Read more from Gareth Goldson

You will also find Stevie at the meet and greet area with angling personalities incusing TV's most famous angler John Wilson.

Alongside the casting demos, the show will feature talks, the Interactive Youth Zone, cooking demos, top fly tying demos, and free casting and fly tying lessons from APGAI-Ireland. There's something every angler and angling enthusiast.

Hardy, Greys and Chub fishing tackle will be available via the show's trade stands.

Find out more about the show on the Ireland Angling Show website. 

Gareth Goldson has updated his blog. Read more

Read more from John Bailey.

Stevie was among only two Europeans asked to give a fly casting clinic at this high profile event and was interviewed by Argentine T.V and sampled the fishing on the World famous Rio Grande River. The other was top caster Danish caster Henrik Mortensen. The show was a great success with Stevie showing fly casting with Hardy rods and reels which the local guides and anglers also tried and enjoyed. Stevie would like to thank all involved with this marvellous event and hopes he can return.

The second part of his trip Stevie stayed at The Estancia Despedida lodge, hosted by Danny Lajous and Ozzie, this is where Stevie landed his biggest ever Sea Run Brown Trout which tipped the scales just over 24lb, taken on a fly given to him by his show interpreter and now friend Jorge Luis Calvo Laubli or Tato for short.The deadly pattern was a Black & Red Articulated dressing.

Stevie tells us the Despedida Lodge is "lavish and relaxing" set in a beautiful wilderness with not only fishing on the Rio Grande but also the beautiful rivers Rio Menendez and Rio Mc Lennan. Stevie said Danny and Ozzie are the ultimate lodge hosts: "Their kind nature coupled by a rich fishing knowledge made me feel right at home. As the only owner-operated lodge on the Rio Grande, Despedida has the comforting feel of staying with your fishing family.

"Danny's son Tommy and his friend Jorge are fantastic guides with an uncanny ability to find big fish that will take. Ozzie's entertaining conversation at the dinner table ranged from Argentine history to rock, Jazz and blues music to world affairs. Chef Oscar served excellent four course meals with elements of Argentine and European cuisine that were well-matched with best Argentine wines"

Stevie definitely will be back hopefully as a guest again to the show and also Despedida Lodge have asked him to promote and host trips to this wonderful destination to U.K and Irish anglers, so anyone interested in sampling this magnificent part of the world and its great fishing contact Stevie Munn by email

On day 1, Cathal fished both pole and feeder from peg 7 on Rooves Bay to win the day with over 22kgs of Roach and Skimmers.

Peg 2, again on Roves Bay, was a favourable draw for the second day and Cathal made no mistakes. After a slow start on the feeder, he decided to concentrate on the pole where he caught over 320 Roach for over 20 kilos which was enough to win the day again.

Cathal's total weight of 43kgs was enough to win the two day match followed by Tommy Lawton in 2nd position with 33kgs and Charlie Greeves in 3rd with 28kgs.

Cathal said;

"This was my first time seeing this place and what a brilliant venue this is. Seemingly, two years ago there were very few Roach being caught and now the place is stuffed with them. In a couple of years the match weights are going to be phenomenal. The matches are very well run and you are made very welcome. Sincere thanks must also go to Duncan Lennox for sponsoring the event."

Read more about Joh Bailey's fishing trip with Sam.

Sam Richardson was the winner of the competition and joined John for two days at the Kingfisher Lakes Complex in Norfolk.

Coming soon in On Coarse, read a full report of the session. Don't receive the monthly mail out? Sign up now!

Read more from John Bailey

Read more from John Bailey

Have you ever had an angling question you've always wanted to ask the legendary Bob James, well now's your chance...

Bob James is one of the most instantly recognisable characters in our sport and a Hardy & Greys Consultant. Bob has fished from the age of seven years old. Growing up in London none of Bob's family fished and so he taught himself - this turned out to be a great advantage for Bob and in 1965 he had his first fishing article published.

Most people will recognise Bob from when he co-starred in the highly successful, ‘Passion for Angling' which was shown in the early 90's across 19 countries.

Please send us your questions for Bob James and we will publish the best ones - and Bob's answers - in next month's edition of On Coarse.

Suscribe to our monthly mail out, On Coarse.

Read more from Gareth Goldson

Read Cathal's latest blog 

Read more

Read more from Gareth 

These rods will be available for purchase later next year.

Every month we will bring you a selection of interesting and informative coarse videos, features and competitions to win some top prizes direct to your inbox.

Featuring consultants such as John Bailey and Bob James and Academy members, Dave Coster, Tony Runnalls, Gareth Goldson, Lee Taylor and Cathal Hughes, we will bring you all the tips, tactics and new product information you could need to help you make the most of your time on the bank.

