URSUS Fly Reels - Innovation and Art

I have been building reels for my personal use for years.  Each year, I develop an idea, create the reel, and fish with it that season along with some pretty crazy custom flies.  Reels have been all levels of complexity and materials influenced by my personal journey experiencing fly fishing and sharing with both novices and enthusiasts.  My wife and I started URSUS many years ago, filed patents and decided to dive in.  Quickly I recognized that competing with mass production reels is not anywhere close to what I love about fly fishing.  We put things on hold but still knocked out a new reel each year that I took fishing in remote backcountry streams.  One year, I received a Nottingham reel as a gift, circa late 1800's made of mahogany and brass that was so beautiful to hold.  Fast forward a few iterations, a few new acquaintances, a few years older and we have the URSUS Backcountry reel.  URSUS uniquely delivers clean artisan styling that is beautiful enough to display in your home and rugged enough for banging and clanging through boulder strewn backcountry streams.  URSUS reels incorporate hand finished wood features backed by rugged and precise aluminum internals.  My personal goal with URSUS is to develop a product that is appreciated for its form and function and to do something good for others in the process.  Please drop me a line if you have thoughts to share.

Joe Matteo

Ursus Americanus - the American Black Bear - thrives majestically in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  URSUS reels are born out of a passion for experiencing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and preservation of native trout in remote streams.