the Abel Factory tour... (lotsa pictures)

[Flyjunkie]

Today I went to the Abel Fly Reel Company for a Tour of the Factory and a Meeting with the Owners and Managers.. I was joined by Ken & Dave/Unskunkable from the Spot. there were Representatives from Other Fly Shops in Southern California as well...

Figured Folks might like to see How Top Quality Reels like Abels are made....


Your Humble Narrator in front of the Factory


The 12 foot bars of Aluminum that the blanks are cut from.


The Blanks after they have been cut...


Super 12 Blanks, all stacked and ready for the machining to begin...


Spools after the First Machining...


One of the Machines cutting the Porting along the side of a super 3 Spool...


GLEN, Vice President of Abel & head Machinist/Designer, Explaining about the process of Taking the Blank and thru a number of Machining Steps arriving at the Final Spool & Frame..


still another Machine cutting out the frame so You can actually reel the flyline on the spool..


Super 9 Spools following their Hand Buffing and a soak in a special bath to remove the polishing Compounds.. Before being Anodized... Bloody Bright!!!


Super 9 Frames following the same bath....


Spools and Frames for the various Abel Models, all wrapped up for Protection and ready for incoming orders, then they go to be Anodized....


The Assembly Room with rows of Anodized Reels in the process of being all put together...


another view of the reels in assembly..


Still another shot of reels in various phases of Assembly...


A Rack of the New Aluminum Handles.. Very Colourful....




2 shots of the "Show Room".... it's like You've died and went to Reel Heaven

They even treated all of us to a Top Notch Italian Lunch.. Very Tasty

I Must Say I wasn't aware of just How Labour intensive it is to make a Abel Reel (I Knew it was More then most other reels, but this Tour was a serious Eye Opener). They go thru all these steps to make sure when You buy one, it's an Investment for Life.... Abels are certainly worth the Money One does pay for them.. I own 2 (and soon will have #3..Oh Boy!!)

a VERY BIG THANK YOU to DON, JEFF & GLEN at the Factory.. You Gents ROCK!!!!

[midger]

Very interesting and thanks for sharing it. How'd you go about arranging for a tour?

[Flyjunkie]

Very interesting and thanks for sharing it. How'd you go about arranging for a tour?

MIKE,

I think You have to be involved in the Flyfishing Industry to get a Tour.. But You might give them a Call and see about one for Yourself...

[briansII]

Very interesting Dean. Thanks for that.

Picked up a new Super 8 the other day. One day i'll send it back to the mothership to get the color changed.

briansII

[midger]

They are very well built reels, albeit, on the heavy side for trouting. Smooth drags also, which for saltwater is probably a real plus, bt I've never tested mine on anything larger than a salmon. I like and have the old classics pt.5 and 0 and a super, but rarely use them anymore opting instead for marryats--another well built reel, but much better at balancing my lighter weight rods.

I do like the colored reels they've come out with the past few years, but I don't lust for them like I did 20 years ago......

I'll have to call them and see about a tour. Looks like it would be very interesting.

Is Steve Abel involved at all anymore?

[thtsarumr]

I need a bib. I can't stop drooling.

[Papasequoia]

Hope you got samples! Thanks for the pics.

[Flyjunkie]

Unfortunately no Samples where had.. had to keep an eye on Dave W. thought..LOL!!!

Yeah, there was some serious Droolin' going on...

Steve Abel hasn't been involved in the Company in 5 years..

My Abels are all for Saltwater.. and yes, I greatly appreciate the smooth drag systems out in the Salt, and how they'll slow down some of those speed demons I hook into...

One of my Abels is the classic HG Black, the Super 11 is in the Dorado Finish and the Super 9 I'll receive soon will be in the_____ Finish..(tough choice, to be certain)

I understand the weight & balance factor for lighter Trout Rods; but they do have light reels for such rods... and are in the process of lighten up various models.(They showed us Frames for a Super 9 with & without the thinned walls).

[briansII]

JMHO, but I like the full frames, vs the ported ones. Also prefer gloss black over the fancy colors and graphics.....but I really do appreciate the artistry of the graphics. IF I were to get a "bling reel", it would be hard not to choose the tarpon graphics(reely like the bonefish and striper graphics too). A side benefit of owning one, would mean I would need to make annual tarpon trips!

briansII

[beachbum]

That's pretty cool, Dean. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[Flyjunkie]

JMHO, but I like the full frames, vs the ported ones. Also prefer gloss black over the fancy colors and graphics.....but I really do appreciate the artistry of the graphics. IF I were to get a "bling reel", it would be hard not to choose the tarpon graphics(reely like the bonefish and striper graphics too). A side benefit of owning one, would mean I would need to make annual tarpon trips!

briansII

BRIAN,
The Ported Frames serve a number of functions.. Lightening the reel for one thing.. But More Importantly, they allow any sand and such get out of the reel quicker... .. Don, the president of Abel stated "We Know the stuff is going to eventually get in, Why not make it easier for it to get out??"
I use to like the Black reels, but have come to see that lighter colours do not absorb the Summer sun in Baja.. I Like the Fish Graphics.. but the Solid Colours are interesting as well..

Yeah, if You buy the Tarpon You'll just have to make annual Trips for them...That aint' such a Bad Deal...

[briansII]

JMHO, but I like the full frames, vs the ported ones. Also prefer gloss black over the fancy colors and graphics.....but I really do appreciate the artistry of the graphics. IF I were to get a "bling reel", it would be hard not to choose the tarpon graphics(reely like the bonefish and striper graphics too). A side benefit of owning one, would mean I would need to make annual tarpon trips!

briansII

BRIAN,
The Ported Frames serve a number of functions.. Lightening the reel for one thing.. But More Importantly, they allow any sand and such get out of the reel quicker... .. Don, the president of Abel stated "We Know the stuff is going to eventually get in, Why not make it easier for it to get out??"
I use to like the Black reels, but have come to see that lighter colours do not absorb the Summer sun in Baja.. I Like the Fish Graphics.. but the Solid Colours are interesting as well..

Yeah, if You buy the Tarpon You'll just have to make annual Trips for them...That aint' such a Bad Deal...

I agree with the porting having it's advantages. I was speaking purely on an aesthetic basis. I just don't like how Abel ports it's frames, but I do like the porting on the spools. I just think the full frames on Abel, Tibor, and the old Fin Nors have a classic/classy look to them. And after all, it's not about how big, or how many fish you land. It's how you look doing it.

Now here is a pretty ported reel.....imho





briansII

[Flyjunkie]

I actually like the Porting on the frame...



And I agree with you Brian, the Porting on the Spool is eye appealing...



I know I'm bias, but my Super 11 in the Dorado finish is a Sexy Babe..

[anacrime]

they sure are beautiful. wouldn't be my first choice, but i wouldn't mind a brown trout model to match my 4wt!

[flybob]

Gotta love machine tools!

I wish I has summa that stuff in my garage!
Everything I have is hand crank!

Thanks Dean!