Sea Fishing 2008/9

BORN TO FISH
Hardy & Greys Limited
Willowburn, Alnwick,
Northumberland, NE66 2PF England
BORN TO FISH
Tel: +44 (0)1665 602771 Fax: +44 (0)1665 602389
[email protected] www.greysfishing.com
Hardy & Greys North America
1260 Corporate Blvd.,
Lancaster, PA 17603, United States
Tel: 717-537-3900 Toll-free: 1-888-516-1247
Fax: 717-537-3905 E-mail: [email protected]
Hardy & Greys GmbH
Muenster Str. 29, 49525 Lengerich,
HRB 56986, Dusseldorf, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 5481 - 306 207
Fax: +49 (0) 5481 - 306 208
Designs given in this brochure are as accurate as possible at the time of print, but we reserve the right
to improve design, specifications and components without prior notice. Illustrations are not binding.
Colour reproduction of products is as close as the printing process allows. All dimensions and weights are
approximate. All other information is given in good faith. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright holder.
Special thanks to Henry Gilbey (for photography) & Sea Angler magazine.
Copyright © Hardy & Greys Limited 2008/09. All rights reserved. The Greys name, logo, products and promotional
materials are protected by various registered and unregistered intellectual property rights including patents,
patent applications, registered designs, trademarks, unregistered design rights and copyright.
Greys is a wholly owned subsidiary of
GSEACAT09
Greys Sea Catalogue 2009
Sea Fishing 2008/9
www.greysfishing.com
Welcome To The 2008/09 Greys Sea Fishing Catalogue.
A Passion For Angling
How else could we continue to
all about. Since retiring from competitive
So why has Greys been so successful?
provide innovative angling products
casting and fishing, he has been teaching
It may be because our product
that win countless awards? Whether
around the world and is currently the
development is second to none. Every bit
its surf, boats, rocks or estuaries,
official Coach to the Greek casting
of Greys’ tackle is painstakingly designed
Greys has the right gear for you.
team. We are anxiously awaiting the
in the UK, utilising the very latest materials
first products from a man who has
and technology. It may be that we then
already been there and done it!
test each product it to the limit before
This year we are also delighted to
introduce the man who has taken over the
reins as our sea angling product manager
Greys has a large and faithful following,
Or it just may be that our customers are
- Neil Mackellow. In recent years, Neil has
and with Neil’s vast experience we are
as passionate about Greys as we are.
been developing and using some of the
looking to develop loads more top
most highly efficient angling products
quality tackle that meets the needs of
Richard Sanderson
available. He joins us after twenty years of
UK and European sea anglers. Not just
Managing Director,
tournament casting, twelve years of sea
rods and reels, but all those little bits
Hardy & Greys Limited
match leagues and five years as technical
and pieces that every angler needs - and
editor of Sea Angler. This experience has
not forgetting our top notch clothing
given him a unique understanding of
and luggage that makes a session on
what modern sea angling equipment is
the beach that much more enjoyable.
Whether it’s the surf, boats, rocks
or estuaries that float your boat,
Greys has the right gear for you.
2
we even think of bringing it to market.
Contents
Contents 2009
2
4
5
6-7
8 - 17
Introduction
Rod Actions
Consultants
Rod Design and Testing
Surf Casting Rods
Platinum GSI
Platinum XS
Apollo MK 3
Nitra
Triplex
Impulse
PZ Match
Supro
Syntra
Triad
GRX-S
BZE
Greyflex-S
18 - 19
20 - 21
22 - 24
25 - 27
28 - 29
30 - 31
32 - 33
34
34
Surf Casting Multiplier
G-MAG
Bass/Spinning Rods
Platinum Bass
GRX-S Bass
GRXi Spin
G Series Spin
Utility Rods
Sea Spin
Greyflex Bait
Excursion
G - Series Boat
Popper
Apollo Extreme Clothing
Shore Rigs
Boat Rigs
Apollo Luggage & Accessories
Saltwater Fly
Platinum XD Saltwater
G-TEC Reel
Worldwide Extended Warranty
3
Greys beach rods have become synonymous with today’s modern sea angler.
