Collaborations between gear brands, colloquially referred to as “collabs,” are ubiquitous these days. Most aren’t particularly noteworthy and as a general rule, we don’t often report on product updates or variations that are merely aesthetic — new colorways, styles, or collabs. Every once in a while, however, such an update comes along that prompts us to make an exception to that rule, one that’s impossible to ignore. Classic reel maker Abel’s new collaboration with sneaker and sportswear behemoth Nike and hip-hop artist Drake, to say the absolute least, makes it hard not to take a second look.

Search your memory bank for the last time a fly fishing brand collaborated with a multi-billion dollar sneaker maker or a hip-hop artist with a list of platinum albums as long as your arm and you’re going to come up empty. After all, the Venn diagram of overlap between the three isn’t exactly a pair of concentric circles. The concept of a collaboration between those involved is undoubtedly something new.

The collaboration features a new fly fishing reel (complete with matching pair of nippers) which is part of Nike’s NOCTA line — a subdivision of the brand started in partnership with Canadian rapper Drake in 2020. Montrose, Colorado-based Abel, known for highly customized and stylized premium fly fishing reels, built a NOCTA version of its popular VAYA reel, which joins NOCTA’s new Opal Collection — an entirely new lineup of purpose-built outdoor apparel inspired by the sport of fly fishing and a childhood friend of Drake, Nicholas “Niko” Carino, for whom fly fishing has long been a family tradition.

Nike unveiled the new collection at an event in Manhattan last week which even featured a casting pond and fly casting competition — one squarely aimed at those with no experience or familiarity with fly fishing. For that reason alone, the new collaboration will no doubt be welcomed by many — those invested both in growing the ranks of fly anglers and in introducing the sport to communities that traditionally have little or no exposure to the world of fly fishing. Just as assuredly, however, this new mixing of universes will be rejected by some in the fly fishing world, which has no shortage of staunch, often cantankerous traditionalists.

Image credit: Abel Reels.

Abel introduced the new NOCTA-branded VAYA reels in a recent press release, stating “Crafted by anglers in Colorado and proudly made in the USA, the Abel VAYA reel reflects Abel’s renowned precision engineering, combined with NOCTA’s modern, bold design. Featuring a custom NOCTA faded anodized finish, this reel brings top-tier performance with a striking aesthetic—making it not only a tool for the water but a statement piece for enthusiasts of both fly fishing and NOCTA’s streetwear culture.”

Drake on the cover of the coming fall issue of venerated and long-running fly fishing magazine The Drake (credit: The Drake).

Those interested in getting their hands on one of these new limited-edition reels will have to cough up a premium. While a standard issue VAYA clocks in at $595, anglers will need to add more than an additional $1,400 to the price tag to take home one of the new collab reels. But, hey, you get a pair of Abel nippers, too. Available in sizes 4/5, 5/6, and 7/8, the new Abel x Nike NOCTA VAYA reel is available from abelreels.com for an MSRP of $2,500.