Abel and Borski Team Up to Support BTU

In keeping with their commitment to resource conservation, Abel just announced a new series of reels that will help support Tarpon & Bonefish Unlimited. Abel has done plenty of similar projects in the past for freshwater conservation, but this time their reels will be illustrated by noted Florida Keys artist and fly tier Tim Borski. “Abel will produce 50 signed and numbered illustrated reels with #1 going to Borski and #2 to the Florida conservation organization for their sale, raffle or auction. The newest fish artist’s representation reel by Abel requires approximately 10 hours to hand paint, and will retail for $1,500.”
Read the extended entry for the full press release.

ABEL TARPON ILLUSTRATION REEL TO BENEFIT CONSERVATION GROUP
CAMARILLO, Calif. – An Abel Super 12X model reel – inspired and illustrated by Florida Keys artist Tim Borski – will benefit Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited, announced Don R. Swanson, president of Abel.
Abel will produce 50 signed and numbered illustrated reels with #1 going to Borski and #2 to the Florida conservation organization for their sale, raffle or auction.
The newest fish artist’s representation reel by Abel requires approximately 10 hours to hand paint, and will retail for $1,500.
Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited is a 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization based in South Florida with a worldwide presence. The organization supports or collaborates on research projects throughout the Caribbean and Pacific with a goal to protect and enhance both species by gaining a better understanding of their biology and ecology. It is BTU’s belief “that by bringing together recreational anglers, guides, lodges, the marine industry, and other business interests, they can raise the funds and other support needed to conduct this essential research.”
The organization’s mission statement goals and purposes include –
• To support education, conservation, and research to help understand, nurture and enhance healthy bonefish and tarpon populations;
• To nurture and enhance the bonefish population, initially in the Florida Keys, eventually expanding our horizons globally;
• Serving as a repository for information and knowledge related to the life cycle, behavior and well being of the species;
• Supporting research and gathering information related to the condition of these fisheries, as well as their behavior and life cycles;
• Providing educational material to the public and fishermen;
• Working with regulatory authorities and the public to insure that the laws protecting these species are enforced; and
• Interacting with government agencies to assist in the management and regulations related to bonefish and tarpon.
Borski, a university-trained artist who grew up chasing Wisconsin small¬mouth bass with casting tackle, now gives talks on saltwater fly fishing at the International Game Fish Association and other venues. His contemporary paintings are collected by anglers and birding enthusiasts and are displayed in galleries from Key West to Japan.
Borski paints wildlife art in watercolor, oils and acrylics utilizing bold interpretive strokes. “He has developed into one of the world’s most recognized ‘fish and bird artists’,” according to Swanson.
The Super 12X, a large arbor reel for 11- and 12-weight lines, provides anglers rapid line pick-up capabilities, ideal for tarpon anglers. The reel – designated X for the extra fast line pick-up – was engineered to use Spectra or similar backing. It utilizes Abel’s oblong ported ventilation design, providing full strength and rigidity – critical when recovering hundreds of yards of backing under extreme fish-fighting pressure.
The Super 12X has a diameter of 4.450- and a spool width of 1.125-inches with an arbor of 2.480 inches; the reel weighs 9.7 ounces.
Constructed from cold rolled 6061-T aircraft quality aluminum and anodized against saltwater corrosion using Abel’s proprietary metallurgical process, the Super 12X is fitted with a double pawl system for increased reliability and what has been described as a “high tech sound.”
The spool and frame are interchangeable with either the Abel Super 12 or 4.5 reels, enabling anglers to have two different reels at the cost of about one and one-half.
For information about Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited, contact:
Aaron Adams, Ph.D.
Director of Operations and Research
P.O. Box 2197
Pineland, FL 33945
Abel Super 12X Capacities:
WF11-weight with 350 yards of Spectra
WF12-weight with 300 yards of Spectra
Specifications:
Spool diameter 4.450 inches
Spool width 1.125 inches
Arbor (hub) diameter 2.480 inches
Weight 9.7 ounces
BENNETT J. MINTZ PR/ADV.
22370 Mission Circle
Chatsworth, California 91311
818.718.8566 718.1958 Fax
[email protected]