Advanced manufacturing, performance and durability coupled with high quality
components and cosmetics, ensure that Greys rods are top of the range.
Selecting the correct rod to suit your fishing is vitally important. To simplify this
process and to help you make the right choice we have categorised our rods into the
following actions:
• Fast Action
• Power Mid Action
• Progressive Action
The following brief descriptions are a quick guide and an invaluable aid to outlining
the make up, character and specification of the rods that Greys now produce.
FAST ACTION
POWER MID ACTION
PROGRESSIVE ACTION
Fast action rods are best
suited for extreme or long
range casting. Optimum
performance requires a good
casting technique, such as
off the ground or pendulum
casting. Once these techniques
are mastered phenomenal
distances can be achieved with
The all-rounder. Designed for
the angler who likes to have
more control and accuracy
when long range casting, yet
still maintain a sensitive tip
action for fishing and bite
detection. Ideal for the caster
who likes a rod that has quick
tip speed and recovery. Perfect
for all styles of casting.
This type of rod action does
not require such a specialist
style of casting. These rods
are easier to cast and have a
greater parabolic curve making
playing fish a more pleasant
experience. They will also
perform well when using softer
baits.
these very powerful rods.
4
Consultants
Neil Mackellow
Henry Gilbey
Greys Sea Product Manager
Greys Consultant
Neil Mackellow began fishing the river Mole when
he was four years old and progressed to sea fishing
while on holiday in Cornwall. He soon discovered
a natural ability for distance casting, eventually
becoming a three-time world surf casting
champion. He developed the famous Penn 525, has
built rods for many years and now gets his kicks
by giving casting seminars around the world. Neil
loves nothing better than going to Florida each
autumn to fish.
Henry Gilbey got so hooked on fishing he had to find
a way of making it his working life! Fishing mad since
the age of seven, Henry now writes about and takes
photographs of angling all over the world.
He contributes to numerous magazines as well as
presenting insanely-paced TV programmes. He has
had two books published with Dorling Kindersley and
records his travels, thoughts, captures and insights on
a blog at www.henry-gilbey.blogspot.com.
Henry’s website is at www.henry-gilbey.co.uk. Bass
fishing is a current obsession, but Henry is happy
photographing any kind of fishing that involves
getting of the beaten track.
5
Rod Design
Designed and Developed in Alnwick
A rod is tested to its limit on the unique
Hardy & Greys Test Rig. Every area of
stress is recorded on a computer
In 2008, Hardy & Greys Ltd (owners of the brands
Hardy, Greys and Chub) have even more investment
going into technology, people and processes. In the
people we have some of the best in the business.
There’s Chris Bond (Research and Development
Director), Stevie Harper (Composites Engineer),
Charlie Norris (Reel Designer), Roy Bell (Graphite
Rod Designer) and Colin Skene (Research and
Development Engineer). All anglers. All aiming to
ensure that we continue to provide anglers around
the world with products which add value in terms
of performance and durability and which they are
proud to own.
Colin Skene
Research
R
h and
d Development
D
l
En
Engineer
6
This passion for creating great fishing tackle is the
mainstay of our business and we are constantly
searching for ways to improve that process. There’s
the Hardy & Greys Rod Simulator - a revolutionary
computer system that has changed the face of
composite technology and how rods are designed.
Our Finite Element Analysis system lets us experiment
with potential materials, actions and designs before
blanks are even built and the unique Hardy & Greys
Test Rig measures rod profiles, action, durability,
balance and strength.
Every aspect of a rod can be tried and tested with
total flexibility. Of course, Hardy & Greys technicians
work hand in glove throughout the process with
the Greys product managers and consultants.
Their expertise complements the work done in the
laboratories to perfection. And perfection is what we
consistently aim to achieve.
