This invention relates to fiber reinforced composite materials, and to methods and apparatus for forming such materials. The apparatus includes an impregnation chamber having an elongate impregnation passageway with an entrance end and an exit end, means for supplying a polymer material to said impregnation chamber, and means for advancing continuous filament fibers into and through said impregnation chamber, entering through said entrance end and exiting through said exit end, so that the polymer material is immersed in said polymer material. Shear inducing means is mounted in said impregnation chamber and cooperates with said fibers for imparting shear to the polymer material as it contacts the advancing fibers to enhance the wetting and impregnation of the fibers by the polymer material.