Joe Janciuras and his vom Hofe fly reels

Joe Janciuras,- and his new "vom Hofe" fly reels

About four years ago news spread over the web that there was a new reelmaker around,- Joe Janciuras of Rochester, N.Y. His new series of Edward vom Hofe style reels were totally different from any other vom Hofe style renditions by any other maker. No other reelmaker so far since the closing-down of the vom Hofe, Walker and Zwarg workshops has ever offered the delicate construction and unsurpassed esthetics of an authentic original vom Hofe reel.

The fotos Joe Janciuras presented, with some of those even showing minute interior construction details, were possibly the first ever being presented to a wider public. They definitely helped to illuminate what has made and does still make a vom Hofe reel incomparable. A lot of reel afficionados may also have got their first taste of what reelmaking can mean and deliver apart from the all too-familiar CNC designs.

The person behind those amazing flyreels was said to be a very private person, actually prefering to have his dealings and business communication organized by a dedicated agent, so as to secure his full concentration on his work, being solely focussed on all aspects of what it really means to make a vom Hofe reel. As a consequence of some unfortunate confusion with this first website, the person Joe Janciuras himself remained somewhat obscure and remote with no private information available whatsoever, despite an enthusiastic feature in "Robb`s Report" in the February 2007 edition. This state of affairs was surely frustrating to dedicated "s-handle" addicts, at least for myself, a poor, but honest German schoolteacher and amateur rodmaker so far! But not for long! My state of ignorance was definitely terminated by my German rodmakers` friend Olaf Kundrus, who proved himself to be courageous just enough to phone Mr. Janciuras right away after only some few e-mails! Brave man! Well, we do seem to complement each other!

A regular flow of information followed and it was Olaf, of course, who eventually introduced me to Joe Janciuras, and here I am. That a German rodmaker at the moment living in South Korea at the moment is communicating with someone in Rochester, N.Y, and the author here in Germany is a twist of fate, that might perhaps in future serve as the last positive argument for web communication.

The rest is.... , do not ask,- you are just reading it!

Not only a reelmaker would call this a good handful! And, by the way, this foto is a tell tale one,- three prototypes for the all-aluminium "raised pillar"?

Rochester calling

Its my phone. The "001....." in the display. Long distance call,- it´s Joe!

„Hi Wolfhard , Joe here, how you are doing?” “Hi Joe, good to talk to you!"

"Wolfhard, by the way , how about using a “Wohlhaupter”? “A what ....?"

"A Wohlhaupter! It`s made in Germany!................."

Well, at least 99,9 % of all Germans might have never heard of that prestigious toolmaking company, whose name has become synonymous with high-precision boring heads. No wonder,- they invented it. Each and every longdistance talk with Joe Janciuras left me in a state of contemplation about exotic words and names opening up an entirely different world of industrial semantics. Never had I believed I would have to check the internet for words like "acorn-die" or "trepan-tool"! And what on earth is a "jo-block? Which essentially 19th century craft is meant with "spinning", what kind of numeric secrets are veiled by the term "16 gauge"? What is a "spider-washer" ? Is it the title of the latest Hollywood block-buster?

What can I say,- it`s a long way to go! This is what can happen to you, when Joe Janciuras is going to help you with your first flyreel! But it`s fun, and facing a problem and finding myself in a state of being utterly ignorant about it, my phone may ring again with the 001....

The story

About four years ago Joe Janciuras had the chance to examine one of the most admired "s"-handle-reels" of all times, no other than the Edward vom Hofe "Perfection" and from then on aimed and dedicated his further interest on these reels.


Two vintage authentic vom Hofe reels

A time-consuming and intensive research followed concerning the historical details in the many different design variations. Communication with collectors and flyfishing historians was established. The search for suitable materials,- the different metals,- was of course no problem for Joe Janciuras as a "metal-man",- nickel or "German" silver, "naval" brass, so-called "Tobin" bronze, springy materials, sorts of exotic alloys, you name it,- Joe can tell you about "all sorts of little troubles" involved in the choice of materials.

