Hardy & Greys - Alnwick, England

Angling Show Success

"Angling show season is finally over and from a Greys and Chub perspective, it has been a huge success. The shows are a fantastic way for manufacturers to show off their new products and raise company awareness, as well as selling products through partnerships with retailers.

Carpin' On

"The Carpin' On show started slowly on Saturday, whether this was due to the mild weather or not is debatable, but Sunday was very busy, and more than made up for the Saturday lull. The entertainment on the central stage was second to none and the reduced footfall was very noticeable when the likes of Terry Hearn and Jim Davidson were talking to the amassed crowds.

The Big One

"The Big One at Farnborough caters for all forms of carp and coarse angling and, as a result is a bigger event than Carpin' On. The talks are in a separate hall so unfortunately I personally didn't get the chance to attend them because the interest on the Greys and Chub stand was phenomenal! Our retail partner, Davies Angling seemed as busy as us with plenty of Chub and Greys products exchanging hands.

"We had a lot of interest at both shows in our current product with the Chub Vantage clothing range being very popular. The most unusual question for me over the two shows was about where the iPod pocket was on the jacket, and I must admit it took me ages to find it with the multitude of zips and pockets that the coat has to offer, but we got there in the end!

"The Chub Neuron Bite Alarms were a big talking point and I a good number were sold. As always, there was the usual interest in the Rods and the amount of attention the Greys Stalking Rods received surprised me and I hope it indicates an upward trend in anglers starting to hunt their prey rather than adopting the usual sit and wait tactics.

"The Chub Super Cyfish and Tri-Brid prototype Bivvies were also very popular and, if this initial interest is anything to go by they should sell quickly once they're released in the summer. I must admit I love the Tri-Brid and I hope there is one with my name on! But, by far the most popular product at both the shows was the Chub Black Precision Aluminium.

"All in all the shows were a huge success from a Greys and Chub point of view, which makes the six hour drive that the lads from Alnwick had to endure well worth it. From a personal perspective it was very nice to meet some of the guys that I have spoken to on Facebook and I had some interesting discussions from anglers that had read an article or two of mine about many aspects of angling.

"So, until next year, tight lines and happy angling."

Ed Betteridge