# Fishing gear not made in China



## AnglerJake (Sep 10, 2002)

Maybe this has been discussed before, and I can't find it. What are some rods, reels and other fishing gear that is not made in China? St Croix rods, some Falcon rods, Ardent reels I think are made in USA. Shimano reels in Malaysia? Anything else?


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

There is a selection of terminal tackle such as snaps, snap swivels, ball bearing swivels and split rings that are US made.

As of a couple of years ago Rapala lures has some of the lure parts made in China but not all and some lures, such as the Original Floater are assembled in other countries.


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

G Loomis, Lamiglas and some Penn reels are still American made. Some Ambassadeur reels are still made in Sweden. A few centerpin reels are made in the states, quite a few options from Canada. Quite a few American companies produce rod blanks, lots of custom rod builders to put them together for you.High end Shimano reels still come from Japan.


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## AnglerJake (Sep 10, 2002)

Thanks!


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## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

Prowl EBay for older American made reels, but like many older reels, no guarantee of overall condition, internally and externally. While Abu reels were never American made, they are still fine products with a high level of craftsmanship.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Most fly fishing companies still make their higher end gear in the USA. Sage, Orvis, Winston.

Sadly, most of their reels are now made overseas.

Many of Simms waders are still made in the USA.


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## AnglerJake (Sep 10, 2002)

Received an email that all Ardent spinning reels are made in China. I don't mind buying some foreign made, just rather not buy those made in China. Perhaps becoming nearly an impossibility...


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## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

I am not sure the fact that an item is made in China automatically means it is of inferior quality. It may just be that the "made in China" label has the same negative connotation of "made in Japan" had years ago. Anyone have any idea of how to test that out without bias?


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## Jackster1 (Aug 17, 2001)

I can easily justify my bias against buying Chinese when possible.
For me it's about the trade imbalance.
- The way they treat people.
- The way they treat OUR environment.
- How stuff that was once made here under strong American brand names is now made there yet costs the same.
- It's how I don't want my money used to make them stronger just in case one day they decide to get nasty towards us.
- I'm certain they don't love us, just our money and will one day turn on us.
- I liked this country far better when America worked and paid taxes instead of being out of work and taking taxes because their jobs were shipped to Red China.
- Because Red China wants to be a world player but that stops when it comes to controlling their currency - and of course the type of politicians we now have allow this slap in Americas face.
- Because they are a Communist country. Why would any upstanding American want to enrich Commies?
- Because they can and do make junk out of junk materials.
- Because they have a track record of shipping junk here that is proven dangerous and harmful like fish, apples, apple juice, dog food, sheet rock, automobile tires, kids toys, clothing and... 

Even no I try my best to buy products made in the country I live in. If I can't find domestic product ( you people aren't making that any easier) or if the price is out of hand I will search for used stuff. For tools and hardware it's hard to beat the quality and design of stuff that was built here before everything boiled down to cutting costs and thus quality and thus civic pride like some other countries still have.
I prefer things to do what they're supposed to without causing harm or headache to me and my family.
I first noted how crappy some Chinese stuff is when my bride brought home scissors that couldn't even cut paper, nail clippers that self-destructed on the first use and a General match stick holder that I replaced after 25 years of everyday use finally bit the dust and was replaced with a new General made in China. The knurling was weak and the threads stripped instantly.
I got spoiled back when a company's name on a product meant 'the quality went in before the name went on'. These days corporate image means squat when stuff can be made cheaper and still sold to those who will accept most anything with their hard earned dollars.

Luckily in fly fishing many products are still made here and every item I own except for maybe a few flies and articles of clothing are made right here. There are deals out there on the good stuff if you look around. Certainly you can always find stuff cheaper but I like to buy things once and never have to hassle with returns or repairs or failure out in the field.

Speech over.


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## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

Respect that well thought out argument for not buying Chinese goods, but would comment:

Jobs are shipped to China by whom? I think the answer is your fellow American businessmen who make the decision to outsource manufacturing overseas, so hardly the Chinese's fault, they provide cheap labor.

