Abel has been creating premium fly fishing reels for 25 years, and in celebration of its Silver Anniversary, the company announced a new commemorative finish. Abel has commissioned Montana artist Derek DeYoung to create a quarter-century anniversary design for its already existing fly fishing reels. Abel has started the process of "painstakingly reproducing" the art of a black and gray charcoal style trout flank painting by DeYoung for the design on their memorial 25th Anniversary finish. Each handpainted reel takes its artist over eight hours to recreate.
DeYoung began his career by sketching the fish he caught with his two brothers while growing up in western Michigan. He studied Illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he earned his BFA before he was recruited to create artist-series reels for Abel.
It was 1988 when the first Abel fly reel was machined in the rural Ventura County town of Camarillo, California. Since that time, Abel has become one of the most well-respected premium reel manufacturers in the fly fishing business. Abel is known for its well-crafted and handpainted reels, which are manufactured in the United States instead of overseas.
According to Abel, their quarter-century anniversary heirloom finished reels "represent 25 years of quality and unique fishing products". Available on every model and size reel, the Silver Anniversary finish is $250 above the cost of the same model reel in basic black. You can order your Abel commemorative reel at all participating Abel dealers or www.abelreels.com.
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