Looking good, exciting times ahead.
Thanks Allan
..... that photo was taken at Northern Sports, Bromsgrove, in around 2012.
What a great journey over the last 20 years .....
My first fly lines were manufactured for me in the UK in the Shakespeare fly line factory in Bromsgrove in 2002. A few years later this factory was taken over by Pure Fishing and I continued to develop lines with them. This was later acquired by the Canadians at Northern Sports, and my lines and research and development continued there for a number of years, the key faces on the workshop floor being mostly the same as back in the Shakespeare days.
I moved development and manufacturing to 22M in Redditch in 2017, interesting times, you always learn something new and gain experience along the way.
Then came the collapse/closure of the UK fly line manufacturing industry in 2020/2021, with both 22M and Northern Sports closing their doors after struggling for a number of years. This produced a huge challenge for most UK and European fly line brands!
Since then, I have formed a new, exciting relationship with our manufacturer in the USA, and, true to our ethos, I am also supporting a new UK manufacturer which is currently establishing itself in Redditch, with their very first two orders to go on the machines!
It would be great to get some new photos when I'm down in Redditch this year ..... fingers crossed for that happening.
I'm really looking forward to 2023 and what the future brings ..... and I hope everybody enjoys a great season!