Keep  up to date with all that's new on our official Facebook fan pages:

Hardy Facebook Fan page

Greys Facebook Fan Page

Read more from Gareth Goldson

Read more from John Bailey

Michael used the 13ft Extreme Float rod, the sister design to the Supero 13ft Float which has recently won the ‘Best New Rod' award at EFTTEX. Michael caught small Carp to 3lbs and plenty of small Tench.

Stefan also had success using the new Marksman Supero 11ft 6in Avon Smuggler Rod which he has fallen in love with and caught Carp to 6lb.

The best fishing method on the session was fishmeal paste used on a Prodigy Bait Anchor.

Expect to see the new Supero rods in your local Hardy coarse tackle dealer later this year.

The original Marksman rods very successfully established Hardy's return to the coarse fishing market. The new Supero range is the next generation from Hardy. These specialist rods feature super high modulus carbon, durable lightweight Fuji line guides and the Hardy Total Anti Lock Action. These rods offer even higher performance and stunning aesthetics.

Dave Coster said;

"I'm absolutely delighted to have won the Best New Rod category at EFTTEX 2011. We've spent a long time developing the Hardy Marksman Supero rods. Supero means to surpass and we strongly believe the various float, feeder, Avon and Smuggler rods that make up the range does this in every department. They're top quality, made from state of the art materials and a complete joy to fish with."

The new Marksman Supero & XT ranges will be available late 2011.

Read more from John Bailey

Read more from John Bailey

The best fish of the series went to John Parkinson from Newcastle who hooked a 2.5lb Bream and was rewarded with a Hardy Marksman rod.

Final Match Results

1st - Graham Jones from Darlington Angling Centre landed a bag at 9lb 10oz which included Skimmers, Roach and Perch caught on open-end feeder.

2nd- Dave Coster from Hardy & Greys caught 7lb 5oz of Skimmers and Gudgeon. Dave was using the new prototype Hardy Marksman Supero 12ft Feeder Rod.

3rd - Steve Woods from Darlington Angling Centre landed a bag of Skimmers on the feeder at 5lb 12oz.

Final League Positions

1st - Scott Lister from Browning Quaker with 48pts won £150 plus a Hardy Marksman Rod

2nd - Graham Jones from Darlington Angling Centre wtih 44pts won £90 plus a Hardy Marksman Rod

3rd - Nick Jose from Mary's Tackle with 43pts won £60 plus a Hardy Marksman Rod

4th - John Parkinson with 40pts

5th - Dave Coster with 37pts

6th - Steve Wood with 36pts

Northumbrian Water can confirm they have been monitoring the results and have plans to further improve the fishing at Whittle Dene.

John Bailey has updated his Blog

Read more

Improve Your Coarse Fishing magazine review the new Prodigy Luggage range. 

"On a very windy day and with very clear water conditions, the Lower Lake fished quite well. Barry Evans (Big Waters A.C.) won the match with 11 Skimmer Bream weighing 9 lb 12oz. Barry caught fish to 2 lb with the open-end feeder alternating between worms and maggots.

"Second was Scott Lister (Browning Quaker), who is now winning the league after catching 7 lb 12 oz of Skimmer Bream on open-end feeder tactics. Third was Graham Jones (Darlington Angling Centre) with 7lb 8oz and George Huscroft (Mary's Tackle) was fourth with 5 lb 8oz."

With one match to go the league is finely balanced:

1. Scot Lister 39 points
2. Nick Jose 35 points
3. John Parkinson and Graham Jones 31 points
4. Steve Wood
5. Andy Bell 26 points

Angler's Mail magazine writer Steve Lockett reviews the Greys Prodigy Klip-Lok Tackle Base.

Read more

Featuring quirky duckling lures for Pike, close encounters with ink-squirting sea monsters and a three pound Perch taken on a Greys XF2 Carnivore fly rod, it has been quite an adventure of late for Hardy & Greys backed angling writer, Dominic Garnett.

From the perils of night fishing in Torquay, to tea on the Test with Bob James and Chris Tarrant, "Crooked Lines" is fishing's must-view blog! Catch it at www.dgfishing.co.uk.

Nick Jose came in first place with 6lb 4oz of Roach caught on the pole from the road bank. Nick won £150 and £40 worth of the new Greys Prodigy tackle.

In second place came Graham Jones with 4lb 6oz of pole caught Roach, winning £90 and £20 worth of Greys Prodigy tackle.

Jim Harris came in third place with 4lb 3oz of Roach.

Greys Product Manager, Dave Coster said;

"It was hard going for the 30 anglers fishing due to clear water, bright sunshine and little wind. The venue had been fishing well prior to the match with double figure catches of Roach and Skimmer Bream. Hopefully the next match in a couple of week's time will be better."

