers.

If you go back 40 or 50 years then towns like Redditch were full of English tackle makers; everything from hooks to rods, but these days market costs, salaries, taxes etc mean that anything made here (100%) is going to be far more expensive than an imported alternatives.

Personally, I have a few Englsh-made rods, split cane mostly but those were very expensive as well as some centre pin reels but again from very small, almost bespoke, manufacturers. I also have a few Harrisons rods although the blanks I believe are imported . . . .

 

[rayner]

My seat box is all English made, it's a hand built Boss box 8 drawer system. Cost me £415 not cheap at the time, I thought it was the best.
I bought it 1987 and it's still in almost perfect condition. Apart from a few scratches and scuffs every part is in full working order.
It pays to buy quality English products, they last.
The problem now is finding quality home grown companies, most companies buy cheaper components from over seas to make their products cheaper.
Every other item of tackle I own now is just not English.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I too have a Boss Box, but the 6 drawer version bught back in the early 90's but replaced it with a Preston X Box a few years ago.

 

[peter crabtree]

The only items of mine I know for certain are British made are my 2 Daiwa poles. They both have small union jacks on them...

 

[rich66]

Looking through my kit, I honestly think that the only tackle I have that is UK made is the floats I’ve made myself ! Everything else I’m assuming is manufactured outside and imported in.
It would be nice to be presently surprised but I some how doubt it.

Actually I have some exceed disgorgers also a matchman hook tyer and they are apparently made in Cheshire by MPH associates

 

[108831]

I have a Penrose frame/trolley which I'm pretty darn sure is made in this country,apart from that I don't really know,I have two Harrison rods,but don't know if they are entirely sourced in the UK,some antiques like my Hardy Richard Walker Avon and Fred J. Taylor trotter were made here,an Allcocks match aerial too....

P.s. I also have a handmade pin made by a guy in Christchurch to my requirements,a present for my 60th from my family,a very expensive present,but a beautiful thing....plus a Leslie's of Luton rod,the blank is made by Harrison.Cheers

 

[David Rogers 3]

The Harrisons website states: "When you buy a Harrison rod you are getting a blank that is hand rolled here in Liverpool". That sounds good enough for me, even though I only have one of their rods - a 12' Specialist, 1.5lb t.c.

 

[chrissh]

The only British made I have are my Ron chapman Amwell rods a wicker basket made by the blind origination workshop and lesney bread bait press

Im not sure, if my hardy marksman 14ft rod and conquest centre pin are 100% British made

 

[steve2]

The problem when you go looking for UK made tackle is the price. You have to be prepared to pay £100's more than you would do for a similar import.

 

[S-Kippy]

The only British made I have are my Ron chapman Amwell rods a wicker basket made by the blind origination workshop and lesney bread bait press

Im not sure, if my hardy marksman 14ft rod and conquest centre pin are 100% British made

I doubt the Hardy stuff is British made...its possible but the factory closed years ago. Even if the Marksman is the original spec ( not Supero or XT) I think its more likely the blanks were imported and finished here.

I'm pretty sure some of my Hardy fly rods were made in the Uk as they are very old models and I know for a fact the factory was still operating when I bought them as I broke a tip and they rolled me a new one.

Other than that I've a few ancient British made reels and, like Simon, a couple of Daiwa rods with Union Jacks on though what that really means I couldn't say.

 

[sam vimes]

Some of the top end Daiwa rods and poles are genuinely British made. However, don't expect to pay much less than £300 for a UK made Daiwa, most will be a fair chunk more.

As far as I'm aware, Harrison, Tri-Cast and Century blanks are still UK made.

Beyond that, you are looking at a few centrepin makers. J.W. Young being the biggest name. After that, you are looking at Mill Tackle Company (Garry Mills, who actually makes the parts for Youngs and some Perfection reels), Kingpin and Chris Lythe. There are other small scale producers like Chris Lythe, but it can be difficult to determine if they are still operating.

 

[S-Kippy]

Ah....I also have a couple of Harrison rods and Youngs centrepins which my learned friend says are also British made.

 

[sam vimes]

Im not sure, if my hardy marksman 14ft rod and conquest centre pin are 100% British made

The rod is highly doubtful. The reel is a definite no.

I doubt the Hardy stuff is British made...its possible but the factory closed years ago. Even if the Marksman is the original spec ( not Supero or XT) I think its more likely the blanks were imported and finished here.

By that time, I doubt that there was even any assembly going on at Alnwick, at least not for the Marksman coarse rods. I'm struggling to remember when it was that I knew the Hardy/Greys main marketing man. The closest I can get is mid noughties. Anyway, by that time, which was about the time that the original Marksman coarse rods were about, the factory was just about done. There was still a small number of really high end fly rods and reels being made there, but you are talking really low volume and strictly limited stuff.

 

[Alan Tyler]

I have rods by Allcock, B. James, Peek, Rudge, Hardy, Sealey, Milbro, Martin James, North-Western, Alan Brown and Accles and Pollock, and even a greenheart monster by Forrest of Thurso, reels by Young's, Morritt's and Reuben Heaton, and seat boxes by Raze laminates, Efgeeco, and Btec, but most of those are long gone or no longer involved in tackle-making, and the items I have were secondhand buys, apart from a Rapidex I bought new.
It really is rather sad that so little affordable tackle can be made here, but not so sad that I haven't got a bundle of oriental carbon ready for when I am too feeble to wield bamboo...

 

[sam vimes]

Daiwa.

 

[sam vimes]

Century.

 

[sam vimes]

Harrison.

 

[nottskev]

I think: 6 Daiwa rods; I Tri Cast rod and a pole; 6 Harrison rods; a Boss box - the 4 drawer Compact Canal; 3 centrepins. So, quite a bit, come to think of it.