Not to justify their obvious raping of the environment, but we, the US, did much of the same when we were at that state of industrial might development, so we can hardly consider ourselves above reproach on the issue. Pollution is still an issue here, remember the water on fire in Cleveland years ago and the water quality crisis in Toledo recently? Chinese people are already dying from industrial pollution on an unprecedented scale, dust storms to rival or exceed the Dust Bowl era of the 30s in severity because of poor land management.

They of course have shipped in deleterious or even dangerous goods, but should not regulation and inspections stopped them? Firestone tires, US made I believe, years ago were found to be dangerous, I had them on my chevy Monza, contaminated CA lettuce recently.

It is a complex array of issues with no simple solutions that make everyone happy...


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## Davelobi (Feb 14, 2012)

Agreed, lots of good points in that speech. I however don't blame China for exploiting what we allow them to. They are making hay while the sun shines. I blame the last few generations for their liberal mindset in this country. We sadly have become a country of people with their hand out. Asking the country what it can do for us rather than what we can do for our country. The liberals love these easily swayed sheeple and trick their feeble minds with things like "we'll tax the big companies instead of you". Think the big companies take the losses? Nope, it goes into product cost that the sheeple now must pay. Chinas price advantage increases. People buy what they can afford. The snowball picks up speed. 
I avoid Chinese when I can. I do have a large arbor disc drag fly reel made in China that has whipped a lot of salmon. I really like it, quality, design, form, and function. I would have spent 5 times as much or more for similar quality USA built reel but couldn't justify it.


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## Abel (Feb 14, 2003)

AVET is the only reel maker that I can think of that the entire line of reels is made in USA. Penn, some of their Big Game series is still made here, but most of it is all made in China, and you can tell by the quality of them. My old man's old 320GTI's were amazing, the new 320 GT2's i got last year, already sold them off, they were crap. I don't think much of GLoomis is made here anymore either, I had heard they were bought out and went to China. Fethastik is made in the PNW, lamiglass is still here as well as St. Croix.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

I bought a Abu Garcia Soron several years back that was manufactured in China. Have to say, it is well made.


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## ManxFishing (Apr 7, 2008)

Well
I guess it all depends on the price point

Allot of reels and rods are made in Korea these days
The low end seems to be China 
The good Shimano reels are Japen and the rest are Malaysia 

Kistler rods did make the lower end ones over in China
But these days there all made in the USA


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

Good Ol' Eppinger (Daredevle, Osprey, Red Eye, Etc.) products are made right here in the Mid East (Dearborn) as they have for over 100 years. I believe they also mandate as many components as possible be made in the U.S.A. .


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

I went to a Sears store a couple of years ago to buy a lawnmower. Just about all of them were made in China and at a very high price to boot. I was not happy with the prices or selection. I found my lawnmower a Poulan made in the USA at a local hardware store for $200. You just have to shop a little harder.


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## KalamazooKid (Jun 20, 2005)

I will stick with the American made St Croix rods all day long.


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## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

Jackster1 said:


> I can easily justify my bias against buying Chinese when possible.
> For me it's about the trade imbalance.
> - The way they treat people.
> - The way they treat OUR environment.
> ...


Hit the nail on the head. However, we have nobody to blame but our selves for this. Americans demand cheap products and instant gratification. who here isn't looking for the best deal. I try to buy American when ever possible even if it means paying more or saving up and buying the product. sometimes though it is not possible.


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## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

Robert Holmes said:


> I went to a Sears store a couple of years ago to buy a lawnmower. Just about all of them were made in China and at a very high price to boot. I was not happy with the prices or selection. I found my lawnmower a Poulan made in the USA at a local hardware store for $200. You just have to shop a little harder.


I bought this lawn mower this spring from Farm and Family. I was literley jumping up and down seeing that is was built in America ( i think just the Briggs motor is built here none the less i was happy) the girl friend gave me a weird look. It was about 30 dollars more than the ones that were at home depot but not made here, but it didnt matter at that point. Only thing i don't like about it is how it dosen't have a oil plug on the bottom and have to tip it over/flip it over and get the oil out the top.


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## 6667supersport (Oct 10, 2012)

I believe that Kistler rods are now being made in the USA too, if your looking for a high end fishing rod. Power Pro braid is made in USA, as is Nanofil line also. Both great products.