"It doesn't seem that long ago that I ended my autumn Bream campaign on the large gravel pit. As mentioned in a previous blog although the fishing had proved very difficult as expected, I planned to return come March / April time for another crack before the Tench fishing really kicked off." Read more

Cathal met Mary during a state visit to a local school as she congratulated him on winning the silver medal in the 2010 World Championships.

Read more of John Bailey's Blog

Gareth Goldson has updated his Blog. Read more

John Bailey has updated his Blog

"But it's all been a bit serious of late. Friends who have come along with me have wanted monster Pike. They've really got the bug for big fish. And, if you have a guy with you who is into a mega-Pike, you really, really want to see it in the net.."

John Bailey has recently helped land a 37lb 4oz Pike.

Read John's Blog

Russia is an exciting market for the company and the firm has had good relations with the Russian Federation for many years. Hardy & Greys be exhibiting through our Russian distribution partner, Eco Technology, who are the most established importer of foreign fishing tackle to the Russian Federation.

International Sales & Events Manager Andrew Sowerby will be on hand to meet Russian customers, discuss products and the new areas of innovation we're working on.

The Hunting and Fishing in Russia Exhibition will feature over 700 exhibitors from Russia, CIS and foreign countries demonstrating the best samples of their products and services including hunting and fishing equipment and accessories, vehicles, fishing and hunting tourism, recreation, books, souvenirs and gifts. The exhibition will be attended by companies from Belarus, Ukraine, Italy, Norway, Latvia, Poland, Korea, China, Japan, New Zealand, as well as almost all Russian regions. It is expected that the number of visitors will be more than 60,000 people.

For more details on the show, please contact Andrew Sowerby asowerby@hardygreys.com

Andrew Sowerby is the International Sales & Events Manager for Hardy & Greys. Andrew has been with the company for 10 years, travels all over the world, and appeared on TV in various countries. Andrew's a keen angler, loves to get out and fish in whichever location he finds himself, and has caught a variety of species across the world on lure, bait and fly. Andrew is pictured with a a large Kahawai caught on Lure at the mouth of the Hurunui Rover in New Zealand.

John Bailey has updated his blog with an insight into the world of fishing for Pike.

Read John's Blog

The 2010 world silver medallist will be answering all coarse and match fishing related questions, along with doing a demonstration on rig making and ground- baiting techniques.

Visit Cathal's Blog

Awarded by the Angling Times, the award is given out to an angler who has had notable consistent specimen catches throughout the year; Gareth's include a 3lb Rudd and a 6lb 6oz Chub.

Gareth said;

"Well it's fair to say 2010 has been my best fishing year to date and I can look back over the year with many fond memories.

"I suppose the highlights for me were my 12lb 5oz Tench and 32lb 7oz Pike - the sight of both those fish laying in the bottom of my net will never leave me".

"I was awarded Specimen Angler of the Year in the Angling Times and as the Fox Specimen Cup comes to a close I've put myself in with a chance of taking one of the top spots - something that I've dreamed about since I was a kid".

"Marketing Manager Gav Burn said;

"I'm not surprised that Gareth has won the Specimen Angler of the Year. We knew he was a very talented angler and had huge potential when he joined us, and this is now being borne out with his results this year. I wish Gareth every success in his pursuit of the Fox Specimen Cup."

Visit Gareth's Academy Blog to keep up to date with what he's been up to.

Gareth Goldson has updated his Blog. 

Gareth Goldson has updated his Blog reflecting on 2010 and looking ahead to the 2011 season.

Read more...

John Bailey has updated his Blog.

Read John's Blog.

Read John Bailey's Blog.

Gareth Goldson has updated his Blog.

31 year old Dominic is a highly talented mutli-disciplined angler who has had over 70 angling features published in the last few years with magazines such as Anglers Mail, Angling Times & Total Fly Fisher.

Dominic said;

"As a writer whose work has covered everything from small stream fly fishing to specimen Pike, Hardy & Greys seems the perfect match for me as they produce such a wide range of quality kit. Equally however, I'm drawn by the more traditional values of the company, which is important for my writing- that aims to capture the magic of the sport without the hard sell. It's great to be involved with a company that has listened to angling legends from Richard Walker to John Bailey."

Marketing Manager, Gav Burn said;

"I'm delighted that we have been able to secure the services of a young, dynamic and professional angler such as Dominic. We look forward to working with and helping to develop Dominic in the years ahead."

Read Gareth's Blog

Read John Bailey's Blog

Read Tony's Blog

"All you need is a light spinning rod - look at our Greys range for instance, and you will see we have plenty of delicate, winkle-picker stuff that is idea. A really small, fixed spool reel is perfect. Tool up with eight pound line and, if there are Pike about, a wire trace and you're in business. Little rubber jigs between two and three inches long with a light lead head cost pennies so they're painlessly losable.

