Big thanks to Allen Fly Fishing

[Six-Gun]

I've been looking for an value priced reel to upgrade from the Bass Pro Shops White River reel I originally put on my Redington Classic Trout 5wt (my very first fly rod). The BPS has been a pretty decent reel, but I hate the offset drag and the painted finish is showing serious wear after only a year. So, I started looking at Allen Fly Fishing's stuff as I like the idea of buying from an up and coming company that has a reputation for good service, supports this very informative forum, and has competitive pricing.

I called Justin today - a weekend, no less - to see about the military discount, fully expecting to leave a message. Instead, I got a personally answered call, simple instructions on how to get the discount, and a very friendly conversation to boot.

Needless to say, I ordered a Trout II, size 2 reel without blinking an eye and I really can't wait to try it out. I just wanted to let other folks know how well I was treated by Allen's CEO. Kudos to him for the great service.

 

[Millsertime]

nice review. what % was the military discount?

 

[delta_dog]

This is exactly why Allen is such a great company to deal with and why they continue to have great success. Justin really is a stand up guy.

 

[lv2nymph]

I have one of their rods, a myth. To say I'm delighted with it is an understatement. If I could just figure out how to get it out of my hand. :-D

 

[Six-Gun]

Millsertime wrote:
nice review. what % was the military discount?

PM coming your way.

 

[dsmith1427]

I bought blanks from them and there service was first class.

 

[Bosshog]

I bought a reel from them at the lancaster show. He saw me eyeing up one of the Xl guide boxes, out of the blue he just hands it to me and says its yours. Will definitely continue to buy from them in the future.

 

[mattofcarlisle]

Certainly not the service I've received.
I called and emailed 4 weeks ago about ordering bulk hooks for my middle school's fly tying club - the call went to voice mail and the email received no reply. Three weeks ago, I online chatted with Justin on 2 seperate occasions - he recommended I call Kyle to place my bulk order - 3 more calls, left two messages. Last Friday, Kyle returned my calls, and email. I've tried this week to place my order, and again, no answer. My club has met 4 times since we tried to place our order. In this day and age, for a business to not respond within 2-3 business days is unacceptable.

Hooks are $2.49 a pack at The Fly Shop. My students and I placed our order there today. The owner responded to my email the same day.

P.S. - Just one guys experience with them, BTW. They may be swamped or understaffed...

 

[Six-Gun]

matt -

I respect one man's experience as much as another's. You definitely could be experiencing the short-staffed syndrome that occurs with other newer companies as they adapt to a spike in business they aren't necessarily ready for. If that's the case, I'm sure that will be addressed over time.

As for my earlier post, the Trout II real came in right on time and I got it strung up with some Scientific Anglers GPX from my old reel last night. I am extremely impressed with the design, features and quality for what I paid.

Hopefully, I can get it on the water next week. I took a couple of days off to fish southwestern Utah with a retired game warden buddy of mine and his son who is back home visiting from his stint at the Air Force Academy.