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## WELDINGROD (Oct 11, 2009)

my buddy owns a tackle shop in Empire, MI - Empire outdoors.. everything he sells is either michigan made or us made wherever possible. Most of the different types of fishing lures and tackle he specifically spoke to the owners of the company to get a local product, and if not in Michigan then in the U.S. The stuff he gets works well on the local lakes as well, so that is a bonus. It doesn't stop there, the coolers and sporting goods are also u.s. made. He can often match or beat some of the big box stores on price so I try to buy through him or other local businesses wherever possible. If he doesn't have it he can order it in for me.
There are certain things like tungsten jigs that are only made in certain places, and some things are really hard to find a u.s. made product. As a business owner he spent all the time to research the products and stock them, I'd just give him a call if there is a certain category of product your looking for, and he could give a good recommendation.

Good luck!


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## Mr B (Jun 23, 2004)

WELDINGROD said:


> my buddy owns a tackle shop in Empire, MI - Empire outdoors.. everything he sells is either michigan made or us made wherever possible. Most of the different types of fishing lures and tackle he specifically spoke to the owners of the company to get a local product, and if not in Michigan then in the U.S. The stuff he gets works well on the local lakes as well, so that is a bonus. It doesn't stop there, the coolers and sporting goods are also u.s. made. He can often match or beat some of the big box stores on price so I try to buy through him or other local businesses wherever possible. If he doesn't have it he can order it in for me.
> There are certain things like tungsten jigs that are only made in certain places, and some things are really hard to find a u.s. made product. As a business owner he spent all the time to research the products and stock them, I'd just give him a call if there is a certain category of product your looking for, and he could give a good recommendation.
> 
> Good luck!


He does have a nice store.


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## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

WELDINGROD said:


> my buddy owns a tackle shop in Empire, MI - Empire outdoors.. everything he sells is either michigan made or us made wherever possible. Most of the different types of fishing lures and tackle he specifically spoke to the owners of the company to get a local product, and if not in Michigan then in the U.S. The stuff he gets works well on the local lakes as well, so that is a bonus. It doesn't stop there, the coolers and sporting goods are also u.s. made. He can often match or beat some of the big box stores on price so I try to buy through him or other local businesses wherever possible. If he doesn't have it he can order it in for me.
> There are certain things like tungsten jigs that are only made in certain places, and some things are really hard to find a u.s. made product. As a business owner he spent all the time to research the products and stock them, I'd just give him a call if there is a certain category of product your looking for, and he could give a good recommendation.
> 
> Good luck!


does he have a web site?


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## randall729 (Feb 18, 2015)

I bought a fishing rod in a family owned sport shop small town. The rod wasn't cheap for price. I bought it because it had an American flag on it and said proudly made here in the USA. Come to find out the rod was assembled in USA but China supplied the components and all the parts. I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS but my fault for not looking closely at what I was buying. So the lesson is inspect everything for the fine print.


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## midmimike (Jan 4, 2014)

I like my Chinese and Japanese gear. You guys should look into Japanese fishing. They're pretty serious. When it comes to buying American you have to pick your battles. I drive a Ford, I am a member of many organizations pertaining to the outdoors and I buy what ever I can from local shops.


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## Stand By (Jan 23, 2015)

Sage, temple fork, st Croix fly rods. The sages I use were blanks that I assembled. Higher end USA made componenets, bellanger, snake, goldenwitch, etc. Tied own flies, so USA made, although most hooks imported. Ross and scientific angler reels.
River fishing getting tougher on the hip these days. So got a boat last fall. Been accumulating Michigan made spoons, wolverine, stinger, moonshine, warrior. Also gonna pick up Michigan made big Jon downriggers. Still on the fence for electronics. 
Also some nice ice fishing gear coming out of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota.


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## randall729 (Feb 18, 2015)

Stand By said:


> Sage, temple fork, st Croix fly rods. The sages I use were blanks that I assembled. Higher end USA made componenets, bellanger, snake, goldenwitch, etc. Tied own flies, so USA made, although most hooks imported. Ross and scientific angler reels.
> River fishing getting tougher on the hip these days. So got a boat last fall. Been accumulating Michigan made spoons, wolverine, stinger, moonshine, warrior. Also gonna pick up Michigan made big Jon downriggers. Still on the fence for electronics.
> Also some nice ice fishing gear coming out of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota.