Here we have front and back plates in different stages of finish

An essential problem was to find a supplier for high grade ebonite good enough for the purpose. And this is only one decisive aspect among many others. Joe is extremly conscious and demanding with his suppliers of ebonite. All of them so far had to produce not only ebonite, but also answers to questions stretching their job to the extreme and challenging their everyday routine.

Only a few people know that ebonite or more profane "hard rubber" is available in many different variants from the still numerous, but nevertheless dwindling number of manufacturers on the world market. It is not a uniform standardized material right off the shelf, as most people might believe. Ebonite is essentially man made and its production hasn`t changed since its invention and widespread introduction in the early 19^th century. The ebonite manufacturer can choose from different quality grades of the basic ingredients, he can run his oven full throttle or economize on energy consumption in the "tempering" process, - the grinding, heating and melting of the substances, and finally, the moulding of the material!

Can you have it in rods with sufficient large diameters, or rather as flat "pizza" shaped discs? And it is made to order in rather small quantities. We do not talk about industrial dimensions. Good ebonite is a very refined "artificial" material and may not be confused with cheap industrial grade "plastics" like,- for example "Delrin". Would you believe that you can ask for only one ebonite disc of the size of a puck? Of course you have to pay for it! It all depends on the maker and his standards,- man-made with all its pros and cons!For all those not familiar with the term, ebonite is the standard material for pipe mouthpieces and high class fountain-pens. Could you imagine your favorite smoker with a delrin mouthpiece? Sure you can`t! Signing an international treaty with a Delrin-pen? Why settle with cheap stuff for your fly-reel? Another reelmaking detail,- most people would likely accept "Delrin" , and this is just one example,- as a "high grade" material. And some reelmakers leave nothing to their customers` imagination. In comparison to standardized plastics different samples of Ebonite show distinct variations in colour, strength, machinability and temperature reaction. Needless to mention that it can be quite expensive and therefore helps considerably to add up to the price tag.

About three years ago Joe made about 20 prototypes of different variants of the "Perfection" and among them a sample of the "raised pillar" model with aluminium sideplates, an extremely rare historic model,- only made by vom Hofe on special order. Then Joe Janciuras presented these exact "re-creations" of the "Perfection" model, Joe avoids the term "copy", on his website in the"Trout" and "Salmon" sizes. Well, there they were,- almost in a possible reach,- and really got me checking my financial status because the price range of a Janciuras with more than 3,000 US $ means a substantial investment in your fishing tackle.

On the other hand, original samples of a vom Hofe in good working condition have achieved a legendary status among flyfishermen and collectors in the US and demand top prices. To own an orginal, vintage "Perfection" or even the less complex "Peerless" may only be a distant dream for most of us, when we have to realize the current prize trend with the leading auction houses and the internet. As well as with the Hardy Perfects, the smaller, the more seldom, the more attractive, the most expensive.And so we are talking of a realistic price tag of about 10000 US $ for a good "Perfection" in an attractive small size, including auction costs.

Since the launch of his website Joe has become a kind of "enfant terrible" among the top US reelmakers and with taking care of his dealings himself, his limited series for the 150 years anniversay of Orvis definitely established him as ranking among the very top among the so-called "bench-made" reelmakers worldwide.

Here we have the first 10 of the limited Orvis Anniversary run.

Who is the man?

Being 63 years of age and born in Lithuania into the final chaos of WW II he came to the US as a child. Now he lives in Rochester, N.Y with his wife Ann of German roots and they have strong holds here. Joe has retired some years ago from managing his own metal shop and now he is, well, family man and just a reelmaker!

Not being the type to let the days just pass, Joe had kept some of his smaller "bench size" conventional machinery. The Swiss made industrial standard, state of the art CNC giants had to go. (Joe has kept some smaller "Wohlhaupters", though!)

Being a flyfisher he used his skills to to machine a clone of the historic Hardy "brass face Perfect" . With using appropriate chemical treatments he could produce such an original finish, that people asked him, assuming an restoration project, why he had "machined off" the beautiful "rod in hand" logo!

Joe Janciuras just loves questions like that one!

Joe in his workshop in 2007

But he really started to work on the real reels, when his granddaughter ...... , say no more, just stay tuned! !

