Hi Folks,
It seems the custom around the new year is the making of lists for the past year. Lists of highlights, news events, disasters, happy news, you name it. We also succumbed to such a temptation and have put together our list of 2012 highlights. Fishing highlights, if you will….
2012 was a great year here at American Legacy Fishing Company. We added thousands of new customers, had so many fabulous new products to offer, and added some new lines that many of you responded to with great enthusiasm. We also lost some great friends, saw some great products discontinued for no apparent reason, and suffered along with many of you when tragedy struck.
The biggest news for us in 2012 was Super Storm Sandy. It affected far too many of our great friends and customers. The scope of this tragedy touched all of us here at ALFC and left us feeling helpless, wondering just how we could help out. And we really needed to help. Fortunately some of our manufacturers grabbed the ball and ran with it, offering huge quantities of clothing to be distributed to those in need on the East Coast. More a conduit and than contributor, the team at ALFC assembled these donations from Shimano. G. Loomis, ATS, and many others and was able put together many “care packages” that we sent to customers who had agreed to distribute them to those in need. We again thank all of those who donated to this effort as well as all who help us distributed the donations. They are angels all.
2012 saw some great new products, not the least of which was the totally redesigned G. Loomis GLX rods. If there was ever an example of a perfect product getting better than anyone could have possibly imagined these new Loomis GLX rods were it. I have personally fished with GLX rods for many years and just loved them in every way. I couldn’t imagine a better rod in the world. That is until these new models hit the showroom. They were lighter, have even better components, and really raised the bar for performance, sensitivity, and power. Simply an amazing product.
Most of you now know that American Legacy Fishing sponsors Jacob Wheeler in the FLW. We did this not because we expected him to win everything in 2012. Far from it. Our motivation was simply that this young man is a tremendous role model. A Christian through and through, he practices his faith every day and shows all of us you can succeed without “selling out” to the temptations of fame and notoriety. So imagine our delight when this 22 year old fishing pro won the FLW cup (and $500,000) this year! It couldn’t have happened to a better person. And yet Jacob is the same humble, nice, polite person he was before this monumental win. Unassuming but focused seems to be appropriate here. We all celebrated Jacob’s win and admittedly saw our business grow due to his contribution, but it was never about that. It was simply about wanting to help such a fine young man. Sometimes trust has its own rewards. Jacob was ours.
The Daiwa redesigned Steez low profile casting reels certainly were one of the highlights of 2012 for us. These are simply amazing reels that raised the bar for every reel to follow. If you are fascinated by engineering and how it sometimes it inspires awe, then these would have to be at the top of your list for 2012. Like the G. Loomis GLX rods we really didn’t think such a fine reel could be improved upon, but we were wrong. Boy, were we wrong! If you’re a “car guy” think Ferrari. A “watch guy” think Rolex or Piaget. A “boat guy” would relate to Riva. In our humble opinion there just has never been a casting reel this good.
Surely by now all of you have heard of the “Alabama” or “Umbrella” rig. 2012 was the year this new, unique fishing tool came into its own. Some of you who may be older (like me) may scoff at all the new “stuff” that constantly comes down the pike almost daily, all promising to be God’s answer to the fisherman’s prayers, but this is the real deal. I don’t know if it’s just that fish have never seen this before or what, but these rigs catch fish. Lots of fish, even when fishing is tough as nails. They definitely created a fishing sensation and with good reason. When reports first started coming in we were amazed at what we heard. But soon we were among the umbrella rigs staunchest advocates and continue to extol their virtues to anyone who will listen. Frankly, I personally can’t remember anything as revolutionary since graphite rods were introduced. An amazing fishing tool that deserves a place in any fisherman’s tackle box.
About midway into 2012 G. Loomis introduced some amazing fly rods. These were designed for 2, 3, and 4 weight fly lines and came in various lengths, tapers, and powers. It may sound like old news, but only if you haven’t tried one of these fantastic rods. Even beginners can pick one of these rods up and cast like a seasoned veteran. They are simply beautiful fishing tools and so well made. More works of art than fly rods, they are nothing short of amazing. Now even a medium sized bluegill or brookie can offer a day’s worth of entertainment in just one hook set.