"This is the key. You've got to work your jigs close to structure and snags if you're going to get the best out of them. I suppose the time species that you're after are probably Perch, Pike, Zander and Chub in that order but don't forget Carp, Rudd and even Bream will sip in little rubbers from time to time.

"Keep on the move. Keep experimenting. Jig fast. Jig slow. Let your jig fall to the bottom and then twitch it along back to you. Retrieve in mid-water. Retrieve near the surface. Constantly exercise your imagination and work hard at what you're doing.

"The photographs show Ian and Peter and their rewards for just a couple of hours on an October afternoon. A Pike into doubles and a Perch two ounces shy of three pounds in weight speak volumes. Jigging is fun and jigging is effective. Of course the Europeans know this but it's a style of coarse fishing in which we are years behind."

John Bailey has updated his Blog with his top tips on long trotting for Chub.

Read John Bailey's Blog

Read Gareth Goldson's updated Blog

Read Dave's article

Read John Bailey's latest Blog

Gareth Goldson has updated his Blog

Chub has also been voted the best brand for Carp rods below 100 Euro and in the best luggage category for the 2010 tackle awards.

These awards are presented to some of the best fishing tackle manufacturers in the world and we are pleased to have been successful.

John Bailey has updated his Blog.

Angling Unlimited believe people should have the opportunity to:

• Experience and enjoy angling
• Enjoy a healthy competitive environment
• Have a quality introduction to angling suited to their level of personal development
• Be offered excellent teaching, coaching and resources
• Progress along a structured path of achievement
• Fulfil their angling potential

Angling Unlimited works in partnership with local public services such as the Police, Youth Offending Teams, The Environment Agency and schools, as well as voluntary and community organisations.

Hardy & Greys Ltd are pleased to support Angling Unlimited

Read Cathal's Blog

Read Gareth's Blog

Read the review by Irish Angler magazine

Read John Bailey's Blog

New Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy member, Gareth Goldson has updated his Blog.

Read Gareth's Blog

Read John Bailey's blog

Gareth started fishing at the age of 3, progressing to bigger specimens from the age of 15.

A professional head tennis coach, Gareth's favoured method of fishing is using the float and counts a 12lb 5oz Tench and a Pike weighing 32lb 7oz as his most notable catches so far.

A fantastic all round angler, Gareth sights his main aims for the coming year as winning the Fox Specimen Cup and to catch a 3lb river Roach and a 15lb Bream.

Gareth said;

"I'm over the moon to be joining such a prestigious forward thinking company as Hardy and Greys. I'm excited to be able to help develop tackle that will give the coarse
angler an edge in their fishing. It really is a dream come true for me"

Marketing Manger Gav Burn said;

"Being able to bring an angler like Gareth to the Academy signals our intention to expand even further into the Coarse market. Gareth's fishing ability and knowledge will be of huge benefit to the Academy"

Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy member, Lee Taylor has updated his Blog.

Read Lee's Blog

Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy Manager, Tony Runnalls has updated his Blog

Read Tony's Blog

"A book fell through my letter box the other day - Crock of Gold - Seeking the Crucian Carp by Peter Rolfe. It's not often these days that an angling book grabs me but this one has. I've nearly devoured it cover to cover in just three days."

Read John Bailey's Blog

Check back for Part 2 of John's Blog coming next week. 

"I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about the method but long-time friend Ian Miller taught me a thing or two. We fished with the same gear - the Hardy Marksman Avon 11'6' rod is hard to beat for the job - but this time had wives, girlfriends and a young spaniel on board as well.

"Initially we struggled. The Carp were inquisitive but spooky. It wasn't until Ian put on a couple of truly massive pieces of crust with the hooks totally hidden inside pressed on flake that the take developed. After that, it was pretty well a fish a chuck - or at least three fish before we decided that enough was enough. But what beautiful Carp they were. And caught in the best company on THE most fun of methods.

"We fish for fun and great tackle can enhance that fun massively. That's where the Hardy Marksman range of rods comes into the equation. I find when I'm using these rods, my own ‘fun' level rockets. You just get more satisfaction out of using great gear."

Thirty six anglers, including Hardy & Greys Coarse and Carp Product Manager, Dave Coster took part in the match which unfortunately switched off almost completely due to the calm, sunny conditions.

The venue had been fishing well with catches to nearly 20lbs before the match. On the day Phil Lawson from Newcastle only needed 6 skimmer Bream to win with 4lbs 12ozs. Phil didn't enter the pools, which would have paid him out nearly £200, but he did go away with a season ticket for Northumberland Water fisheries worth £700 plus a 13ft Greys G-Tec Feeder rod.

Runner up Craig Goodhall weighed in 3lbs 8ozs, followed by Martin Watson with 3 lbs 7ozs. Both anglers won a 13ft Greys G-Tec Float rod. All three top anglers also won tackle vouchers from Hardy and Greys.