Why are Janciuras reels a breed apart?

Of course there are other small reel-making workshops whose reels are designed in the so-called "vom Hofe Style", a term that has become synonymous for a whole category of fly reels and which are accordingly described and marketed as such.

But do they really live up to their elusive pedigree? For the buyer of those, wishful thinking can be helpful.

The "Peerless", probably the most famous vcm Hofe reel with the original model number 355, can almost be called the " mother of all fly reels"! It is the forefather of all "s-handle"-reels with its design originating from about 130 years ago.

Model 360, the "Perfection", introduced a few years later than the "Peerless" is considered by many to be the finest and most beautiful flyreel ever made. Period!


_{From the original catalogue}	Two Perfections from the first Orvis batch

But when you compare all these modern "vom Hofe style" or "s-handle" reels with an original one, it immediately becomes evident, that all these "successors" do not have anything in common at all with Edward vom Hofe reels, except a kind of "s-handle" and a simple color scheme,- sideplates black and rims bright! That`s about all.

(By the way,- the "s" in "s-handle" stands for "serpentine" not just simply for the letter.)

Without any name-dropping it can safely be said that vom Hofe`s authentic production methods, his construction principles, the delicate functions and his materials are not used and realized by anyone among those modern reelmakers.. At the best you can only find some details like the handrolled and hard-brazed German Silver bands for the sideplates. At least there is one maker who pays a tribute to the originals in using silver bands.

To make this point entirely clear, one has to ask,- why do the makers of contemporary "s-handle"–reels not try to incorporate authentic "vom Hofe design" features into their reels? I`m sure they would meet the demands of the fishermen with an approach closer to the vom Hofe originals even more to the point. A constant interest at least among the more tradionally equipped flyfishermen, especially of the bamboo fraternity can be taken for guaranteed.

Most certainly the highly complex manufacturing process of a basically 19^th century handmade product is decisive for the way most modern vom Hofe style s-handle reels look like. Or I could say, this process is prohibitive for them for being really nice and desirable reels, reels that everybody longs for to own and fish. Another comment could answer it quite frankly,- the making of an authentic vom Hofe reel is either just too difficult or too demanding, or, for others,fair enough, not economically justifyable.

Of course, economy sets its own rules, and so each maker has set to up his own business framework.

The enormous investment of time-consuming handwork in the making of a true-to-the-Original vom Hofe results in a calculation, which is almost impossible to materialize today.

This might serve as a convincing argument against advanced "high end" reelmaking, but,- bear in mind,- first and for all it is a challenge of motivation, enthusiasm, imagination and knowledge and, of course, the indispensable skills of the craft.

And another ingredient to the formula, - a certain zest and spirit! But you have to go for it!

Here comes Joe Janciuras!

His reels are in a different league, not only because they revive the esthetically pleasing appearance of the true to the original proportions and minute details, but also, and this is perhaps the most important fact, because he realized the original vom Hofe "Silent Tension Automatic Drag System" according to the US patent dating from 1879.

Even without this ingenious invention vom Hofe reels would be unique just because of their sheer beauty, but with this special drag function they have an appeal that is truely incomparable.

It was about 50 years ago when Otto Zwarg`s workshop, the direct successor of Edward vom Hofe, had to close his shop in St. Petersburg, Florida. There the last reels with the vom Hofe drag were manufactured.

Joe Janciuras can certainly be established as the only candidate for that historic line-up, short enough, though!

Well, to be historically correct, there was one other modern reelmaker of high reputation who tried his talent on a limited run of "Perfection" reels with that infamous drag. Suffice it to say that this project came to halt after a number of about 20 finished reels. The rare fotos of these samples reveal tell-tale details for the knowledgeable few and, to put it quite frankly,- a more than just lenient neglect of authentic proportions.

What is so special about Edward vom Hofe`s reels?

As I already mentioned, it`s the incomparable esthetics, but then there is the legendary drag system.

The original drawing with the patent application from 1879 appears to be rather filigree. It would be impossible to rebuilt it just from that illustration. No doubt, that the construction and function is very delicate.

