Newslines
bluewatermag.com.au 25Celebrating 60 years at the forefront of the gamefishing equipment and offshore clothing
industries, the Shedd family gathers with the AFTCO 60th anniversary cake, including, from
left: Bill Shedd, Casey Shedd, Jill Shedd, Christie Shedd and Cody Shedd.Anemesis
for Mollie
In recent years, 10-year-old Mollie Hammersley
has watched her older sister Chloe catch an array
of record swordfish, tuna and sharks that would be
the envy of any adult. They are both outstanding
anglers and renowned for their strength and
determination. This season, Mollie decided she was
ready for the heavy-tackle herself, setting her sights
on a mighty swordfish. Although apprehensive, her
father Josh was only too happy to oblige.
In late March they set off from their northern
Tasmanian home, towing their boatBlack Magicto
Eaglehawk Neck. Joining them was a gun crew of
young locals, consisting of Locki and Sam Nichols,
and Dylan Loh.
On the first drop of the day, Mollie hooked an
extremely strong gamefish near the bottom in
580m. When it rose and made blistering runs
on the surface, the crew were convinced they
had found what they came for. However, after a
gruelling two-hour fight on 60kg stand-up tackle,
it was a huge thresher shark that appeared beside
the boat. When the flying gaff didn’t sink home,
a flurry of tail whips shot the shark back to the
depths. At this point Mollie had nothing left,
having to pass the rod over to her father to finish
the battle.
Their thresher weighed an impressive 174kg,
which would have shattered the current IGFA
Female Smallfry world record of 10.05kg had
Molly completed the capture.
- Jonah Yick
J C was a master machinist, engineer
and a fishing perfectionist who
couldn’t find rod hardware to meet his
demanding standards, so he invented
his iconic roller guides and tops, and
founded the Axelson Fishing Tackle
Company (AFTCo). J C’s passionate
dedication to quality and excellence
in manufacturing helped establish the
company as the premium builder of
big-game fishing rod hardware.
In 1973 Milt Shedd – a noted
Californian angler, businessman, Sea
World founding partner and marine
conservationist – purchased AFTCO.
Over the next 45 years, under Shedd
family leadership, AFTCO became the
American Fishing Tackle Company,
widely recognized for producing some
of the world’s finest rod parts, big-
game tackle accessories and premium
quality specialised fishing shirts and
shorts, plus leisure wear to suit the
game fishing lifestyle.AFTCO’s Big Foot roller guides,
Unibutts, Roller-Trollers, tapered gaffs,
rod belts, harnesses, gloves and many
other products are now used and worn
by avid anglers around the world.
Outgrowing their previous premises,
in 2011 AFTCO purchased a state-of-
the-art 11,148 square metre facility
in Santa Ana, California which now
houses their manufacturing facilities;
clothing warehouse; in-house art,
engineering and design team; along
with their talented crew of more than
80 employees.
Now with a third generation involved
in the business, the Shedd family and
AFTCO have been a leading light in the
US fishing tackle industry since 1973.
Each year the Shedds continue to
donate more than 10% of AFTCO
company profits to help protect
our ocean resources and ensure a
sustainable fishery for future
generations.10-year-old Mollie Hammersley
with the 174kg thresher shark
she battled for more than two
hours on 60kg stand-up tackle
off Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania.
Photo: Locki NicholsLeading the way for 60 years
It all started in 1958 with J C Axelson, an avid angler with a machine
shop in the basement of his Newport Beach, California home.