Read John Bailey's Blog

Read John Bailey's Blog

Read John Bailey's Blog

Read Lee's Blog

Read Cathal's Blog

Read John Bailey's latest Blog

Read Lee's Blog

Read Cathal's Blog

Fishing the pole at 13 metres and using Greys Kilp Lok Bait Boxes and Cool Bags, Cathal won the individual silver with a total weight of 15.530 kgs.

Cathal said;

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to win the silver medal - dreams do come true with the support of a great team, a supportive wife & true dedication"

Some footage of Cathal Hughes fishing the World Angling Championships.

Fishing in competition with 550 anglers, Lee won his section fishing the pole with a total weight of 1.730 kilos. Overall Lee's team ‘Total Fishing Club ‘finished 13th out of the 55 teams.

Currently, Lee is actively field testing new prototypes of Hardy Marksman & Prodigy Coarse rods.

Lee said;

"Fishing the Nationals is no easy task, so to walk away with a section winner's medal at my first attempt is something I'm really proud of."

Read Tony's Blog.

Read John Bailey's Blog

Hardy and Greys Ltd recently announced that they have entered a partnership agreement with Tom Moran, one of the best cane rod makers in the world.

Tom became obsessed with bamboo fly rod building in the nineteen seventies and gained a reputation as a first class rod builder with his very efficient compound tapers producing a medium progressive action. His trademarks include only using the best Tonkin cane and making all components from scratch including the famous handmade Moran snake guides .Tom describes cane as "of all Mother Nature's natural materials Tonkin cane has the greatest stiffness to weight ratio, combined with great beauty and it lends itself perfectly to precision engineering."

With the general resurgence in cane rods and particularly In the USA Tom found a demand for his rods in the US and worked there for three years, since his return to the UK Tom has continued his passion of working with cane and now he is bringing his considerable skill and expertise to Hardy and Greys Ltd.

Tom will work alongside the company's' current rod builder Calum Gladstone and together they will develop and grow the Hardy cane proposition. Despite the expansion of the department, every cane rod and all its components will be individually hand made with each rod taking many man hours to build.

 Calum has been with the company for twenty two years and is currently rod shop supervisor. He is particularly well known for his cane building expertise with the famous Hardy Gladstone rods. Commenting on Tom's appointment he said "I am very excited about Tom Moran joining us, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from mixing with the best cane rod builders from around the world."

Joining forces from a newly extended cane department in Alnwick, Calum and Tom insist that this is not a large scale production line, every rod and all its components will be individually hand made with each rod taking many man hours to build.

On his appointment Tom said "I can remember the magic and grace of the Hardy Marvel and CC de France when I started rod building, it's a thrill for me to be part of that Hardy's tradition".

Hardy and Greys Ltd are very pleased to announce that they have entered a partnership agreement with Tom Moran one of the best cane rod makers in the world.

Tom became obsessed with bamboo fly rod building in the nineteen seventies and gained a reputation as a first class rod builder with his very efficient compound tapers producing a medium progressive action. His trademarks include only using the best Tonkin cane and making all components from scratch including the famous handmade Moran snake guides .Tom describes cane as "of all Mother Nature's natural materials Tonkin cane has the greatest stiffness to weight ratio, combined with great beauty and it lends itself perfectly to precision engineering."

With the general resurgence in cane rods and particularly In the USA Tom found a demand for his rods in the US and worked there for three years, since his return to the UK Tom has continued his passion of working with cane and now he is bringing his considerable skill and expertise to Hardy and Greys Ltd.

Tom will work alongside the company's' current rod builder Calum Gladstone and together they will develop and grow the Hardy cane proposition. Despite the expansion of the department, every cane rod and all its components will be individually hand made with each rod taking many man hours to build.

 Calum has been with the company for twenty two years and is currently rod shop supervisor. He is particularly well known for his cane building expertise with the famous Hardy Gladstone rods. Commenting on Tom's appointment he said "I am very excited about Tom Moran joining us, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from mixing with the best cane rod builders from around the world."

Joining forces from a newly extended cane department in Alnwick, Calum and Tom insist that this is not a large scale production line, every rod and all its components will be individually hand made with each rod taking many man hours to build.

On his appointment Tom said "I can remember the magic and grace of the Hardy Marvel and CC de France when I started rod building, it's a thrill for me to be part of that Hardy's tradition".

Read John's Blog

Read Tony's Blog

Read Tony's blog

Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy member, John Bailey has updated his Blog.

Read it here

Read more

Gary arrives with a wealth of experience after ten years in the food service industry followed by thirteen highly successful years with fishing tackle manufacturer, Shimano.