The essential functional principle is the fact, that the braking power is not exerted on the spool arbor, that is the effective axis, where the the torque is highest. This is the basic principle with the majority of other fly reels with a drag system more advanced than just a "click and drag" system

With the vom Hofe "Silent Tension Automatic Drag System" braking power is effective excentrically and directly on the outsides of the spoolplates and therefore avoiding, or may I say, by-passing or simply "neglecting" the extreme energy that can be generated by the spool arbor in the reel center.

Well, this principle means a high and efficient drag resulting from only a moderate power input. That the moving parts of this drag system are extremly low in weight and do not really add-up to the total weight of the reel, is a very welcome side-effect.

Illustration from the patent application dating from 1879

No one with a sense of reason would accept a car or even a bicycle break system working on the axis directly with that logic in mind,- but, in fact, with cars we do have to live with it for a lot of good arguments.

Here comes the "good old disc drum" system, which is the standard for some highly prestigious and well-known reelmakers. Of course the "disc" basically only serves the function to "expand" the spool axis with its extreme torque away from its own center with no direct contact to the the spoolplates. It is as a kind of transmitting element within that system and also just one more part of the reel, that practically could be done away with.

The disc-drum is the exact negative complement to the vom Hofe drag. It needs a lot more of material and that adds up to weight that has to be compensated for somewhere else. To put it quite frankly,- there`s no way a reelmaker can possibly disguise the essential clumsiness of a disc-drum-brake. Also it hinders good fishing! Any disc drum system I have come to fish with has had the handle on the other side of the reel. Ok then, if you can change hands with your rod to adjust drag while playing the fish of your lifetime, no problem!

With a vom Hofe „Perfection" trout reel you adjust the drag by turning a small knurled wheel directly underneath the handle. So you only have to stop cranking in, but you don`t have to change hands. Any flyfishermen with some experience will tell you that this can make the difference of either landing a fish or not.

It`s as simple as that.

This drag adjusting wheel is basically an integral part of the reel`s front bearing, though it doesn`t look as such. So while setting the drag you actually have the front bearing making a circumferential movement around the spool axis or -arbor within a range of 120 degrees (180 with the salmon models!) Please note the red dots and the drag adjuster`s pointed little indicator!

The inner side of the front bearing is machined as a three-step cam (thus 120 degress,- got it?) that can be set, as we have understood, in different positions around the arbor whether in standstill or rotating.

The three-step-cam is then engaged with another complementary reversed cam, which is part of the so-called "brake-arm" , that is positioned in between the front-plate and the adjacent spool-plate. That is the reason for the curved shape of the spool-plates so as to provide some space for thsi drag design.

The brake-arm itself is also moveable around the arbor. According to the pre-set position of the drag adjuster its initial cam presses the arm concentrically against the spool plate, when line is pulled off, thus "automatically" !

The brake-arm is made from springy phosphorous bronze and of, course, ther`s no metal-to-metal contact, but tiny leather-pads at both ends.

And there is a tiny, very delicate "spider-washer" that disengages the brake-arm from intensive contact with the spool-plate when line is reeled in.

The weakest drag position of this system is set to prevent the entirely free movement of the spool and the hassle of line overrun. The strongest, most extreme position should suffice to control a decent sea-trout.

Foto of transparent fully operating display-reel: Joe made this reel with transparent side-plates to make this fascinating mechanism more understandable. At the right you can see the click & pawl mechanism, here without the oil-cap.

Here the brakearm is not hidden by the handle.

Most flyfishermen may not want to be bored by lengthy technical descriptions, so let`s stop here! However, I`m convinced that whoever has the rare chance of fondling a well-maintained vom Hofe reel will be thoroughly fascinated by the simple "feel" of it.

Practical fishing or mere nostalgia?

Do we talk about a mere nostalgic curiosity resuscitated from the deepest tombs of flyfishing history? A peculiar and twisted extravaganza? Elusive luxury for the hidden collector`s vault?

Or are there any practical advantages for today`s flyfishing when competing with all those refined hi-tech CNC-machined on the market?

I do think so, and I also think there is unique advantage to the vom Hofe drag.

