Collected by History Colorado staff, purchased 2019. This item and others in this collection, reflect Colorado businesses with products that have made big impacts over the last several years.,
Abel Reels:
Abel is a premium, American, fishing company. Established in 1980, it employs approximately 50 people worldwide. It is headquartered in Montrose, Colorado, home to its precision manufacturing facility and research & development lab. The Abel SDS (Sealed Drag Salt) won the best new saltwater reel award from the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) at the annual International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) in 2016. The IFTD is the world's largest recreational fishing and boating show.
Abel Reels was founded by engineer Steve Abel at his aeronautics job shop in California. An avid fly fisherman, he started making his own fishing reels in the early 1980s. When the aeronautics industry hit the skids in the late 1980s, he launched Abel Reels as a separate company in 1988.
Mayfly Outdoors acquired Abel Reels in 2012. Founded in Colorado Springs but now based in Montrose, Mayfly also owns Ross Reels, which had been headquartered in Montrose since its creation in 1973, as well as another reel brand, Charlton. Abel is involved in river restoration and wildlife conservation by donating 10% of each sale of fly reels towards fishing conservation.