Gary said of his appointment;

"It was a big step leaving Shimano, but when the opportunity arose to move to such a forward thinking, progressive company such as Hardy & Greys I found it impossible to refuse.

Since joining Hardy & Greys Ltd I have been overwhelmed with the level of customer focus and passion to succeed. I am looking forward to rekindling many old acquaintances, making some new ones and playing a full part in what looks certain to be a very bright future indeed."

Sales and Marketing Director, Ken Brewster said;

"I am delighted that Gary has joined us. He has a wealth of experience and tremendous customer relationships throughout the trade. He has fitted into the team instantly and will, I am sure, do a terrific job for us."

Gary replaces Steve Peterson who is taking up his new role as Game Marketing Manager for the Company starting at the end of April.

Read more

Read more

Watch the new Hardy rods and reels being put to the test

Working alongside Product Development Manager Dave Coster, Cathal achieved distances well in excess of 100 metres while casting various types of feeders.

Built from high modulus carbon fibre and using revolutionary hollow carbon quivertips, the rod not only achieved amazing distances and spot-on accuracy, but also revealed a superb fish playing action.

Cathal Hughes said;

‘Dave and I were astounded at the accuracy and distance we could achieve with this revolutionary high performance rod. To be able to achieve distances of over 130 metres is quite simply unbelievable.'

Read the review

The June competition will be held on Lake Vicario, near Madrid, Spain.

Cathal said;

"To be back in the Irish squad again is fantastic. Reports coming from Spain suggest that this is going to be one of the best championships ever. I can't wait to get there!"

The other five anglers have been selected for the team are Rory Dunne, Bob Hulme, Pat Barkley, Jason Ward and Rory O'Neil. Hardy & Greys would like to wish them the best of luck.

Dave had been working as a Consultant for the Northumberland based fishing tackle company for over three years, and has been heavily involved with rod and tackle design during this period. This includes working on the highly successful Hardy Marksman, and the new Greys Prodigy Specimen & Specialist Coarse introductions.

Dave has been a highly successful match and specialist coarse angler for many years. He has written extensively for the Angling press and currently writes weekly features for the Angler's Mail magazine. He will continue to contribute to this popular magazine from his new location and home in Alnwick, which will no doubt delight many northern anglers!

Commenting on his new position Dave said;

"I'm deeply honoured to have been offered the position of Coarse Product Manager and I relish the challenge.

"Hardy & Greys Ltd is a major, forward thinking company who are going places fast in both the Coarse and Carp markets, and I can now be even more involved with this exciting success story.

"I have made many new friends in Northumberland and I can't wait to explore the fishing up there."

Managing Director of Hardy & Greys Ltd, Richard Sanderson said;

"Hardy & Greys are pleased to announce Dave is joining our Product Development Team on a full time basis. Dave has been working with us for many years as a consultant and brings a wealth of experience with him from both the coarse market and fishing tackle industry. We are very excited to have Dave on board and look forward to launching many new products with his expert knowledge of the coarse & match market."

Read more

New additions to the range include the Marksman Specialist 11' 10" Float rod as well as the perfect travelling coarse rod in the Marksman Ultralite Avon Smuggler and the Marksman 13' Extreme Feeder.

Hardy also have three additional Marksman Hollow Carbon Quiver Tips, adding radical strength and lightness when using the Marksman Extreme 13' Feeder rod.

Angler's Mail magazine feature the Hardy Marksman coarse rods in their Product News feature. 

Read the review.

Read More

Read more.

Read more here

"A Game Fishers Diary" is presented by Rae Borras from "The Compleat Angler" who stars alongside Geoffrey Palmer.

The first episode of the series sees Rae at Rutland Water on opening day of the season with 20,000 newly stocked Trout to go at and an eye on learning how to get the best for large reservoirs.

Rae takes advice from Robbie Winrun on the tackle required to take on big waters and Robbie picks out the Demon reel as being perfect for reservoir fishing with touch button spool release and high level manufacture and versatility - and the fact that a spare spool costs under £10.

Rae is joined by fly fishing icon, Bob Church for a boat fishing session before taking an interview with England International Team Captain, Craig Barr.

The show is 33 minutes long with a further 37 Fly Fishing shows available to view online at www.onlinefishing.tv for just £1.

The show, held in Budapest, Hungary on the 12th - 14th June saw Hardy & Greys Ltd take away three Eftta New Product Awards including Best New Fly Rod for the Hardy Classic Lightweight, Best New Fly Line for the Hardy Mach 55 and Best New Carp Bivvy / Shelter for the Greys Torsion.

Hardy & Greys Ltd Managing Director, Richard Sanderson said;

"Our team of Product Managers have worked hard all year designing, testing and developing a range of brand new and innovative products and we are proud to walk away with these awards at Efttex."

Efttex is held annual in a different country each year. The Efttex 2010 will be held in Valencia, Spain.

