A Rich History

As the name implies, Partridge of Redditch has its origins in Mount Pleasant, Redditch, Worcestershire. Both the town and the district were renowned for specialist metal work for generations, needle and hook making in particular.

It is not easy to establish when this started, but according to one likely theory, it started with the existence of a large monastery at Redditch. The monks were reputed to have been skilled artisans, and when Henry VIII dissolved the brotherhood, the monks were taken in by leading Catholic families in the area, obviously putting their skills to use. From there, processing steel and specialized metalwork were developed and refined.

In the early days needle making and hook making went hand in hand; the techniques developed for making needles could be applied in making hooks as well. Steel wire was drawn in Birmingham and then sent out to needle and hook producers in adjacent towns such as Studley, Alcester, Henley-in Arden, and Redditch. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Redditch seemed to establish itself as the main hook-producing centre. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the transition from pure handwork to industrial production made Redditch famous for excellent fishhooks throughout the world. In this period, these artisans actually dominated the world market.

More than 90 years of Partridge

Partridge can trace its origins back to 1836, when a young Edwin Partridge was apprenticed in Needle Pointing and Blueing.  This started the family tradition in hook-making and our records show Albert Partridge working for Wm. Bartleet & Sons in 1901, taking over the Crescent Works Redditch in 1930, and incorporating A. E. Partridge & Sons in 1933.

In the early days Partridge manufactured hooks for brands like Army & Navy, Farlows, Hardy Brothers, and Ogden and evolved by the 1980’s and 90’s had become one of the leaders and innovator of some of the most advanced hook patterns that the industry had ever seen; many of them still available to this day!

Since then our focus has remained on quality, consistency, and industrial production in combination with innovative developments that have characterized the past thirty years.

Fly-tying materials and techniques have moved on in leaps and bounds so hook patterns have also evolved, we are proud to offer the best hooks we have ever made to anglers in all disciplines internationally.