Reuben Heaton Fishing Scales

Reuben Heaton has been producing tackle since 1857 making it one of the oldest companies in the country still producing tackle today. Reuben George Heaton founded the business when he began producing fishing reels, and the business quickly expanded into other tackle products. Its centerpin reels were the most recognised of their kind and by the turn of the twentieth century, Heaton’s sales were in the tens of thousands, making one of, if not the, most prolific fishing company pre-first world war.

As you can imagine from its long heritage, Reuben Heaton was responsible for the invention of many products we now take for granted today, and Mr Heaton was truly a pioneer of the industry.

The company soon became famous for its superb quality and excellent engineering. These engineering skills have been highly sort after over the years, and Heaton has manufactured cycling equipment and carried out brake testing for some of the most prolific cycle companies in the twentieth century. Up until the 1970s, cycle production made up a fair portion of the business, although angling tackle manufacture has always dominated.  

The scales for which Reuben Heaton is most famous for today did not appear in the product catalogue until the millennium. Scale manufacture and weighing equipment production now makes up the majority of the business, although other angling gear is still on the company portfolio. These premier scales are perfect for anglers across the disciplines, and are especially popular with the carp fishing community – for whom fish weight is imperative.

Reuben Heaton has remained true to its British roots and its offices today are based in Warwickshire. Heaton now produces scales in the UK which can be shipped and sold across the globe, and because of significant international investment in the company it believes it produces as scale to suit any occasion, no matter where you are on the globe. Despite the international element to the business, Heaton is proud that all its production has remained in England for the full 160 years of the company’s life.

In the past few years the company has begun to produce baits and lures, and the increasing popularity of these products means this range is only destined for future growth and its predator jerk and crank range looks set for continued development. Team Reuben Heaton has had growing success in predator fishing, including the World Predator Classic in Holland, 2014.

The company has also begun to move back into the reel making industry after a fifty year hiatus. The rebirth of its reels has been hotly anticipated, and it has dedicated much of its time to the development of the new reel range. Its prestigious reel making history is being brought into the twenty-first century, and the first of the new reels was released in 2015, fifty five years after the last reel left the production line. The new reel is faithful to its history and is still British made product that garnered Heaton so much publicity over 150 years ago. However it is, as you would expect from the brand, at the cutting edge of British technology, firmly establishing Heaton’s reels as a modern brand.