When the design, prototyping and testing of each
product is complete and we are confident we have
everything right, we work with our manufacturing
partners around the globe who are able to produce the
level of expertise and craftsmanship that we expect
and our customers demand. Of course, we continue to
maintain our manufacturing facility in Alnwick.
At Hardy & Greys, our aim is to ensure that we continue
to provide anglers around the world with products
that simply make the whole process of going fishing
more enjoyable.
For more information visit www.greysfishing.com
BOOM!
The shotgun-like report echoed across the factory
floor, bouncing off walls and letting everyone know
that the ‘mad rod doctor’ was at it again. Even from
behind the walls of the test room, the tortured sound of carbon rod blanks finally exploding under
massive mechanical tension turned every head. Far from an act of wanton vandalism, the destruction
of hundreds of rods–some costing up to £1,000 a piece – has become a vital process in producing some of
the best fishing blanks in the world. The company is Hardy & Grey’s Ltd and the mad rod doctor is 39-year-old
carbon whiz kid Colin Skene.
Colin is the Research and Development Project
Manager for Alnwick, Northumberland-based Hardy
& Grey’s Ltd (Owners of the brands Hardy, Greys
and Chub), one of the oldest established fishing
companies in the world with a heritage going
back to 1872. A Master’s Degree in Aeronautical
Engineering from Imperial College London and
a specialty in Finite Element Analysis means that
Colin’s knowledge of carbon technology is unique
within UK tackle companies. When he isn’t blowing
up fishing rods he’s designing carbon components
for hush-hush military and aerospace use for Hardy
Advanced Composites.
Colin’s main ‘laboratory’ is the Hardy & Greys Test
Rig, a mechanical tension device designed to bend
rods up to, and beyond, breaking point and linked to
special computer software capable of reading stress
levels in baffling units of mysterious ‘giga pascals’.
The whole Test Rig and computer programme
has been designed and developed by Colin and
is capable of measuring the precise profiles of
different rods. Hundreds of sea, coarse and game
rods from dozens of different manufacturers as well
as Greys own rods and experimental rod blanks are
exploded on the Test Rig and the results analysed
in the continuing search for the ultimate rod. The
computer provides ultra-accurate details about the
action, stiffness and recovery of each rod, as well
as where and when it will break under stress. Colin
explained: “If a new rod comes out tomorrow and
gets rave reviews we can analyse it and find out
exactly what makes it so good. We can then improve
on it, rather than simply copying it.
“There are machines in this country that bend rods
but none have the technology to measure and
analyse the forces involved like we can. That gives
us a very real advantage in producing better rods.”
Another huge advantage offered by Colin’s unique
software is the ability to design a virtual fishing rod on
computer and accurately assess how it will perform,
without actually going to the bother of building a rod
blank and then repeatedly scrap it and improve it with
a slightly better one, until you get the perfect action.
Building a rod blank involves wrapping dozens of
newspaper-thin sheets of carbon ‘cloth’ around a thin
metal tube called a mandrel and then baking them in
a special oven until they go hard. It’s an expensive and
time-consuming process.
Using the Hardy & Greys Rod Simulation Software
package the company’s rod designers simply supply
Colin with a ‘recipe’ for the type of rod they want to
make. Pages of seemingly unintelligible gibberish
instruct the computer in what length and taper of
mandrel to use, what kind of carbon cloth to use,
how many wraps of cloth to put on a particular point,
and which direction the cloth should run, where the
spigots should go and length and position of carbon
Rod test data is
recorded and analysed
The ‘mad’ rod doctor
reinforcements to strengthen the rod and
produce the desired test curve and action.
Using this computer technology the company’s master
rod designers can even alter the ‘frequency’ of the rod
(the amount of time it takes the blank to recover after it
bends) by repositioning the rod rings, using lighter rod
rings or altering the taper. All this can be done without
having to build an actual rod on a mandrel. Only when
the computer tells them that they’ve got it right do
they go to the expense of building the rod blank. The
prototype blank – whether it’s a £1,000 hand-built fly
rod or a mass-market beach or boat rod - is then ‘finetuned’ by the company’s specialist field testers before
it’s ready to go on sale.
