Middy

Founded in 1968, Middy has been at the forefront of match tackle production for almost half a century. Still a family business, the company began life as husband and wife duo, Ken and Gwen Middleton. Ken Middleton was a keen match fisherman, and the floats on the market were not up the Ken’s high standards. He began to create a range of floats, initially for personal use. He made 12 different models in total, and for a time that was that.

However, after other anglers had noticed Ken’s increased success on the bank, he realised that there would be a wider commercial market for his innovative floats. As an engineer for Rolls Royce Aerospace in Derby, Ken was more than qualified to produce a larger quantity of floats, all to his exacting standards. He produced a first run of 300 floats from the kitchen of his council house, with the help of Gwen, and sold them to his local tackle shop. Soon shops Midlands wide were ringing Ken up and asking for his floats, and less than a year later you could buy Middy products nationwide.

With Ken focussed on the production side, and Gwen the administrative side, they made a formidable team. In the decade that followed they had to move locations a number of times as the business rapidly expanded, required bigger premises, and more staff members. By the early 1980s, the product range had grown to 125 float models and a number of bite indicators.

The business only continued to grow in the years that followed, and when Ken’s eldest son, David, took over as managing director the product range was increased even more. By the end of the decade Middy was producing a full range catapults, feeders, and accessories – over 1,000 products in total, all sporting the orange Middy logo that had become synonymous with quality and innovation. Over the years a number of its products have won awards from various respected angling publications, including Angler’s Mail, Angling Times, and Improve Your Coarse Fishing.

Today the business is still run by David Middleton, with brothers Pete and Craig heads of production and sales respectively. The company is still producing innovative Match tackle, and has a number of unique patents under its name, including Shotgun Feeders, StarGrip accessories, and Trick’Em floats.

Middy has a number of pro-anglers as part of its product testing team. Its Match Team of sponsored anglers features champions in a number of disciplines, including Match This winner Chris Cameron and Ladies National Champion Kayleigh Smith. These anglers at the top of their game are all closely involved with the company’s design process. British Pole Champion, Craig Butterfield, heads the team, and takes great pride in being at the forefront of the brand’s product design and testing.