Alvey showcases new generation products, under new ownership.

Coastwatch’s Dave Macdonald looks at a product close to his heart, the famous Alvey reel. An avid beach fisherman himself, Dave catches up with the Alvey team — now under the new ownership and direction of the Gowing family — to look at their new generation of products including the new Admiral series.

Alvey Reels: A Century of Tradition Meets a New Generation

Few names in Australian fishing stir as much nostalgia and respect as Alvey. For over a hundred years, these iconic sidecast reels have been passed down from fathers to sons, treasured for their toughness, simplicity, and reliability. At this year’s Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA) show, Coastwatch’s Dave Macdonald — himself a lifelong beach angler and Alvey afficiando — caught up with the Alvey team to see how the brand is evolving under the new ownership of the Gowing family.

Built to Last, Loved by Generations

Dave recalls his first Alvey reel as “the one I couldn’t destroy.” That durability is part of the brand’s DNA. As Paul Van Den Boom from Alvey explains, the reels embody the old “KISS” principle — keep it simple, stupid. Whether you’re a beginner casting into the surf for tailor or a seasoned angler, Alvey reels deliver a one‑to‑one fight that’s pure adrenaline.

The Admiral Series: Lighter, Stronger, Smarter

Under the Gowing family’s stewardship, Alvey has rolled out new ranges — the Captain and Commander series — and is now preparing to launch the Admiral series. The prototype unveiled at AFTA is built from nylon‑infused, glass fibre composites, shedding 20–30% of the weight compared to earlier models.

Key features include:

• One‑to‑one handle for that classic surf fishing experience
• High‑speed retrieve for chasing fast‑moving species
• Captain’s wheel drag system with improved stopping power
• Metal sidecast — a popular return requested by customers
• Graphite back for strength without excess weight

As Dave notes, the new metal clip is a standout improvement: stronger, more secure and a far more solid component than the old plastic quick‑release.

Accessories and More

Beyond reels, Alvey continues to support anglers with a line of accessories — measuring rulers, bait buckets, rod buckets, and wading bags — now refreshed with new colours and designs.

A New Chapter in Coffs Harbour

The Gowing family has relocated Alvey’s headquarters to Coffs Harbour, where the brand now shares a building with another Gowings brand, Surf Hardware International, and a flagship Alvey store. Visitors can explore the entire range in person, reinforcing the company’s commitment to keeping this Australian‑made icon alive and thriving.

Tradition Meets Innovation

For Paul Van Den Boom, the Alvey mission is clear: honour the century‑long heritage while delivering reels that are lighter, stronger, and better than ever. For anglers like Dave Mac, the thrill of surf fishing with an Alvey remains hard to beat — and with the Admiral series on the horizon, the future looks promising.

ALVEY x COASTWATCH | A historic relationship

Coastwatch and Alvey were inextricably linked during the days of the original Coastwatch program. Many famous fishing segments involved Alvey reels, presented by respected anglers and Alvey specialists, such as Martin Cowling and Gary Howard. The original Alvey company enjoyed good growth through the relationship and the segments became informative reference points for many anglers, remaining relevant to this day. A few segments below:

TRANSCRIPT

David MacDonald:

I guess initially with the Alvey and you’re surf fishing, it just lasts. It’s guaranteed to keep going next time. Never let you down. And I think that was the first fishing reel that I knew I couldn’t destroy and being a beach fish-o I thought this is it, this is me and you learn and it’s such an art and to me that’s angling.

Well I’m pretty excited. I’m here with Paul. We’re at the Alvey stand at AFTA. In my opinion (Alvey) is the greatest reel ever made. Is it true? Do you think that to be an angler you need an Alvey?

Paul Van Den Boom:
Definitely. Yeah, it’s the place to start.
The old saying “kiss” – “keep it simple stupid” — Alvey’s couldn’t be more simple… take it back to something simple to start with — the sidecast reels and if you’re a beginner we’ve certainly got stuff in the range for people that are more advanced fishermen and that want to chase your bigger and tougher species… so yeah, plenty of stuff for everyone.

David MacDonald:
I think there’s something about fighting a fish, one to one ratio, running up the beach, back down, letting it run. There’s just something about it.

Paul Van Den Boom:
Yeah, it’s veryhigh end adrenaline. I mean there’s plenty of other styles of fishing out there that you’re going to get that same pump on, but I think, beach fishing for most people, that’s where they start. So yeah, once you hook something big on an Alvey — and like you said finding that one-to-one — yeah, it’s pretty exciting stuff.

David MacDonald:
It is… The other thing I’ve noticed, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got an alvey passed down from my father…

Paul Van Den Boom:
Yes. They just last forever.

David MacDonald:
How you design it, built tough, keep it simple, and they just last. So, there’s been talk, you’ve closed, you’ve opened, closed, shutting down, but we’re back in full swing. Is that right?

Paul Van Den Boom:

That’s right. The Gowing family purchased Alvey nearly three years ago now. We rolled out our first range of reels under our banner late last year so we’ve got the captain and commander series of reels and then later this year we’ll be bringing out our admiral series — we have our new prototype there — so exciting stuff ahead.

David MacDonald:
Absolutely. Well, you’ve mentioned it. Let’s have a look.

Paul Van Den Boom:
So built with all the same materials as our stealth reel from previous lineage, so that nice, tough material. Nylon infused, glass fibre material. We’ve taken a lot more weight out of it in this prototype, nearly 20 to 30 percent. Everyone knows you always want lighter, stronger, better, so that’s what we’re doing on this next range.

David MacDonald:
That makes a big difference when you’ve got a big surf rod.

Paul Van Den Boom:
Yes, yeah.

David MacDonald:
Big heavy sinker, you’re chasing those tailor. Standing on the beach all day. Standing on the beach to cut down the weight like that. Amazing.

Paul Van Den Boom:
You’ve still got your one-to- one-to-one handle, your higher speed retrieve, got the captain’s wheel drag, like I said, the new drag system in it which is going to produce like a lot better stopping power for your bigger Jewfish, drummer, things like that. Gone back to the metal sidecars which has been hugely popular and asked for by a lot of our customers. Still the graphite back. Can’t be more simple.

David MacDonald:
I think I think the main thing on this reel is that metal clip. It’s just so much stronger. It’s not the quick release plastic that it used to be. Definitely, definitely a winner. And it’s so light. So light. Rapid retrieve. Spectacular.

While we’re here, we might as well have a look at some other stuff that you’ve got.

Paul Van Den Boom:
We’ve got our accessory range here, some staples there, they’ve been around in Alvey for quite some time… your measuring rulers, your bait buckets. Rod buckets and wading bags are always a staple in Alvey for beach fishing, so plenty of those to see. Just some new colours and designs there, like the wading bags. Other than that, we’ve got our reel range that we released late last year, so you’ve got your captain series of reels, five models in that, and then the commander series of reels on the end there, three models in that one.

So the Gowing’s have multiple divisions of the business and shifted to Coffs Harbour in the last few years to set up their head office. So not only do we have the Alvey head office, we have our Surf Hardware International head office in the same building, and we have our flagship Alvey Store in the same building, which is in the shopping centre. You can come see the entire range there.

Well over a hundred years now Alvey’s been around. That’s something the Gowing family didn’t want to let go past. So taking on the brand we wanted to keep that Australian made, iconic brand going in Australia. And keep all the punters happy with something new and strong and better than what we have done in the past.