A Reel Tradition: The Story Behind Galvan Fly Reels
From a humble garage in Sonora to fly shops across the country, the Galvan family has turned precision, perseverance, and love of fishing into a California legacy.
“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, over 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, California 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.
A Visit to Sonora: More Than Metal and Machines
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. Boni and Marcos ushered me to the machining floor. We started at the beginning, where aluminum stock comes in ten-foot-long cylindrical bars that are cut into pucks. At each station, Boni and Marcos explained the operation and made comments alluding to improvements forged over time—“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: “Pick one out to take home and fish.” Boni knows that time on the water is the only way to form a worthwhile opinion.
From the Fields to Fly Reels
After being shown the shiny new reels, I looked 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.
A large flag featuring an Aztec Eagle hung in the office. “What is the flag?” I asked—mostly to redirect my emotions. Boni replied proudly: “That is the United Farm Workers Flag. I grew up working in the fields in California.”
Back in 1982, Boni wanted a change from farm labor and decided 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 openings and signed up. “I didn’t even know what machining was at the time,” he laughed.
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 he could not afford. As a machinist, he figured he could make one. Staying late after work, Boni began his first attempt at a fly reel, borrowing ideas from his bicycle. After many hours and attempts, the first Galvan Fly Reel was born.
Boni set up tools in his garage and kept experimenting until the reels were good enough to sell. Then he and Carmen loaded their four kids into the car for “vacation.” Ignoring advice that he’d need a sales rep to get anywhere, Boni identified fly shops along their route and successfully opened several accounts—on the road, family in tow.
The Turning Point: The Torque
Kurt Lemon, Galvan’s second dealer—picking up the reels just after Kiene’s Fly Shop in Sacramento—recalled Boni and their oldest son, Lou, arriving at his shop over 30 years ago with a few reels wrapped in paper bags. Lou had to stand on his tiptoes to see onto the counter where they were fussing with the reels.
Boni pulled one of his first reels from the lobby display case and handed it to me with a sheepish grin—still proud of what he had built all those years ago. The reel was a far cry from the buttery-smooth, polished reels the family is known for today, but you could see the beginning of The Standard.
When I asked Carmen what the turning point was when business really picked up, her answer was immediate: “When Boni came up with the Torque.”
Galvan has produced nine series of reels: The Standard, The Open Back (OB), Rush LT, Torque, Spoke, Brookie, Grip (a sealed drag for saltwater), G.E.N. (euro nymphing), and the Swing (built on the Grip platform). 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. The Galvan family never rests on their laurels.
A Legacy of Craftsmanship and Family
When I asked Carmen what it was like starting a new venture with four young children, she laughed: “We had nothing to lose, and the family was all together. We had no choice—we had to make it work.” She knew they would, because they were a good family and always did the right thing. “The best part,” she said, “is that I am able to eat lunch with my family every day.”
Marcos put it simply: “There is something here for every member of the family to do.” His sisters, Amanita and Veronica, answer the phone within a ring or two—a genuine rarity in a world of automated machines. Marcos’ wife, Rachelle, sends my orders and always follows with a prompt thank-you. When not running the office, the Galvan women are expertly assembling reels.
Rick Anderson of Fly Fishing Specialties in Sacramento said it plainly: “They pick up the phone—and not only that, you’re speaking to Galvan. I could get rid of any other reel brand in my store and not even notice. Not Galvan.”
Their first sales rep, Jamie Lyle, agreed: “They are good people and make an incredible product. Galvan Fly Reels have been the easiest product I’ve ever had to sell—durable, innovative, elegant, smooth, and well-priced.”
Why We Fish Galvan
Every person I interviewed about Galvan Fly Reels agreed: great people build a great product. This thread runs all the way back to day one. In a world where marketing manipulates, why not choose something real? We vote with our dollars—and I hope you’ll join me in voting for Galvan Fly Reels.
When I asked Boni what he hopes people feel when they hold a Galvan Fly Reel, he didn’t hesitate. “Family,” he said. “That is our name written right there on the reel.”
Originally published in California Fly Fisher magazine.
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