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Exclusive: How an unlikely collab saw Abel design a fly reel for superstar rapper Drake

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Top US fly reel maker Abel has teamed up with Nike and NOCTA in an unlikely collaboration to celebrate the launch of a new line of fly fishing-inspired ‘urban wear’ supported by superstar Canadian rapper Drake, producing a limited-edition reel to mark the occasion.

Jeff Wagner, President and CEO of Abel Reels, has revealed how the collaboration with Nike sub-brand NOCTA came about, culminating in a three-day product launch in Manhattan, New York that showcased the apparel with design inspiration from Drake. It also included a high profile casting competition.

How did this venture come about?
Nike originally reached out to us about 12 months ago. It was based on our quality and ability to anodise and machine under one roof. It was one of the most involved projects we have ever been a part of. What is important to understand is that this was about working with Nike and for us, innovation. We developed a new machined look using the NOCTA logo and matched the colours it was looking for. We also hand-painted the NOCTA and Nike logos to get the colours to match and to get the premium finish we expect at Abel. Originally we only needed to create around 20 of these reels as they were not going to be for sale, but we were able to work with Nike to get permission to sell 100 limited edition models with a matching nipper. 

Becoming a vendor for Nike is not an easy task and we also believe our commitment to sustainability and transparency weighed heavily into our ability to accomplish this. It says a lot about how we work as a company, our processing, commitment to employees and our ability to produce the best quality of product. 

Who was involved?
NOCTA stands for nocturnal and caters for those who work hard into the night to accomplish their goals. Often this is related to sports, but in order to complete this project with the level of secrecy necessary, our teams programming the milling operations had to come in at night when no one was around. The same was true for anodising. The team had to come in at night to anodise and paint the initial samples to get them finished. In the end, this was a company effort, and we are proud to have the best team in the industry that is capable of working at this level. There are just so many levels to this, and so much that went into the project, it is hard to convey.

Why Abel?
We are the best at what we do with quality and custom finishes and the best fly reels on the market.

Does Drake use Abel reels?
The idea for this project is that Drake fly fishes and was taught to fly fish by one of his employees, Nicholas Carino. Niko grew up fly fishing so it was an authentic pursuit. NOCTA then used that inspiration to develop a fly fishing-inspired capsule collection of clothing. The way it works is that these collections are limited runs and only available for a short period of time. All of these factors led us to believe that it was authentic and rooted in family and fly fishing. It was a positive for the fly fishing industry based on reaching people who follow Nike and NOCTA and are not following typical fly fishing. Additionally, given its short lifespan as a product launch, we also knew it would have no negative impact on fly fishing or fly fishing retailers. It is fair to say that if you work for Nike and are proposing new markets then fly fishing would likely not come up given its small market compared to sports that are more mainstream like basketball, running or football. Its interest was the inspiration and story behind it and combining that with its apparel that appeals to their customers.

Does this collaboration have a serious side for fly fishing?
For us this project was about working with one of the largest brands in mainstream sports, Nike, working on our innovation and ability to satisfy a customer request, but also about reaching people that do fly fish or could fly fish but are not part of the conventional demographic. The fly fishing industry is constantly talking about growing, and how better to reach those anglers than by working outside of conventional fly fishing.

Are there plans for further collabs?
We will see. We are constantly working on new projects and have many in play at any given moment!

Did Abel attend the launch of the fly fishing urban wear?
We did have representation on site and if we could make fly casting as much fun as they did on a regular basis I think we could really grow participation. It was incredible to see how a company not well-versed in fly fishing could put together an event with a simple casting game, digital scoring, music, drinks and a fun atmosphere. It pulled people off the street to try something they would normally not attempt. How could we ask for anything more than that?

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