Along the banks of the Uncompahgre River in Montrose, Colorado, Ross Reels has been building fly reels with purpose since 1973. For more than 50 years, our work has been shaped by cold water, high standards, and a simple belief. We fish these places, we work here, and we believe in taking care of the waters that inspire us, near and far.
Every Ross reel is designed, machined, and hand-assembled in Montrose by a small team of engineers, machinists, and anglers who care deeply about the waters they fish, wherever those waters may be. Their passion reaches far beyond the rivers close to home. It is rooted in a shared respect for wild fish, healthy habitats, and the belief that the gear we build should help protect the places and species we all love. That care and intention show up in every cut, every finish, and every reel that leaves our shop.
That sense of responsibility runs through everything we do, including the Ross Reels Native Series, created in partnership with Trout Unlimited. The goal is simple. Celebrate native trout and put real support behind the work it takes to protect them.
The East vs. West Series brings that idea to life by pairing two iconic species from opposite sides of the country. On one side is the Eastern Brook Trout, native to cold, clean waters from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic and down through the Appalachians. A fish that has come to represent wild places and the care it takes to keep them intact. On the other is the Kern River Rainbow Trout, native to Pacific Ocean-connected watersheds of the West and shaped by rugged headwaters and remote terrain. Different waters. Different histories. The same dependence on healthy rivers.
Supporting Trout Unlimited through the Native Series is a natural extension of what Ross Reels has always believed in. A portion of every Native Series reel sold goes directly to Trout Unlimited’s Embrace-A-Stream program, helping fund on-the-ground conservation work across the country. Since its start, Embrace-A-Stream has supported more than 1,150 projects with $4.9 million in grants, improving fish passage, restoring coldwater habitat, and protecting water quality in the places that need it most.
That same sense of responsibility is why we’re now in our third year partnering with Coors. What started with a shared respect for water and materials has grown into a meaningful collaboration rooted in action. Coors is the number one aluminum recycler in Colorado, and Ross Reels is right behind them. Both depend on clean water and thoughtful manufacturing, and both believe that how something is made matters. Together, this partnership supports Trout Unlimited’s Embrace-A-Stream work across four major river systems, putting resources back into the waters that inspire us all.
Those projects include Clear Creek in Colorado, the Big Hole in Montana, the Provo River in Utah, and the La Barge in Wyoming. Different rivers, different landscapes, the same commitment to protecting coldwater fisheries and the habitats that sustain them.
Over the past five decades, Ross Reels has contributed more than $7.5 million to conservation efforts. It reflects how we see our role. Build gear that lasts. Fish with intention. Give back to the waters that give us everything.
From Montrose to the rivers that define East and West, every reel we build carries that responsibility forward.
Share this post
