Fly Fishing Retailer '07: Redington Gets Mid-Priced and Women's Styling Right

After getting the tour of Redington’s extensive lineup of products for 2008, the thing that stuck in our minds was that they continue to make smart decisions about mid-priced products. Beyond giving what is probably the largest number of options in fly fishing ready-to-fish outfits (I mean, come on, 4 packages including an outfit that includes a large-arbor rulon-drag reel, backing, a Crosswater rod, and a weight-forward line with pre-attached leader for under $150), they show design wisdom that seems to be missing in many high-end products. Two good examples are their choice of black felt for wading boot soles and their elegant detailing on products for women. The women’s waders and boots are distinctively feminine without being over-the-top — examples of those rare items you could buy for your wife or girlfriend be fairly sure they wouldn’t be returned. And although their $130 breathable Stratus II wading jacket might be their top seller, we liked the $65 stretch PVC Hunter River just fine. We’ll pick the double-front storm flap in a wicked, wet blow any day.
For more info, visit the Redington Web site.