01/05/2023
Introducing Greg Taylor and Taipan Lures
My name is Greg Taylor, maker of Taipan winged lures in Albury NSW and a mad trout fisherman.
In the mid 70's when Dartmouth Dam in VIC opened to the fisherman, I fell in love with trout fishing. Coming from WA (no trout there) fishing with winged lures for trout became my passion.
Winged lures back then were the rage in many fishing stores, giving manufacturers and fisherman good results. One drawback I encountered, they didn't troll deep enough and were hard work to cast from the banks. At this point, I mimicked my own winged lure and changed the structures by pouring lures with lead and tin mixture.
My first mould was made of Plaster of Paris. My first paint work came from aerosol cans. I hand carved templates from hobby sheet plastic and used an air brush for patterns. A clear finish from aerosol can - and there was my first lure. I hand dotted two eyes - I thought it looked like a fired up Taipan snake. The rest they say, is history.
Taipans trolled at 1.5m to 2.5m depending on trolling speed and great for casting from bank lines.
I still have my first ever lure at home with hardly any paint or pattern left on it. It accounted for many nice brown and rainbows in various dams. Six months later, I had a two shot mould made from cast iron and that is still what I use today in the re-emergence of Taipan lures after a 20 year hiatus.
Today's Taipans are a far cry from the 70's with new technology and materials. For weight and depth, lead and tin mixture is still used. Powder coating is used to paint lures, with fluoro becoming extremely popular. All lures are baked at 180°c in an oven for 1 hour. (this becomes like baked enamel, used on old fridges and kitchen appliances, and is extremely tough). Patterning consists of a printed vinyl in various colours and patterns applied with heat and trimmed off. Two coats of clear coat two pack is the finish coat and we let cure for two weeks before packaging.
Taipan Lures are again Australian made and are being used in Albury for Redfin and other fish species.
To all fisherman, ladies, and juniors, I hope that one day you might swim our lures and enjoy tight lines.
Cheers,
Greg Taylor.
Taipan Lures -
0447 686 006