Posted on January 04 2017
From Douglas Outdoors:
Douglas Outdoors announces Italian distributor, retailer and publisher, Like A River has been selected to distribute the award winning Douglas Outdoors fly rods and reels throughout Europe with the exception of Germany where Douglas Outdoors has a separate distributor. Like A River currently distributes and retails Douglas Outdoors throughout Italy along with other lines but will exclusively promote and distribute Douglas Outdoors fly rods and reels throughout Europe with the exception of Germany.
John Boyle, Douglas Outdoors Vice President of Sales, said, “Demand in Europe for Douglas has grown tremendously as we continue to receive worldwide recognition and awards. We need partners who are as committed to our products and bringing the fly fishing community a more enjoyable experience as we are, Like A River is that partner.”
Boyle continued, “Like A River was behind Douglas before the DXF was named Best Mid-Priced rod for the two years the series has been on the market and before the new SKY rod series was named the Best Overall Rod in the most recent Yellowstone Angler Shootout. Their belief in Douglas along with their commitment to develop & service a network of Douglas dealers throughout Europe is why we chose to partner with Like A River.”
Emilio Arbizi, Like A River CEO said, “We are excited to partner with Douglas Outdoors. We will be exhibiting at fly fishing shows throughout much of Europe to bring the Douglas rods and reels to people. They have read about Douglas, now they can try them for themselves.” Emilio said, “Our entire team at Like A River is looking forward to our new relationship. We will be including Douglas in each edition of H2O magazine in addition to exhibiting at shows across Europe throughout 2017.”
Boyle noted that in the recent months the increased European demand for Douglas products has shown in the monthly contests Douglas runs. “We have monthly, sometimes bi-weekly online contests where we give away thousands of euros worth of products and we have seen the growing number of registrations from Europe. 40% of winners in a recent contest were from Europe – that is significant.”
Douglas Outdoors understands the diverse needs of the European market. Douglas rod designer Fred Contaoi has fished over 50 different countries on almost every continent. Boyle discussed the importance of Contaoi’s knowledge to the development of each rod series for Douglas, “The range of experiences Fred Contaoi brings to developing each rod is truly unique. Every action on every rod in each series is designed to be dialed in for a specific use, this attention to detail on each rod is completely different from what many other brands do with an action for the entire seires. Fred brings his experience fishing diverse fisheries and techniques into other areas where they may never have been considered. The SKY rod is the first fly rod series in the entire industry to include the Fuji Torzite guides, the most advanced guide ever made. At the end of the day, Fred is always looking for ways to improve the angler’s experience on the water.”
Emilio explained that “Even before Douglas started winning the awards we wanted to know what made Douglas different and what sets them apart. Put their rods and reels in your hands and you will know that answer. The versatility of the range of Douglas rod series from DHF, DXF, Upstream, LRS to the SKY serves the needs of every angler from the absolute beginner to the most highly trained expert at price points that are values at each level. From nymphing to salt water and most fishing in between, Douglas has designed a fly rod for that purpose.”
Emilio continued, “We are committed growing the Douglas Outdoors distribution throughout Europe and are dedicating the resources needed to support the dealer network. We will handle warranties for that network here in Europe and be stocked to meet the dealer demands for Douglas.”
For information on becoming a Douglas Outdoors dealer contact Like A River at Via Guadiana 10, 42124 Reggio Emilia (Italy) tel +39 0522 944041 www.likeariver.it info@likeariver.it
ABOUT LIKE A RIVER
The founders of Like A River, driven by a great passion, have been working for over 25 years in the world of fly fishing and in 2012 Like a River srl started its activity by selling some technical Columbia sportswear apparel. In 2013, following the closure of a leading fly fishing equipment and technical clothing retailer, the company has expanded its staff and opened a 400 sq.m. store in Reggio Emilia which was followed by another one near Milan and a temporary store in Trentino.
After a short time Like a River – also through the prestigious H2O magazine (www.h2omagazine.it), the tour operator Albatros top boat ( www.likeflyfishing.com), which organises fishing trips around the world, the production of films about fishing, the organization of casting and fly making courses, the consulting work with travel agencies- has become the brand of reference in the field of fly fishing. Already known on European market with our production for fly tiers with GBP threads, now stronger with the new collaboration with Douglas Outdoors, will intensify our presence.
Contact:
Via Guadiana 10, 42124 Reggio Emilia (Italy) tel +39 0522 944041 www.likeariver.it info@likeariver.it
ABOUT DOUGLAS OUTDOORS
Douglas Outdoors is owned by a legendary conservation family, the Barclays, in Upstate NY. Douglas Outdoors produces award winning fishing rods and reels for the fly fishing and conventional spin and casting fishing markets. Douglas Outdoors award winning products include the opening price point DHF & LRS fly rod series, the DXF mid-priced fly rod series, ultra-light Upstream series, the new premium SKY series, the MADE IN USA Argus & Argus Rex click check reels along with the Nexus reel series.
For more information about Douglas Outdoors visit www.douglasoutoors.com where you can also sign up for product information updates.
Contact:
John Boyle
Vice President of Sales
Douglas Outdoors, LLC
jboyle@douglasoutdoors.com
Office: 315-695-2000