The film...
Jackie is a straight talking, bright eyed craftsman of 85. He says he would much rather work again in the 1930s than in today’s world. Jackie spent his fifty year working life at Hardy’s of Alnwick, much of the fishing tackle he once hand crafted now sits in private collections.
Hardy’s made everything from intricate salmon flies to beautiful cane fishing rods but nowadays working by hand is a thing of the past. With this inevitable progress is there something else we have also lost? Could the pride behind the handmade reflect some deeper need to connect with our surroundings?
Experience a beautiful, evocative story about what it means to dedicate your working live to the pursuit of perfection.
The Idea
As a teenager passionate about fly fishing I was amazed that Hardy’s, this legendary company with the huge reputation came from such a tiny Border town (just south of my Scottish home). Hardy's were way out of my price range but a real mark of seriousness in ones angling. Yes they were a little traditional and probably quite old fashioned too, but that name, it was indelible, it really did stand for something.
On rediscovering fishing 20 years later, I was astonished to see the modern day phenomena of Ebay featuring thousands upon thousands of much treasured items of vintage Hardy gear. That longevity is somehow reassuring.
So what is it about Hardy’s that so managed to get into the psyche of fishermen everywhere? What is it about angling they managed to bottle so perfectly: An idealised past? A notion of what perfect fishing is all about? Or simply the ultimate in quality? I was itching to find out and The Lost World of Mr. Hardy is the result.
Together with partner Heike Bachelier, we set out on a journey to explore this world, to capture the dedication and the passion, to handcraft a feature length film that in itself is very much a product of these values, a Rolls Royce amongst fishing films.
The result
"Spectacular...I defy you to watch with a dry eye" - Ken Russell THE TIMES
"The quality of this film is without equal" - Flylife magazine
"Savour the glory... relish every minute." - Fieldsports magazine
"Glorious & Beautiful" - Trout & Salmon magazine
