BROTHERS Stewart and Alan Millar are making a Lincoln tackle outlet a family affair after buying it.

Stewart, 29, has been working with former Harrison’s Tackle owner Bob Bullivant for nine years but when he decided to retire, Stewart and his older brother Alan were quick to put in an offer.

Stewart explained: “I have been here for nine years – the last one and a half as manager. So when Bob decided to sell up, it was a great opportunity to take control rather than let someone else buy into something I had been so involved in.”

It looks like a shrewd move, too, as the business has gone from strength to strength over the years, with all sectors, from mail order and the Internet to general shop sales continuing to grow.

And Stewart is unphased at the prospect of buying into a tackle business in the wake of a difficult year for many in the trade: “It doesn’t really bother me as Harrison’s has been doing very well through all this.

“I know it will continue to grow – we have seen more and more business done on the Internet. We were one of the first to get into websites, aided by the team at DHP and the total-fishing.com website too.

“Our staff are great too and that really helps our in-store service, while we have received support from many of our suppliers, notably Garbolino and Daiwa.”

As for future plans, Stewart is very clear: “We want to continue to grow but that really means carrying on doing all the things we currently do well and that means getting the basics of selling and service right.”