Read Cathal's daily blog on the competition.

Read More

View more information on the Hardy Marksman Specialist Float Rod.

Hardy & Greys Ltd are pleased to announce that Lee Taylor is the second new member to join their Coarse Academy this year.

Lee, from Warwickshire, started fishing when he was 7 years old on the canals around the Warwickshire area, before progressing to win junior matches and successfully compete outside the junior age group in the club circuit.

Lee started fishing waters including Barston in Solihull and Spring Pools in Rugby, which accumulated in him winning the Intersite individual at Barston in 2006 and coming 4^th in the final of the Stafford Moor Mania in 2007.

Lee said:

"Joining the Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy is a dream come true for me and I am looking forward to working with Hardy & Greys and the Academy."

Lee particularly loves fishing waters with Skimmers and Carp in and ,  his favourite methods are method feeder, and fishing paste on the pole. For silvers he likes to fish caster shallow.

Academy Manager, Dave Coster said;

"I'm delighted Lee has now become a full member of the Hardy and Greys Coarse Academy. He is a very good angler and puts a lot of thought into his fishing. He will be a great asset to us with his vast knowledge of tackle and techniques."

Lee joins Academy Manager, Dave Coster, John Bailey, Cathal Hughes, Tony Runnalls, Dave Burgess, Andy Charlton and new member, Jonathan Watt in the Academy.

Highly competitive Coarse match angler, Jonathan Watt from Lewes in East Sussex has joined the Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy.

Starting fishing aged ten years old, catching Rudd and Perch on his local lake before progressing onto fish rivers and more established venues, Jonathan, was first spotted fishing the Sussex Ouse, before being invited to join and represent the then powerful Isfield & District Angling Club Team as a Junior, fishing against adults.

Described as one of Britain's hottest match anglers in The Angling Times in 2006, Jonathan regularly takes part in competitions on the open match circuit and has broken venue records at Framfield Fisheries, Passies Ponds and Old Bury Hill with Carp weights.

Jonathan also broke the UK record for the biggest pole caught fish under NFA match rules when he landed a monster Wells Catfish, at the Faulkenvile fishery in East Sussex. Tipping the scales at 33lbs, this was one of a combined 5 fish haul that went over the Ton in a team contest.

A regular contributor to the publication ‘Improve Your Coarse Fishing', Jonathan said;

"I am delighted to be part of the Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy.

I enjoy learning and with so many new techniques required to achieve consistent good bags of fish, all the years of practice are now starting to pay dividends.

Going forwards, I would like to continue to be competitive and embrace the wonderful advancement in modern tackle from Hardy & Greys and its development to help me stay ahead of the game."

Jonathan joins Academy Manager, Dave Coster, John Bailey, Cathal Hughes, Tony Runnalls, Dave Burgess, Andy Charlton and new member, Lee Taylor in the Academy.

Hardy have launched a range of waders that are also suitable for female anglers.

Available in three styles of breathable waders; Hardy EWS MK2, Marksman and Flyweight waders all come in sizes XS to size XLS.

Hardy & Greys Ltd PR Coordinator and keen angler, Lucy Bowden said;

"At last a pair of waders that fit!

The availability of waders to fit ladies is very small and, although the new waders from Hardy are not made specifically for us girls, they fit fantastically and, what's more they look good too!

I think female anglers will be very impressed with these."

Hardy & Greys Ltd Clothing Designer, Pam Sandford said;

"The waders are not made for ladies; therefore, they are not tailored to fit the female form. However, we have taken into consideration a smaller frame when designing these waders and have produced a wide range of varied sizes."

Hardy EWS Mk2 Felt and Rubber Wading Boots are also available in sizes UK 6 to 13.

The meeting, which was held at Kingfisher Lakes, Norfolk, saw all three Academies come together to discuss a range of topics which included existing and future product development, Academy events, media activities and show calendars - laying down the plan for what's set to be, an exciting year ahead!

The weekend also saw three new members welcomed into the Academies:

Alex Bransby, who was the worthy winner of Total Carp magazine's Chub Carp Academy competition, and has subsequently been promoted to a full time member.

Expert anglers Jonathan Watt and Lee Taylor have joined the Hardy and Greys Coarse Academy; both are keen anglers and have already had articles published in several fishing magazines.

Hardy & Greys Ltd, Trade Marketing manager, Alan Yates, who organised the event, said:

"We are keen to set a high standard within the academies and having an annual get together is a vital part of this, not only does it give all the members an opportunity to have their input and share their valued opinions, but also how we work more closely with the Academies and improve communication, something I am keen to pursue this year.

"Despite being Valentine's weekend we had a 95% attendance which shows the members commitment and I would personally like to thank all of them.