“Every new rod we build is modelled on the computer
first,” Colin told us. “The programme can look at the
test curve and see the stress point inside the actual
blank as it bends. High stress points show up as red on
the computer screen, low stress points are blue.
“By analysing these stress points we know precisely
where and when the rod will break. We can then
reinforce the high stress areas, and remove
Catch the ‘mad’ ro
d
doctor red-h
handed at
www.greysfishin
g.com
materials from the low-pressure areas to make the
rod lighter. “The system means that Hardy & Grey’s
Ltd doesn’t have to manufacture a rod to see the
results. We can see the results, then manufacture
the rod. It saves thousands of hours of work in
making carbon rod blanks that we’ve then got to
change and start the whole process again,” said
Colin.
Once the optimum computer ‘recipe’ for a
particular rod has been reached, it is transmitted to
Hardy & Greys overseas builders and they supply
exactly what has been asked for. Samples of the
ordered rods, or rod blanks, are then re-tested
on Colin’s computer test bed to make sure that
every element precisely matches the original
requirements. The process means that, unlike
many UK tackle firms, Hardy & Greys don’t simply
lift rods ‘off the shelf’ at giant Chinese tackle
factories and have them sprayed with their own
brand name.
Every rod that dies at the hands of the ‘mad’ rod
doctor ensures that the Hardy & Greys
rod you buy in the shops is is the very
best that today’s technology
can offer.
Reassuring isn’t it?
Computer aided virtual rod design
7
Surf Casting Rods
FAST ACTION
The Platinum GSi has a fast action designed for
optimum casting performance.
“This Greys rod definitely bends. The
butt section is very powerful though,
giving way to a nice mid-section and
ending with a not-so-stiff tip. For those
anglers who like to hit the horizon, this
rod will do it with ease.”
8
The Platinum GSi has been
designed without compromise
and is ideal for the angler
looking to achieve ultimate
casting distances.
Platinum GSi
The Platinum GSi has been designed without compromise and is ideal for the angler looking to achieve
ultimate casting distances. The GSi has a fast action with increased power in the butt and progressively building
throughout the tip section. This action is adaptable for all kinds of casting styles, but particularly effective for
the more advanced caster. And, very importantly, the rod works efficiently with the reel high or low on the butt.
The Platinum GSi utilises all of our latest carbon technologies; producing a high performance and extremely
lightweight rod at only 891grams. It is also well-balanced and handles as you would expect a 13’ rod to.
The extra length provides increased leverage for ease of casting with all kinds of baits. It also adds another
dimension to effectively landing fish, in extreme and tough conditions.
CODE
G00064
LENGTH (ft/m)
14’
CW=Casting Weight
4.26
RB=Rod Bag
CW (oz)
SECTIONS
BUTT (mm)
RINGS
REEL SEAT
WEIGHT (oz/g)
RB
RBS
6
2
26
Fuji BMNAG
Slide Lock
31.4
RBS=Rod Bands
891
FAST ACTION
The Platinum XS™ is a powerful fast action rod,
ideal for distance over all kinds of ground.
The Platinum XS is designed to
work equally well over all kinds
of terrain, especially mixed to
rough ground.
This is a fantastically wellbalanced and lightweight rod.
Platinum XS™
A top-of-the-range shore fishing rod. The Platinum XS is designed to work equally well over all kinds
of terrain, especially mixed to rough ground. This is a fantastically well-balanced and lightweight
rod. We have put every single ounce of modern day rod technology we have at our fingertips
into this shore fishing rod. This ultra-modern 14’ rod feels and handles with a degree of ease more
commonly found in a 13’ rod. The advantage of extra length here is extra leverage and ease of
casting - with all kinds of baits. A powerful through-action suits all kinds of casting styles, from the
good old overhead thump to a full-blooded pendulum. This rod works equally well with the reel in
the low or high position. We wanted to give the angler the ultimate choice and flexibility, and we
believe we have.
