Perfection Flyreel Co

Stephen Barnes · Post by **Stephen Barnes** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:56 pm

Anyone know the skiny behind this. They had a link on our website. A Joe Jancurious contacted me and said he is the one who actually started building theese reels and his distributor Fred Balling took the idea and went out on his own. I have admired the alloy raised pillar reel and have wanted to have one made. Just thought I would see if anyone was familiar with this and could give me any feedback.

Jim Schottenham · Post by **Jim Schottenham** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:05 am

Stephen,
You can read Fred's "Reel News" section on his web site, http://perfectionflyreel.com/ for his side of things.

Post by **john elder** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:15 am

Jim...I'm not seeing "Fred's Take" here...looks like his site just posted the ORCA page and blacked out the credit for the fellow that actually made these reels?

Jim Schottenham · Post by **Jim Schottenham** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:15 pm

John,
Look at the section he calls "Reel News" and scroll down a bit. He has a few updates from December 7th and November 17th. The Reel News section is in the uper right section of his page, just below the "press" button and above the "about EVH" section. I know nothing more than what's posted here, I'm just providing a link to the info Stephan was looking for.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:44 pm

Here is the text from that web site (for some reason it was difficult to get to scroll):

December 7, 2006

Be careful of un-authorised versions of our Ebonite Fly Reel being offered online and in mail order catalogs by Orvis and even another website. The reels are said to be made one-at-a-time, if the maker ever gets around to making them, for $3600 to $4650 a pop. We fired the same maker about 6 months ago because he was unable to produce for us a working version of that reel, based on a design we had assigned to him. As I recall, every prototype version of the Edward vom Hofe #360 fly reel that he sent out failed in one way or another.

November17, 2006

Once we fired that machinist, he hi-jacked our newly made deal with Orvis and offered to sell unauthorised copies of our reel, based on designs and details I had provided to him. You can tell these are not the high quality reels we make because they have unexplained screws showing and the handle appears to be mounted backwards. The very text used to describe the copied reel is taken directly from the website you are now reading.

Richard Lodge · Post by **Richard Lodge** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:34 pm

At least a year ago (I can check when I get home) I ran a short story about these Perfection reels, made by Joe Jancurious and marketed by Fred Balling. At the time, Fred also bought an ad in The Reel News. It's my understanding the two men parted company not long after that and the last I saw Fred (at Lang's in November) he had a table set up and was selling some reels, including at least one or two reels marked Perfection Fly Reel Co., if memory serves me. I don't know who had made those reels (nor when they were made) and I didn't ask Fred about any business relationship he does or doesn't have with Joe J.
Not sure that sheds a lot of light on this, but that's what was in the RN.

Jack Bright · Post by **Jack Bright** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 4:46 pm

I remember Fred Balling at the ORCA national, had some for sale, told me
of difficulties with maker at that time and that he and/or Joe J. were negot-
iating an arrangement to continue, questionable I would think.