"I would also like to thank Kingfisher Lakes and Apartments for the use of their stunning multi-discipline complex. I am sure we will be visiting again and believe that some of the coarse Academy members have already undertaken a feature at the complex since the meeting!"

Kingfisher Lakes was chosen as it offered excellent facilities, modern accommodation with an extremely diverse range of angling disciplines including River, Specimen Carp, match fishing & junior lakes. The venue lent itself perfectly to the diverse range of anglers within the Academies.

For more information on Kingfisher Lakes visit www.kingfisherapartments.co.uk

Hardy have launched their brand new Specialist and Specimen Coarse fishing catalogue for 2009.

Available at your local dealer or as a download from the website the 35 page consumer catalogue from the Alnwick-based fishing tackle manufacturer showcases some of the new and most innovative products Hardy have ever produced.

Following Hardy's return to the Coarse market last year, sales of products including the ever popular Hardy Marksman range of rods and Conquest Centrepin Reel have risen well beyond our expectations. The new catalogue further endorses therange and highlights a number f stunning locations that the products have been put to test in.

New for 2009, Hardy have launched a range of Marksman Fibreglass Quivertips, complementing the original solid carbon quivertips perfectly. The new super sensitive bite indicators slightly soften the action of all Marksman Feeder rods - and the bomb rod - while also highlighting tentative bites even more.

Category Manager, Andy Charlton, said:

"Hardy's launch back into coarse fishing has been a phenomenal success. We have many more exciting new products in development, all bearing that very special Hardy attention to detail and premium quality."

Celebrating returning to Coarse fishing, the new catalogue also features the ever developing Hardy Coarse Academy.

Members of the exclusive Academy include Manager, Dave Coster, well known angling Journalist and Photographer, John Bailey and Royalty Fishery Manager Dave Burgess - all expert anglers in their chosen field.

Hardy are also pleased to announce that for the first time, a German translation will be available.

The show, which took place on the 7th and 8th February at the Ijsselhallen in Zwolle, Netherlands, saw the new Hardy Carp rod, designed for the Dutch market, stolen prior to the Show on the evening of the 6th February.

Andrew Sowerby, International Sales and Events Manager for Hardy & Greys Ltd said;

"I am sickened by this theft. As it is a prototype, this specific example of the rod is of little value, even worse, anglers had travelled several hours to the show specifically to see, handle and discuss the Hardy Goldbow - this is exactly why anglers go to shows."

This rod, together with a number of Hardy Marksman Coarse rods were stolen. The Hardy Goldbow rod is clearly identifiable by its distinct rich brown blank, full cork handle and has no bag, tube or stopper. The Marksman Coarse rods are easily identifiable as they also have no bags, stoppers or tubes and the Hardy Feeder rods only have one 2oz quiver tip in each of them.

Police are now looking to find the stolen items and Hardy & Greys Ltd are offering a complete finished Hardy Goldbow Carp rod as a reward to anyone who has information that leads to the recovery of this prototype.

One of the best known Ghillies in Scotland and renowned Spey casting champion has joined the Hardy & Greys Ltd Product Development team as a Consultant and is endorsing the Hardy Spey lines in America.

Ian Gordon, winner of the Jimmy Green Spey O Rama in San Francisco in 2004 and highly regarded in the US Spey Casting Community, praises Hardy for the invention of the Mach 55 and 65 Spey lines.

Ian said:

"These new Mach lines from Hardy are a must have for the serious Salmon, Sea Trout or Steelhead Angler.

"Technological advances in both coating and physical taper give the Mach ll the edge - These new lines feel both slick and easy to cast, the taper on both the 55 and 65 foot heads, importantly, make them suitable for both short as well as longer casts, turning over heavy as well as lighter flies.

"The welded loop makes it convenient to add polytips or replace nylon and what I loved most about these is how the line shoots - whether your style be underhand or more traditional, this low friction technology is truly amazing." 

Ian Gordon will be attending The Jimmy Green International SPEY-O-RAMA and Fly Casting Festival, California on April 17-19 (info@spey-o-Rama.com) and Sandy River Spey Clave at Oregon (www.flyfishusa.com/spey-clave.htm) on May 16-17.

Featuring on the site at present are all of the new products for 2009 including the Marksman rods and Conquest Centrepin reel.

Please check back for further news and product updates coming soon.

Dave said:

"I caught the fish, which varied from 4ozs up to 1lb, using a prototype Greys pole and very fine tackle in the clear, cold water.

"All the fish were taken on a single caster, fishing seven metres out - with tiny fine wire size 20 hooks, tied to super thin 0.08mm traces.

"In order to keep the fish coming regularly (approximately one every 2.5 minutes for the duration of the competition) I fed two pints of casters over two areas, switching between them to maximise my catch potential.
This also required chasing the fish around, catching at full depth and off the bottom with lightly shotted float rigs."