HCE - One Year On...

HCE - One year on...

It's hard to believe it has been a year since Tony & I officially launched HCE - HardCoreElement - HCE Tuned Fly Rods. It has flown!

First up, a huge sincere thanks for all the support that has been given us by you guys out there - those who have bought our SPEC fly rods, have commissioned custom fly rods & those fly rod crafters who have purchased components & blanks from us.

Thank you!

It's been a great journey of learning, discovery, surprises and intense satisfaction. HCE was born years ago on a chilly evening at Bullen Merri, with a glass of red in hand. We decided to to have a go at doing something different with custom fly rods. From there we developed our SPEC range: fly rod builds using set ups for specific purposes. Some evolved into our own specially designed proprietary blanks, for example, our Native Spec - our top seller. And then all those fishing sessions trying out blanks, testing components, trying out & finding what was good and what wasn't, what worked, what didn't... We took our gear to New Zealand and Europe. All to make sure that ours were the best out there. We developed our tuning system to ensure each fly rod cast as well as it possibly could.

Whilst our base range will always be there, our custom designs continue to evolve with customers needs & wants. We have forged a great working relationship with CTS in New Zealand - a highlight of the year was becoming their local agent. We have become authorised dealers of REC components & Snake Brand components. This means through our independent buying power we can offer a discount structure on components, freight free within Australia. We are also able to source blanks from all the top brands... Sage, Winston, Thomas & Thomas... A great deal for local fly rod crafters.

Our business plan has also evolved. Our focus will be solely on custom fly rods and fly rods only as it has - making HCE a specialised fly rod builder and we will continue to grow the fly rod component supply side of the business. We already have countless guides, tips, grips, reel seats, hook keepers, winding checks and butts in stock. Whether it is only a single tip in a hurry or several sets of components for those special projects - we will do our best to get them to you in a timely way & at a price that will make it worth your while to chat to us.

That is the other thing... you can actually talk to us! A couple of guys have even designed their own blanks - action, taper - and they have become reality!

So, from watching our 5wt Comp Spec rod cast over 135', to seeing 83cm cod being caught on our Native Spec, to 10wt Ones catching Stripers in America, to customers being wowed by our build quality, to fantastic feedback, to suggestions for changes, to us listening when people had some constructive criticism and using that to better our product: it has been a tremendous year!

What is to come? Stream Spec - our own designed blank that will be great for well, streams! Euro Spec - a specialised Czech Nymphing rod and a glass spec. More learning, more exploring, looking to new ideas and developing concepts into realities. Our #2 workshop will be operational by the New Year. We intend to work with more local guys to create things like our own 6061 CNC'd all water reel seats, local timber seat inserts & rod building tools.

To support our focus, we have even developed our own mission statement...

The HCE Mission

• To build the best custom fly rods that enhance our customer’s experience & enjoyment of fly fishing and that exceed expectations

• To listen to our customers so that we can fully understand and fulfil their needs, wants and expectations and innovate accordingly

• To be the preferred supplier of fly rod blanks and components by Australian fly rod building enthusiasts

• To be regarded by all of our customers as providers of exceptional quality products and outstanding service

Thank you. And here is to the next year!

TJ & Tony