CODE
GRPXS14
LENGTH (ft/m)
14’
CW=Casting Weight
4.26
RB=Rod Bag
CW (oz)
SECTIONS
BUTT (mm)
RINGS
REEL SEAT
WEIGHT (oz/g)
RB
RBS
6
2
26
Fuji BMNAG
Slide Lock
37.6
1066
RBS=Rod Bands
9
Surf Casting Rods
The new Apollo rods have a
slimmer parallel butt section and
feel a little crisper in use than the
Apollo rods of the past to give
greater lead control during the cast.
These rods have been extensively
tested in all kinds of conditions and
we firmly believe we have now
created what could be called the
ultimate rough ground tools.
10
Apollo™ MK3 13’ & 14’
A shore rod with a classic heritage, yet we have gone and made it better. Using the knowledge we have
gleaned from building successive generations of Apollo rods, we now present the Mk3 13’ and 14’.
These new Apollo rods have a slimmer parallel butt section and will feel a little crisper in use than the Apollo
rods of the past, giving greater lead control during the cast. They have been extensively tested in all kinds
of conditions (some would call this ‘rod testing’ another excuse for indulging in our passion - going fishing but we will leave that up to you!). We firmly believe we have now created what could be called the ultimate
rough-ground rods. Rods that can be used almost anywhere, with serious strength to wrench fish through
weed-infested rocks. Use an Apollo when fishing gets tough. Reel grip is assured by secure use of our
patented Slide-Lock reel seat over our comfortable ‘Sure-Grip’ shrink tube.
CW (oz)
SECTIONS
BUTT (mm)
RINGS
REEL SEAT
WEIGHT (oz/g)
RB
RBS
NEW
GRAM313
CODE
LENGTH (ft/m)
13’
3.96
5-6
2
26
Fuji BMNAG
Slide Lock
26.7
765
NEW
GRAM314
14’
4.26
5-6
2
26
Fuji BMNAG
Slide Lock
28.9
822
CW=Casting Weight
RB=Rod Bag
POWER MID ACTION
The Apollo MK 3 is a mid action rod with lots of
guts, ideal for rough ground.
RBS=Rod Bands
11
Surf Casting Rods
POWER MID ACTION
This is a very easy casting rod. It has a powerful
mid-action, ideal for distance over rough ground.
The Nitra has serious guts to rip
your terminal gear out of the foulest
ground, but masses of feel for all
kinds of fish. This is a truly versatile
beachcaster for a multitude of shore
fishing applications.
Nitra™
A powerful beach caster specifically brought on to the UK market for those anglers who thrive on fishing into
and over the rough stuff. That said, it has enough sensitivity and subtlety to cope equally well when the terrain
becomes less savage. The Nitra is very light, with a remarkably slim blank profile, and a powerful tip that refuses
to buckle under the pressure of fast tides and evil seas, but you will still get all the bite detection you need.
This rod has enough backbone to rip your terminal gear out of the foulest ground, but masses of feel for all
kinds of fish. We recognise that the anglers who use this rod want one that will work equally well with all
casting styles. This is often with substantial baits and heavy lines. We also know that it is vital that a rod this
potent does not damage soft baits with powerful casting. This is a truly versatile beach caster for a multitude of
shore fishing applications.
CODE
GRN136
LENGTH (ft/m)
13.6’
CW=Casting Weight
12
4.14
RB=Rod Bag
CW (oz)
SECTIONS
BUTT (mm)
RINGS
REEL SEAT
WEIGHT (oz/g)
RB
R
RBS
6
2
26
Fuji BMNAG
Slide Lock
38.8
RBS=Rod Bands R=Reducer
1101