GALVAN STORY
At Galvan, our fly reels are the result of over 25 years of dedicated design and innovation. More than that, they are part of an ongoing tradition of family-run business, American-made products, and time-honored craftsmanship built into every reel we make. The industry has changed a lot in our time, but it's what hasn't changed that makes us who we are.
Our founder Bonifacio Galvan believed that superior quality and value should go hand in hand. He made the first Galvan reels to last a lifetime. Two decades and many reels later, that vision remains unchanged. Today, all Galvan fly reels are designed, manufactured, and assembled here in the USA – to last a lifetime – and the Galvan family does it all.
Our pride in the manufacturing process and passion for the sport have earned us a reputation for excellence. Every Galvan fly reel is a testament to innovation and uncompromising craftsmanship, pairing the latest materials with a lasting commitment to quality. In an industry where technology often overshadows tradition, we believe you need a bit of both to succeed.
GALVAN FACILITY
FLY-FISHING IS AN ART, BUT IT IS ALSO A SCIENCE. MAKING GALVAN REELS IS NO DIFFERENT.
Over the past twenty years, Galvan Fly Reels have established a well-earned reputation for quality, smoothness, reliability and stunning looks. Bonifacio Galvan continues striving to produce reels of exceptional value and quality, reels that have garnered a growing following among dedicated fly anglers. One of the ways he has done this is by keeping the entire process, from blueprint to construction, in-house. That’s right, Galvan Reels are 100% designed, manufactured and assembled in the USA by the Galvan Family in Sonora California.
Boni Galvan started Galvan Reels working after hours and weekends out of his garage on one manual lathe and one manual mill making 8-10 reels a month. We have a lot more machines now but our work ethic is the same as it has always been.
The words made in the USA is more than a side effect of quality control, it is a deep-rooted sense of pride. To the Galvan’s it means economic growth. It means manufacturing and buying products made in the USA to keep jobs here in America. In a day and age where it is always cheaper to make things somewhere else the Galvan Team is proud to help keep our economy rolling.
As a small family-run business, each Galvan family employee takes pride in making sure every part and every process meets the highest specifications to ensure quality and precision craftsmanship in every step of manufacturing a reel. Precise tolerances are not just a requirement but an obsession and are anywhere from three ten thousandths (.0003) to two thousandths (.002) depending on the part.
Boni Galvan still takes part in every aspect of production from product research and development to computer programming and from machine setup to operation. However, like every member of the Galvan team, he plays any role needed when necessary. All the materials chosen to go into Galvan reels are based on their specific properties and functions while taking into account wear resistance, heat resistance, thermal stability, high-pressure velocity, chemical resistance, and a very low coefficient of friction.
Our reels are machined to the highest specifications with the most current technology while remaining true to the best traditions of the past. The pride of ownership each Galvan reel owner has is the same pride of ownership that the Galvan family has of their operation. At Galvan there is no 9-5 work day. This is our life and we put into it what we must. Mixing classic styling with contemporary design and materials, Galvan Fly Reels continue to help redefine modern fly reel construction.
GALVAN HISTORY
WE TAKE THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW OUR ANGLERS AND WE WANT OUR ANGLERS TO GET TO KNOW US.
Galvan reels were born out of necessity. Years before the Galvan reel hit the shelves, Boni Galvan, a Sierra trout fisherman by avocation and a machinist by trade, envisioned something more. In 1990, after fishing his home waters, (a tributary of the Tuolumne River called the Clavey River), he went into a fly shop to purchase a better quality reel only to find that he could not afford one. So he began to develop a design of his own: a light, rugged reel with an exceptionally smooth, dependable drag system at an affordable price.
From that design the first Galvan reel was born. Its genesis was in the high mountain streams of California’s central Sierra Nevadas. In 1992, using his machinist’s skills and trout fisherman’s intuition, Boni created the first prototype. This first reel morphed through several configurations until the summer of 1994 when it was ready for distribution. The finished product was one of the lightest, smoothest, simplest and most elegant reels available.
Twenty two years later we are still driven by that same voice that whispers to us to keep walking up the river to the next pool, to fish into the dark and never stop striving for perfection. That drive has produced a line of reels we are proud to stand behind and proud to pass on to you. In an industry where boardrooms and bottom lines dictate quality and craftsmanship we never compromise and our reels echo this commitment. We are a hundred percent family-owned business and our reels are a hundred percent made in America. This is how we make our reels and this is how we ensure that the Galvan reel you are fishing with is of the highest quality precision and craftsmanship, driven by tradition and fueled by passion.
Galvan’s history is a collection of stories: stories of passion, stories of ingenuity and hard work and stories of families. We want to personally thank you for sharing your stories with us over the years and in turn being a part of the Galvan story.
Eluterio "Lou" Manuel Galvan
Lou was brought into this world August 20, 1981, and was taken from us much too soon, August 23, 2021.
Lou was a huge part of our small family business. He was all in from day one. He contributed to every aspect of who we are today. When the business started in 1993, at the age of 12, Lou and his younger brother would travel by their father’s side visiting fly fishing shops, trying to convince shop owners to take a chance and put our reels on their shelves.
He made Galvan Fly Reels ‘success one of his life’s goals. He would run manual and CNC machines, help with design, assembly, and eventually, made his way into sales and marketing where he would travel back to those same shops he visited as a kid, not as the owner’s young son, but as the sales representative of our company.
Some people just light up a room when they walk into it. Lou was one of them. Everyone who knew him wanted to spend time with him. He was well known at trade shows. He was a natural working behind the booth, but at closing time, everyone wanted to know where he was going afterwards. Most would say he was the “life of the party.”
Consider yourself lucky if you knew him. If you knew him well, more than likely, he changed your life. But, without a doubt, our family was so proud of him, and loved him so much. We are having a hard time imagining life without him.