Greys

[The Great Wallsendo]

Been off the boil with the "scene" in recent years...what happened to Greys of Alnwick?

Do they still exist??

[CHUKKA]

IMO it went down the pan when Tony left. You can't design a uk beach rod without hands on experience. Too much concentration on profit and not enough on the actual products. At least the fly gear has some input from top anglers.

Afaw can design good rods Chinese rods courtesy of Julian Shambrooks input.

[Philthebag]

IMO it went down the pan when Tony left. You can't design a uk beach rod without hands on experience. Too much concentration on profit and not enough on the actual products. At least the fly gear has some input from top anglers.

Afaw can design good rods Chinese rods courtesy of Julian Shambrooks input.

100% agree

[endurothumpers]

100% agree

I'll second that the Chinese have the technology to make anything and have the know how to produce the materials to suit so with the right input can make great rods to compete with any maker whether uk or foreign

[Philthebag]

What i would like to see is someone saying to the Chinese right instead of making a blank for 50/60 quid make it for £200 i bet there would be some serious light stiff reliable rods coming out. You can't please everyone but afaw for me have it pitched right a good reliable rod for £300, £250 less then a zziplex or century. Will they last as long?? Are they as nice to cast or fish with? Probably not for your serious anglers/caster but they do the job very well. But imho i beleive for 90% of the fishing on our coast a ron thompson axe is all we really need.

[CHUKKA]

I think afaw make the best fishing rods on the market. You can't touch the actions. Tournament match, big beach mk2 have the best tips of any rods. They are also very reliable. Century are becoming overpriced and trying to cover it up the cost with titanium rings and rod bags. Zziplex are expensive but at least your getting something built with a bit of passion.

When the original greys Appolo came out it was a bit of a game changer. Powerful yet very very sensitive, certainly not dull and lifeless.
Tbh carbon is carbon and unless we see new materials there's not much you can do except refine what's already out there and thats were knowledge and experience matter. Theres some 20yr old rods out there that are the equal of some of the new rods being churned out.

Also things like clothing, it's all cheap and nasty. Its rare to find a decent waterproof sea fishing coat. (Having a dig at the greys tea bags) i'm sure it wouldn't cost the manufacturer much extra to make something fit for purpose and with a little bit of design input could make something special. The small cost could be passed on but greed and profits take over and they try to bump the consumer rather than making it a must have buy. We are all using plastic boxes as well that aren't exactly great.

There are opportunities out there but manufacturers need to smell the bacon. I'm sure a lot of guys would rather pay a couple of quid extra for something that does the job properly than is merely adequate.

[hound hunter]

Great reply chukkaI love my tourney rock,great tip n slings a lead an bait a fair old way,lots of lads dwn my way on the afaw gear,6 n bait are pop at the min,as you all know very capable rods at a fair price..
Used to love me greys appollo smock,till it rained,I know/agree with you about gear,loads of jack white about,sometimes top dollar too.

[The Great Wallsendo]

Great points made about quality of the waterproofs - I've thought for a long time that the Angling trade are missing a trick or three when it comes to the quality of their stuff in general

We all want to be associated with the brands but sometimes what they peddle is not fit for purpose - like said I'd also happily pay that little extra if I knew that it was worth it

I have an IMAX smock which looks great but then is let down by a cheapo puny zip on the front pocket...it little details like that, that the manufacturers are missing on...likely in the design brief it was a cost decision

The point of my OP was more because you rarely see Greys advertised these days yet their website is still active?

Shame really considering their pedigree

[saltysam]

Didn't one or two go and to sonic a said just about every rod now is made in china

[beachbuddy]

Didn't one or two go and to sonic a said just about every rod now is made in china

Now ya talkin a pile of -hite sonik

[trebor73]

I think afaw make the best fishing rods on the market. You can't touch the actions. Tournament match, big beach mk2 have the best tips of any rods. They are also very reliable. Century are becoming overpriced and trying to cover it up the cost with titanium rings and rod bags. Zziplex are expensive but at least your getting something built with a bit of passion.

When the original greys Appolo came out it was a bit of a game changer. Powerful yet very very sensitive, certainly not dull and lifeless.
Tbh carbon is carbon and unless we see new materials there's not much you can do except refine what's already out there and thats were knowledge and experience matter. Theres some 20yr old rods out there that are the equal of some of the new rods being churned out.

Also things like clothing, it's all cheap and nasty. Its rare to find a decent waterproof sea fishing coat. (Having a dig at the greys tea bags) i'm sure it wouldn't cost the manufacturer much extra to make something fit for purpose and with a little bit of design input could make something special. The small cost could be passed on but greed and profits take over and they try to bump the consumer rather than making it a must have buy. We are all using plastic boxes as well that aren't exactly great.

There are opportunities out there but manufacturers need to smell the bacon. I'm sure a lot of guys would rather pay a couple of quid extra for something that does the job properly than is merely adequate.

best fishing rod on the market what a load of rubbish, they are not in the same league as zziplex

[CHUKKA]

Fishing rod not casting rod theres a difference. Ask a lot of the top match anglers to swap their afaw tourney matches for a zziplex and they will tell you where to go. The fact that they are cheaper is obviously the icing on the cake.
I use zziplex myself for most of my fishing because my fishing tends to be done at distance but as an all round rod the afaws are very versatile and it's difficult to better the tip actions. Shambrook is no mug when it comes to designing his rods.

Anyway would be interested to know what zziplex you think is the best fishing rod.

[trebor73]

Fishing rod not casting rod theres a difference. Ask a lot of the top match anglers to swap their afaw tourney matches for a zziplex and they will tell you where to go. The fact that they are cheaper is obviously the icing on the cake.
I use zziplex myself for most of my fishing because my fishing tends to be done at distance but as an all round rod the afaws are very versatile and it's difficult to better the tip actions. Shambrook is no mug when it comes to designing his rods.

Anyway would be interested to know what zziplex you think is the best fishing rod.

there is enough zziplex out there to cater for any type of fishing be it river to hauling cod up cliffs , every zipplex are better than nice , be it casting at long range otg or pendulum , how many do you here snapping, when getting really wound up none, jullian shambrook worked with terry carrol picking his brains , and stabbing him in his back, by using terrys knowledge to get cheap rods made in china to line his poket with money, when i am going full on casting a bait i dont think is this rod going to snap if i am using zziplex , because i no i have a zziplex in my hand , i have snapped several make of rods but never a zziplex chinese rubbish with a few creeps after freebies

[CHUKKA]

Ok we all know zziplex are good and they have been copied by everyone (century were culprits for a long time) but getting back to greys it's the fact that they lost or don't seem interested in design input that is the problem.
Sonik 's best rod is the gravity and even thats a rip off of the Colmic zero 7.
Built to a price and profit before design. If only the balance could be redressed and we could get quality and good design then Greys would be back in the game!
But I suppose business is all about maximising profit and not about keeping the customer happy.

[Philthebag]

I am sick of zziplex, you could have 10 of the same rods lined up and everyone could be miles different shocking really that you can't buy a rod and know roughly how it feels, i think the new rod is a rip off from century's t1000 zziplex is dated now no new models for ages, and you need of humped a caster or 2 to get a new rod. Plus the price increse £500 near enough for a blank haha