Yes, there still is a lot of USA goods out and Mi. makes fair amount of gear. Cannon downriggers are (were) made on Seaway Dr. Muskegon I believe. I just bought a Browning Mitchell reel but it was imported. Does work ok I guess.


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## Boozer (Sep 5, 2010)

Sawyer Oars, StealthCraft Boats, 75HP and larger Mercury Motors, Lamiglas Rods, Humminbird Fish Finders, Plano Tackle Systems are all Made in USA

Abu Garcia C3 reels Made in Sweden

Gamakatsu hooks and Seaguar fishing lines Made in Japan

I use a lot of Sufix Siege Mono which is made in Taiwan, but still good stuff.


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## randall729 (Feb 18, 2015)

Davelobi said:


> Agreed, lots of good points in that speech. I however don't blame China for exploiting what we allow them to. They are making hay while the sun shines. I blame the last few generations for their liberal mindset in this country. We sadly have become a country of people with their hand out. Asking the country what it can do for us rather than what we can do for our country. The liberals love these easily swayed sheeple and trick their feeble minds with things like "we'll tax the big companies instead of you". Think the big companies take the losses? Nope, it goes into product cost that the sheeple now must pay. Chinas price advantage increases. People buy what they can afford. The snowball picks up speed.
> I avoid Chinese when I can. I do have a large arbor disc drag fly reel made in China that has whipped a lot of salmon. I really like it, quality, design, form, and function. I would have spent 5 times as much or more for similar quality USA built reel but couldn't justify it.


Don't know where I got this information but it pertained to Walmart, Bentonville, Arkansas. The information said that when a dollar ($1.00) is spent at a Walmart store, then 80% (80 cents) of that dollar ends up in China. I say China because Walmart has vast holdings in that country. (look up Walmart and go to locations meaning stores, warehouses, factories, etc. Walmart changed when Sam Walton passed on. I was in one of the first Walmart's started up. Go in that store and there were American flags everywhere. I don't think you could fill a grocery bag up with anything China made. Sam Walton was a believer in American made products for his stores.


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but.... not all St. Croix rods are made in the USA! Sure we have all seen the snipets of them being made in china or Japan, although I cannot confirm that, I do know that some are made in Mexico. I make custom rods all the time so I looked into alot of rods. The below quote came DIRECTLY from St. Croix's website.

"It takes experience, dedication and talent to handcraft a premiumperformance fishing rod, and St. Croixs team of expert rod builders are the best in the business. It takes over 30 pairs of hands to complete three-dozen different steps in the manufacturing, assembly and finishing of a St. Croix rod. *Whether that takes place at our headquarters in Park Falls, Wisconsin  or our state-of-the-art factory in Fresnillo, Mexico*  each rod is a product of the passion and attention to detail of the talented people who make them."

And the beloved Matzuo sickle hook that everyone has to have on all their jigs.... You guessed it, made in China


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## jd4223 (Feb 12, 2012)

I no longer purchase from Orvis.I was a subscriber to their news letter which featured fly fishing articles and deals on their fly fishing equipment.One of the fly fishing articles featured a local from Ann Arbor,Mike Schultz(I believe that's his first name).In the article Mr. Schultz was fly fishing for Steelhead in one of our famous rivers and came up with a different style of the Egg Sucking Leech.At the end of the article Orvis offered a deal on these flies tied by Mr Schultz.The flies were for sale in a 3 pack.I ordered the flies from Orvis.When they arrived,I was very impressed with the way they looked.How ever,to my disappointment,the flies were labeled as being tied in Algeria.I felt like I was the victim of the old Bait and Switch.Not only were these flies not tied by Mike Schultz,they weren't even tied in this country.So I just paid a high price for 3 flies that Orvis paid some foreign country pennys to tie and then slapped their Orvis label on it,thus charging a high price.When I contacted Orvis about this,I received the standard form letter thanking me for buying from Orvis and please continue to buy their products.


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