According to the new Zziplex website, the rods will be made as they were by Terry and Lee, which is good to know.
Ian.
Zziplex rod manufacturing continues in the UK
Zziplex Ltd was established by Terry and Barbara Carroll in 1987 after Terry had already gained a strong foundation in rod and blank manufacturing and had registered the Zziplex trademark in 1981.
Through Terry’s successful experience in fishing and competitive casting during the late 1960’s and 1970’s he was able to combine these formidable attributes into his new company to produce a range of legendary shore rods.
Terry’s rod designs have prevailed over decades and gained a dedicated following. There was something very special in his rod designs, making him one of the biggest single influences on the casting and shore fishing scene in the UK.
Sadly, Terry passed away in 2015 and although Zziplex carried on successfully under Barbara’s guidance, in 2022 she decided the time had come to retire and she was left with the dilemma of what to do with the business.
Initially her thoughts naturally followed her heart and she decided to close the Company as she wanted Terry’s lifetime work to be remembered as it was and not be outsourced or materially altered in the future.
Later, Barbara was approached by Century Director, Michael Chilcott, and after a series of meetings and discussions on how the future could be pathed out with continuity and integrity regarding Terry’s legacy and his lifetime’s work, Barbara agreed to pass the designs and assets of Zziplex over to Century with her full blessing.
We regard this as a significant responsibility and Century will faithfully carry forward Terry’s designs, manufacturing process and production materials into the future. All Zziplex rods and blanks will be manufactured at Washington, in the northeast of England according to his specific methods and processes using his original mandrel tooling specifications with his original carbon and glass fibre pattern architecture.
There will be continuity in the design concepts and underlying principles of construction, with all Zziplex rods being made in England.
