Unicoi Outfitters is north Georgia's premier guide service and fly fishing outfitter, located on the Chattahoochee River near alpine Helen. Look for fishing reports, gear and book reviews, and general musings here from our staff and guides.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Hardy & Greys Ltd. Sold to Pure Fishing

From "The Fishing Wire"

Pure Fishing Acquires Hardy & Greys Limited
       | July 8, 2013
Columbia, South Carolina - Pure Fishing, Inc., a leading global provider of fishing tackle, today announced that it has acquired Hardy & Greys Limited, the well-known UK-based provider of fishing tackle for fly, carp, sea and coarse segments around the world, marketed under the Hardy Bros.®, Hardy®, Greys® and Chub® brands. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hardy Advanced Composites Limited, Hardy & Greys also specializes in the design and manufacture of tubular components from advanced composite materials.

"With a heritage that spans over 140 years, the Hardy Bros., Hardy, Greys and Chub brands represent iconic fishing brands renowned for fly fishing as well as other specialized fishing segments," commented John Doerr, President and CEO of Pure Fishing. "Hardy and Greys' award winning products, now partnering with Pure Fishing's existing brand portfolio through an expanded global distribution network, share a common passion for innovation and create unparalleled opportunities for our loyal and valued customers and anglers around the world. We place the highest importance on acting as stewards for our legacy of brands. We are pleased to welcome the Hardy & Greys team to Pure Fishing."

Richard Maudslay, Hardy & Greys' Deputy Chairman stated, "We are excited to be joining the Pure Fishing team. Our owner was deliberate and very selective when he chose to create value for the future of our brands by placing our company on the market for the first time in 45 years. We are proud of the Royal Warrant of Appointment from HRH The Prince of Wales and of having held ten royal warrants during the last century. This honour is a testament to the extraordinary quality products designed and manufactured by our talented and dedicated team for our Hardy Bros., Hardy, Greys and Chub fishing brands. We look forward to being able to grow our business as part of the Pure Fishing family, with its portfolio of brands that will collectively continue to create benefit for our customers and fishing memories for our anglers."

About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Fenwick®, Hodgman®, Johnson®, JRC®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, SevenStrand®, Shakespeare®, SpiderWire® and Stren®.With operations in 24 countries and a dedicated workforce conversant in 28 languages, Pure Fishing, Inc. is part of Jarden Outdoor Solutions, a leader in outdoor and recreational lifestyle products and a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation. Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.

About Hardy & Greys Limited
Hardy has been based in Alnwick since its formation in 1872. It was acquired by the Harris & Sheldon Group Limited from the Hardy family in 1967. It became Hardy & Greys Ltd in 2004 - the change of name reflecting its acquisition of fellow fishing tackle brand Greys, later followed by the acquisition of Chub - and set up subsidiaries in Germany and the USA which are now key markets. Across its brands, it covers all branches of recreational fishing.

The company has been at the forefront of the fishing tackle market since being awarded its first patent in 1880. It developed the first carbon fibre fishing rods and, thanks to work with researchers at Cambridge University and 3M, recently created rods made from the new SINTRIX™ carbon fibre material that have won a string of awards and are recognised as the finest fly rods in the world.
- See more at: http://www.thefishingwire.com/story/292546#sthash.nROaOfy1.dpuf

Thursday, July 4, 2013

River Boating Dangers

We thought this was worth passing along.  Never underestimate the power of moving water!  Although the article is about an anchored drift boat, the same danger is there whether you're in a jon boat, canoe or kayak.  Thanks to "Field & Stream" for this article.

Bighorn River Boating Accident: A Reminder to Be Vigilant on the Water
By Ben Romans
The barely visible boat as Brad and Joe Caton tow it to a gravel bar. Photo from Billings Gazette.
It's summer and it's easy to get lost in the fun of fishing, but here's a reminder to always be vigilant on the water, and to always carry a knife. A snagged anchor line and a swift current recently proved to be a dangerous combination for three anglers in a drift boat on Montana’s Bighorn River this week.
 
Herm Elenbaas launched his boat with friends Jim and Ruth Houseman to float and fish one of Elenbaas’ favorite stretches of river on June 23.
 
The fishing proved to be slower than usual, so the group elected to drop anchor and concentrate efforts on a particular run. Unfortunately, the water flow was running higher than normal, the anchor dislodged, and the boat moved into the swift current. Hoping to reach calmer waters, Elenbass tried to lift the anchor. That's when trouble washed over the gunwale.
 
“When Herm pulled on the anchor rope, we got water over the back,” Jim said. “Once she got one gulp, she took on water fast. It was just like the Titanic” 

With the anchor lodged under a rock or submerged tree, and no knife to cut the anchor rope and water rushing over the side, things went from bad to worse in a hurry.
 
“We watched the stuff pop up out of the boat and float down the river,” Jim said. “If the water would have been warmer, I would have swam after it.”

 Fortunately, some nearby landowners saw the incident and came to the aid of the swimming anglers. Not long after, a father and son in a jet boat motored upstream, cut the anchor of the sunken drift boat, and towed the rig topside. Elenbaas and Jim emptied the water, and even finished their planned float. Ruth elected to remain on dry land.
 
Though all three anglers, luckily, walked away without injury, their situation serves as another reminder of a river’s power as we head into the heart of summer.