Jim Murphy, the founder of Redington and former president of Hardy North America has teamed up with Barclay family, owners of the Douglaston Salmon Run on New York's Salmon River, to bring a new name to the worlds of fly and spin fishing. The new company, called Douglas Outdoors, will debut their lineup of new fly rods, fly reels and spin rods at this years IFTD/ICAST show this July in Orlando, Florida.

The Douglaston Salmon Run (DSR) is a privately-held 2.5 mile stretch of water on the lower reaches of the Salmon River, managed primarily as a catch and release fishery, where the number of fisherman admitted via the DSR's pay-to-play admittance system is limited each day. The run is one of the bright spots on the Salmon -- an amazing fishery with dizzying counts of salmon, steelhead and big lake-run brown trout -- which is persistently prevented from becoming one of the true jewels of the lower 48 by the massive hordes of rod-wielding dimwits that descend on the river each autumn to drink, litter and "fish" in often elbow-to-elbow conditions, snagging and lining the vast majority of each day's "catch", all the while generally balking in the face of conservation-minded principles and ethical outdoorsmanship. The DSR, for the last several decades, has offered a respite from these conditions and a chance to experience the Salmon River's true potential.

Douglas Outdoors is touting this marriage of long-time industry professionals, engineers and a "conservation family" as one that will lead to a fresh approach to fishing tackle. Its initial product lineup for 2014 will include two fly rod series, a spin rod series and two fly reel models. The two fly rod series are expected to be available come August, while the rest of Douglas' initial lineup is expected to land in stores come October. As far as the fly gear goes, most of it is in the mid-priced range, with rods ranging in price from $175 to $359 and reels from $250 to $450.

The company is also currently in the process of building a manufacturing facility in New York where its rods and reels will be manufactured. According to Jim Murphy, “We have hired a leading composites engineer to head the team. Tom Murphey , formerly of the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque is not only a prominent scientist in the field, but is also the holder of two current IFGA records on fly. Tom will be applying the latest material science breakthroughs to fishing rod design.”

Douglas is also stressing its commitment on independent fly shops and dealers. Murphy noted, "Our focus will be on the independent dealers, and we will offer them products, programs, and support that will reflect on their key role in the fishing industry. I look forward to presenting Douglas Outdoors to the industry and to offering a fresh legacy of tackle and services that anglers and dealers alike will find both new and familiar.”