Neil Mackellow

Looking at another forum I see Neil Mackellow is no longer with Penn. I wonder what shakespears intentions are now but I can't say it looks to positive after seeing the kind of crap they sell as multipliers. Its some thanks for developing and making the 525 to the best shore multiplier around.

Donagh

Penn/Shakespeares loss looks like being another companies gain...Neil will bounce back for sure.

I doupt very much if the 515mag will ever see light of day though...and I would question the end results of the 525Mags also....dont forget Mike Thrussell is the consultant that Shakespeare employ....it could be they produce an Ugly Reel to match the Ugly Stick :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tom.

please don't tell me this is the demise of the 525? i'll pack it in?! :cry:

what about bloody spares?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: customer loyalty?????????????????????/

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ok thats out of the system... sometimes change is a good thing? :?

sometimes u have 2 let go of the past and embrace the future...i hear some guy down in waterford is the next big thing...mr_green i think his name is :roll:

Yea whatever,

Mark,

I'd be suprised if they just were to dump the penn 525 considering it sells. As Tom says I would be even more suprised if the long promised 515 will now appear or if there are any future developments and improvements in the multiplier range. Hopefully Neil Mackellow will be picked up by company ineterested in developing top quality multipler unlike the shakey team.

Donagh

Not Abu then with their crappy far east BG7000s etc. I'd like to see him team up with Shimano to develop their shore Multiplier range.

:cry: I'd have loved a 515

You might have to look past Shakespeare for the reason........ K2 has top say over both companies.

K2 or shakespear whats the difference to me as a consumer. How can we judge the K2 company only by what shakespeare produce now. The only product of interest they've produced in the past few years is the K2 rod. By getting rid of Neil Mackellow they made a statement to me that they're not that interested in the britain and ireland shore fishing scene. If I'm proved wrong I'll put my hands up.

Donagh

K2 or shakespear whats the difference to me as a consumer. How can we judge the K2 company only by what shakespeare produce now. The only product of interest they've produced in the past few years is the K2 rod. By getting rid of Neil Mackellow they made a statement to me that they're not that interested in the britain and ireland shore fishing scene. If I'm proved wrong I'll put my hands up.

Donagh

K2 seem to have a history of getting rid of certain things/people when they take over a new business, All Star rods in the states is one that springs to mind. Loosing Neil will loose them some design input, but the rod blanks etc are still sourced in the same place and it ain't the UK.

My post hasn't mentioned rods for reason. There are plenty of manufacturers of rods out there. There are very few multipliers aimed at the shore market. The 525mag is the market leader when it comes to shore fishing and with the fishing I do with .4mm line its without doubt best in class. I don't really know what your point is but do you think things will still progress as regards shore multipliers with k2/shakey at the helm?

Donagh

Thats a very good point Donagh, I mean in all fairness as far as mainstream supply is concerned for a decent reel you have Abu or Penn. Would you pick up a reel with confidence had it input from K2/Shakespeare? I dont think so. With the drop in quality on some of the Abu range recently they would have you thinking again also. Shimano have produced some interesting stuff in the shore multiplier end of things with the likes of the Speedmaster, I'd like to see them do something a little smaller with magged brakes. I have one of the Speedmasters already and it really is a quality bit of kit.

I Just put rods across as one example, with regards reels the same quality can be produced in the far east China/Taiwan factories if and its a big if the company concerned wants to use decent materials & not a lower grade material. Newer ABU reels seem to be one with lower quality.

I haven't heard many complaints with the Penn Spinfisher range from guys thats used them and they're produced somewhere in the far east now, rather than in the states.
I can name a few fly reels in the Uk/Ireland market that are meant to be decent £100+, but (wouldn't be right on the dealers) if you know where to look you can pick them up for less than £10 without the badge! :roll:

If there's going to be any changes with the departure of Neil it won't be happening over night.
Seems everyone is jumping on the "Shakespeare is crap" bandwagon since the departure of Neil.

Though were I'm going in a few weeks the 525mag won't be on my list of reels to use shore fishing, don't hold enough line :lol: :oops:
I'll have a chat with the main guy for Penn in that area see what he thinks of the changes etc, while trying to get a new Penn Torgue from him :wink:

I think there are two seperate worries. One that penn go down the abu route and try to maximise profits by changing there quality Moving to the far east shouldn't be downgrade quality after all where are shimano reels from.

The second worry is that by removing Neil they will no longer do any more R&D on shore multipliers.

Donagh

I agree with Donagh....Firstly there is a lot of quality comes from the far east....Secondly without Neil Mackellow the R&D side of Penn will no longer be in as good hands.

K2 have shown themselve to be a company that is run by accountants first and foremost.....if they can get the 525Mag made by one of the cheaper factories they will do it....I heard that the new MD for K2 is ex furniture industy.....he may think a 525Mag is some kind of magazine rack :lol: :lol: :lol: The Penn rod samples are probably being made by the Chinese Shakespeare factory as we speak

At the end of the day....Mackellow will be working for someone else soon, and it will be good to see what he does....whatever he does it will be worthwhile as far as buying anglers go.

One good point to come out of all what is being said on this and many other forums, is just how well Neil Mackellow is thought of and credit being given where it is due.... 8)

Tom.

does any body know exactly what the circumstances were with him leaving. i would hope that due to penn being synomonuos with quality tackle for the last 20+ years that this would stand for something when the accountants and board of management review the company, otherwise i think it would be quite sad. only positive i can possibly see is the recently shakespere brought out a complete range of tackle aimed and the uk and irish angler so possibly this could be seen as hope for the future.....maby i'm just grasping at straws..????

Just read this here. Might give a few answers:

http://www.total-fishing.com/SeaForum.a ... 5B6&Page=1