Late in 2012 American Legacy Fishing took on the Dobyns line of rods. I had resisted adding this line for a couple of years, but once I actually had some of these rods in my hands I changed my mind. Talk about great bang-for-the-buck! From the Champion Extreme to the entry level Savvy Series these rods simply rock. They are light, well made, and do what many rods do not – perform. Now I am kicking myself because we should have been offering these rods to you long ago, but the nice thing about great products such as this is that we can always go back and make up for mistakes. Thanks to Gary Dobyns for allowing us to do this and giving us the chance to finally offer his amazing products to all of you. Definitely a highlight for 2012.
Early in 2012 Shimano introduced the totally redesigned Sustain spinning reel, now known as the “FG”. At first blush it seemed this was just a new paint job with a few changes here and there. But it was more. Much, much more. Simply put, this was a revolutionary spinning reel and a true bargain, even at a price point that passed the $300 mark. When the Shimano Stella FA’s came out quite a few years ago I just had to have one. Then two, three…well, you know how that goes. I thought that reel was the absolute best spinning reel I had ever held in my hand. It was expensive at about $500+, but it was amazing. Well, this new Shimano Sustain is better than those early Stella’s in every way. No contest. And given the price, inflation, etc. we are all still in awe that Shimano could create such a fine reel such as this for the price. For all of us here at ALFC this was definitely a highlight for 2012.
Just getting in under the wire for 2012 was the brand new Abu Garcia Revo MGX low profile casting reel. For a casting reel that sells for under $400 this is another “world beater” in our opinion. It weighs practically nothing at 5.4 oz yet has guts that will land fish or pull umbrella rigs that other reels will have given up on long ago. Talk about a fine fishing instrument, these reels are best of the best for this price point. They look great and match up with any high end rod. They cast like a dream and will never take a back seat to any competitive reel regardless of brand. Thank you Abu Garcia for introducing this reel to our customers!
Many of you know how we searched high and low for a high quality line of tackle bags, and for about 2 or 3 years couldn’t find anything that we wanted to offer our customers. It was simply a question of value for the money. Frankly, there are hundreds of “OK” tackle bags out there, some offered by manufacturers who we all know, some “private brands” offered by huge retailers under their own brand. But, none of these were what we wanted. Poor design, poor durability, poor ergonomics. Then we met the guys from Wild River who have been making heavy duty construction bags for years. They had created a line of tackle bags that were actually well thought out, very durable, and incorporated some very unique ideas, all the time containing only the highest grade materials. We were hooked! These are just beautiful bags and just what we had been searching for. Finally after 3 years we had the best of the best. Definitely a highlight for us in 2012.
Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Shimano Butterfly jigs. Yes, these have been out for several years, but 2012 saw an expansion of this line in a big way. And let me tell you, these jigs catch fish! Last year (2012) saw a lot of additions to these line and every single one that was added was nothing short of spectacular. Now we have jigs for bass as well as saltwater. Frankly, if you don’t have some of these in your tackle box you’re missing some great fish-catching opportunities. A great product that really came into its own in 2012.
Certainly there are many, many more new products that came our way in 2012. Lots of new tackle, some great apparel, and lots of innovative gear and equipment. All good stuff to be sure. But, what we have listed above is what we were “blown away” by. And after many years on the water that’s not a small task!
This is our first full newsletter for 2013. We really have some great stuff that we think you will want to look at and, quite possibly, want to add to your arsenal. We still have a decent stock of the G. Loomis BCR and BSR GLX rods and for now have them on special. These “conventional handle” rods are becoming scarce, so take a look at this special below. Also in this issue is a great Costa deal. Costa sunglasses are Best of the Best in our opinion, so when you can get a deal it’s really special. Details are below.
Our Touring Pro and winner of this year’s FLW Cup, Jacob Wheeler, has given us a great new video. Very special info from the hottest pro in fishing. Be sure to take a look. The link is below. We also have lots of news about the new Wild River Tackle Bags, the 2013 Abu Garcia Revo’s, Shimano’s super fantastic 2013 Cumara rods, and lots more. All waiting for you just below this article.
All of us here at American Legacy Fishing hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. As always, we thank you for your friendship and patronage. We are here only because of your friendship and loyalty. Thank you all and may God bless each and every one of you.
Tight Lines,
Tom Ashby
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