Hardy (fishing)

Last updated
Hardy Fishing Rods
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryFishing tackle manufacturing
PredecessorSuperior River and Sea Fishing Tackle
Founded1874;152 years ago (1874) in Alnwick, Northumberland, England
FoundersWilliam Hardy and John James Hardy
Headquarters
Alnwick, Northumberland
,
England
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsFishing rods, reels, lures, fishing guides
OwnerSycamore Partners
Parent Pure Fishing (division of Sycamore Partners)
Website www.hardyfishing.com

Hardy Fishing Rods is a brand of Pure Fishing.

History

A boxed Hardy Perfect fly reel from the 1950s An boxed Hardy Perfect from the 1950s.jpg
A boxed Hardy Perfect fly reel from the 1950s

In 1874, brothers William Hardy and John James Hardy started "Hardy Brothers" with the purchase of "Superior River and Sea Fishing Tackle" in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. [1]

Contents

In 1891, they patented and launched "the Perfect" fishing reel to complement the fishing lures they sold. It was successful and they received a royal warrant from King George V of the United Kingdom. They continued to create a variety of winning fishing reels, some of which had novelties including a complete bail arm and long casting reels. [2] [3]

In 1897, they opened a shop in London's Pall Mall that lead to international expansion of their fishing rods, lures and guides still made by hand in England.

In 1967, Hardy Brothers was bought out by the Harris and Sheldon group and in 1985 renamed the "House of Hardy Limited." It was later merged with a former Hardy employee's fishing company and renamed "Hardy and Greys Limited" in 2004.

In 2008, the history of the House of Hardy was made into a documentary, The Lost World of Mr. Hardy.

In 2013, the company Hardy & Greys was sold to Pure Fishing, a division of conglomerate Jarden Corporation, [4] that was later renamed Newell Brands. Newell sold Pure Fishing to Sycamore Partners in 2018. [5] [6] In 2024, it was granted a Royal Warrant by King Charles III in recognition of supplying flyfishing tackle to the Royal Household. [7]

References

  1. "Hardy - A Short History". www.hardyfishing.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  2. "Hardy Brothers Alnwich England". 66.51.163.9. Archived from the original on 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  3. HayleyF (2012-10-19). "The History Of Hardy - The Sportfish Post". The Sportfish Post. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  4. "Hardy & Greys Sold to Pure Fishing | MidCurrent". midcurrent.com. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  5. "Newell Brands Announces Agreements to Sell Pure Fishing to Sycamore Partners and Jostens to Platinum Equity". newellbrands.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  6. Staff (2013-07-02). "US fishing rod firm reels in 140-year-old British rival". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  7. "Northumberland flyfishing brand granted royal warrant by King Charles III". Northumberland Gazette. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2026-01-14.