Made in California: Galvan Reels
“Call back tomorrow. Mom and Dad decided to go fishing,” said Marcos Galvan, the youngest of Boni and Carmen’s four children, when I called to verify a few things for this article. “It’s good to be the boss,” I replied, knowing that it isn’t always true.
My personal journey with Galvan fly reels began in my childhood when the generous Galvan family gifted me my first nice reel. Now, more than two decades later, I own a fly shop and proudly sell hundreds of their reels annually. Exceptional customer support, business partnerships, and dedication to supporting conservation efforts and the community have deepened my appreciation for the Galvan family and their business.
Earlier this year I traveled two and a half hours to the foothill town of Sonora to see how Galvan Fly Reels are made. What I found behind the metal doors of the modest industrial-park building was a story of so much more than machining metal into reels. Welcomed by the warm faces of the Galvan family members I speak with regularly, it sank in that this was not just a business but a family—I had always known that, but in that moment, it struck me.
I noticed a line of reels in a display case, starting with crude reels and ending with the Torque, a display of reel-making evolution. I made a mental note to return and ask about these as Boni and Marcos ushered me to the machining floor. We started at the beginning, where the aluminum stock comes in ten-foot-long cylindrical bars that are then cut into pucks. At each station, Boni and Marcos explained the operation and made comments alluding to the improvements forged over time, like “We used to have to do this” or “We recycle this by-product in this way.”
As the Galvan company grew, so did the family. I noticed Raymond, Boni and Carmen’s grandson, working on the engraver, diligently trying to get the engraving right on the 20th Anniversary Torque reel. The Torque has been on the market longer than Raymond has been alive. Dad and Grandpa inspected his current work, made a few recommendations, and agreed they were close.
The tour concluded in Marcos’ office, where prototypes of a new Swing reel were laid out on a table. I spun and inspected each prototype as Boni asked what I thought about this feature or that aesthetic. Then the ultimate test, when he said, “Pick one out to take home and fish.” Boni knowing time on the water is the only way to form a worthwhile opinion.
After being shown the shiny new reels, I took a look around the shop. I browsed the family photos on the walls and found myself choked up by a photo of Lou grinning ear-to-ear in the way only Lou could. Lou was the eldest Galvan son who tragically passed away in 2021. When I noticed a large flag featuring an Aztec Eagle in a white circle hanging in the office, I abruptly asked, “What is the flag?” mostly to avoid the discomfort of Lou’s passing. Boni replied proudly, “That is the United Farm Workers Flag. I grew up working in the fields in California.” He went on to explain that back in 1982 he wanted a change from the back-breaking work of farm labor and decided that welding would be his way forward. He went to sign up for a welding class, but it was full. Undeterred, he saw a machining class had some openings, so he signed up. He laughed, recounting, “I didn’t even know what machining class was at the time.” I inquired more about how Galvan Fly Reels began, as it’s easier to crack a safe than it is to get Boni to talk about himself.
As the story goes, Boni’s family gave him a K-Mart fly rod and reel outfit to fish the Sierra streams. After some time, the reel broke. This sent Boni looking for a replacement, only to find staggeringly high-priced reels that he could not afford. As a machinist, he supposed he could make one without too much trouble. So, staying late after work, Boni began his first attempt at making a fly reel, borrowing ideas from his bicycle. After many hours and attempts the first Galvan Fly Reel was born.
Boni set up some tools in his garage and began making more reels, experimenting until they reached the point where someone might buy one. Boni and Carmen loaded their four kids into the car for vacation. Boni had identified a few fly shops along their route to whom he’d attempt to open as the first Galvan dealers. Ignoring advice that he’d need a sales rep to get anywhere, he was again undeterred and successfully opened several accounts while “on vacation.”
Boni pulled one of his first reels out of the case in the lobby and handed it to me with a sheepish grin, still proud of the reel he had built all those years ago. The reel was a far cry from the buttery smooth and polished reels the Galvan family is known for today, but you can see the beginning of their first reel, “The Standard.”
“Call back tomorrow. Mom and Dad decided to go fishing.”
I spoke with Kurt Lemon, Galvan’s second dealer, who picked up the reels just after Kiene’s Fly Shop in Sacramento. He recalled Boni and their oldest son, Lou, coming into the shop more than 30 years ago with a few reels wrapped in paper bags. I remember Lou “having to stand on his tiptoes to see onto the shop counter where we were fussing with the reels.”
I asked Carmen what it was like as Boni began a new venture with four young children. She replied, “We had nothing to lose, and the family was all together.” She laughed and said, “We had no choice; we had to make it work.” Carmen knew they would make it work because they were a good family and always did the right thing. She said, “Our kids were always with us, and the best part is that I am able to eat lunch with my family every day.” Marcos, the youngest son, remarked, “There is something here for every member of the family to do.” This shared responsibility and unity within the family make the company successful. His sisters Amanita and Veronica are always delightful to work with. In a world of impersonal answering machines, they manage to answer the phone within a ring or two. Marcos’ wife, Rachelle, is the one who sends my orders, and I always receive a prompt thank you. When they are not providing excellent customer service and running the office, the Galvan family women are expertly assembling reels.
I asked Carmen if there was a turning point when business really picked up. “When Boni came up with the Torque, ” was her response. Galvan has produced nine series of reels. The Standard*, The Open Back (OB)*, Rush LT, Torque, Spoke*, Brookie, Grip (a sealed drag designed for saltwater anglers), G.E.N. (euro nymphing reel) and Swing reel (built on the Grip platform). All but three of the reel series are still in production. In 2004, The Galvan Torque won fly reel of the year in Fly Fish America magazine, thrusting Galvan into the national spotlight. Twenty years later, the reel may look the same, but it has been repeatedly improved to address issues that have cropped up over the years. Never resting on their laurels, the Galvan family is continually enhancing their product and process.
At Fly Fishing Specialties in Sacramento, owner Rick Anderson expressed gratitude for the old-school customer service mentality. “They pick up the phone! And not only that, you’re speaking to Galvan!” Followed with, “I could get rid of any other reel brand in my store and not even notice. Not Galvan.”
Jamie Lyle, their first sales rep, noted, “They are good people and make an incredible product.” He quickly followed with, “Galvan Fly Reels have been the easiest product I’ve had to sell. They are durable, innovative, elegant, smooth, and well-priced.”
Every person I interviewed about Galvan Fly Reels agreed that great people build a great product. This is a thread that goes all the way back to day one. In a world where marketing manipulates people, why not choose something real? We vote with our dollars, and I hope you join me in voting for Galvan Fly Reels.
I asked Boni, “What do you people think when they hold a Galvan Fly Reel?”
“Family,” he replied without hesitation. “That is our name written right there on the reel.”
*Out of production
Galvan Fly Reels
21103 Longeway Rd.
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 588-2812
