New products at the 2007 International Sportsmen's Exhibition, San Mateo, CA (continued)
 

Qualia: We were surprised to find a brand new reel manufacturer at the show. Introducing "Qualia," a new brand that is introducing a complete range of reel offerings ranging from ultralight spinning to serious conventional reels. Their goal is to deliver reels to market that are not only high quality, but offer a substantially greater value than normally found on the market. We were also told that many of their reels make use of patent pending designs that also help boost the performance and value of their offerings.  

A new reel manufacturer? Introducing Qualia

The first reel that caught our attention was the Huracan spinning reels. These simple, yet attractive reels feature just what anglers need...no tricks, no wasted bearings, and no unnecessary bling. 

The Huracan is a no-nonsense spinning reel that emphasizes function above all

The Huracan features a patented ultra long support system to remove shaft stress from the oscillation system, ultimately delivering more support for heavy fishing applications.

A head on look at the guts of the Huracan

At the booth they had a demo reel that was cut apart so anglers could get a good look at what really makes these reels unique. The reel's oscillation system is very smooth, and designed to handle braided line. There is generous use of high quality stainless steel throughout the reel's guts, which is good for performance and corrosion resistance. 

From the other side

The Huracan is available in sizes from 20-70 and with gear ratios of 4.75:1, 4.9:1, and 4.2:1. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that these 7BB reels will retail for only 59-89 dollars each. 

The Qualia Q5 ultralight reel

Qualia also showcased a new ultralight combo which makes use of their Q5 reel and a tiny IM6 rod. Little is known about this combo at this time, but we were able to confirm that the entire combo will retail for only 50 dollars! Now that's an amazing value.