They soon moved into the manufacturing of fishing equipment, starting with rods. Both guys were very avid & enthusiastic anglers, so the move to making rods was a natural one. Lancewood rods were first made, but then by about ca 1880 they were making bamboo rods.
The very first Hardy Perfect reel was patented in 1891. The rest, as they say, is history. Hardy still makes fine fly reels (& rods, some would say) to this very day.
Below is some old footage of inside the Hardy factory in Alnwick, England. It's really neat to see some of the folks working who made many of the reels or rods that collectors value today. I hope you enjoy this look back at some vintage Hardy footage.