The drag here does not happen at an instant with its full momentum, it does not come abruptly. The braking effect is in fact built up continuously and smoothly from almost zero up to the preadjusted limit. Remember, the brake-arm has first "to work" itself from "idle" to its final position. So there is a certain delay until both leather pads find their pont of maximum pressure on the spool-plate. So even the finest tippets meet a much more subtle support from a vom Hofe reel than with most other reels.

This can make for the decisive difference whether to land a fish or not.

Also the springy quality of the brake arm exerts a dampening effect on the spinning spool, and – the system is self-cleaning!

The fisherman who actually puts one of Je`s reels to good use and does not ban it to a cabinet is rewarded by its historic construction in still another way. As it is the case with many other traditional hand-made quality products his reels profit from regular though careful use. They will develop a distinct patina as a kind of personal profile of its user.,- or, to put it more simple,- they will get more beautiful with age.

Joe delivers his reel with the ebonite sideplates in an immaculate high gloss finish. This will of course not last forever despite his special and secret surface treatment. But constant handling will keep a nice satin gloss, that can be enhanced by an occasional polishing with high grade restoration wax. It will change its color tone towards the brownishside and may even develop different shades of that. Don`t worry, compare it with fine old saddle leather, just indistinguishable marks of time.

Also little scratches won`t really be a nuisance. In case they bother you they can be polished out. German Silver will have a nice yellowish patina and look even more valuable. A vom Hofe reel will take and absorb signs of use in a completely different fashion than a reel made of anodized materials which most likely will just look worn and shabby.

Handmade by Joe Janciuras

Here this term does not come handy as the proverbial euphemism but really means what it says. Of course you can`t do without a lathe, a mill, drill chuck, but these machines are manually controlled and set. Each and every single part is is made by Joe himself. Well, he has to,- where would you ask to buy tiny screws made from German silver?

In the process Joe doesn`t only assemble parts, - these are first fine-tuned and surface treated, rough edges are broken, flats are ground and polished and everything is precisely matched and adjusted. His machines just deliver the raw parts. Only the finished reel displays them as being made for each other and renders,- almost "radiates" a kind of harmonious wholeness of form, function and material, which words can only insufficiently describe.

Of course you have a "luxury" product in its true sense, what else? But this is not something Joe intends to create as his prime objective first of all, it rather comes automatically and second and therefore equals other artifacts like a musical instrument, an Attolini suit,... you name it.

The attention to detail can be can easily be ascertained with a close look at the s-handle. Wheras other reelmakers just use the raw part with only little and moderate overall polishing and clearly visible and definite remains of the machining process, Joe needs a minimum of one full working hour of finishing, before it is complemented with its handle and the counterbalance and mounted on the reel. The edges are carefully rounded, but only at the front side, its inner side stays rather rectangular. The round corners at each side are, of course excluded from this rounding, because you wouldn`t like round edges where the counterbalance weight and the handle knob are placed, wouldn`t you?

During this filing process these areas are protected with little discs, which are then removed. As a consequence a raw handle treated this way cannot just simply be used either on a right or a left-hand version. It`s made to stay.

An aside comment for the metal-worker: you need only 6 working points for the s-handle of another well-known reelmaker to have it made on a mill,- for a vom Hofe shape handle you need 15.

The reelfoot is milled from a solid piece of German silver or aluminium, again a time consuming part of the deal. Other makers just combine 2 or more parts or just use a simpler design.


		Here you can see the making of the so-called "pawl", the "clicker", of which 9 are made from one piece of marine alloy brass. About 50 steps are included in this process and then comes the finishing, smoothing the corners and polishing.

Especially the surface treatment of the ebonite sideplates takes its time toll, since the final polishing cannot be done mechanically. Also these sideplates with their grooves and mounts are turned with a light conical taper, and these profiles mustn`t be excessively violated during the polishing. So there are "all sorts of little troubles" as Joe likes to put it.

I could go on and on with details like that and when you ask Joe about the effort involved, he would most probably answer: "I do it the hard way, not the easy way, I leave that to others!" This statement can serve as his general motto and he is well aware of the fact, that the attitude behind it is difficult to communictate even to demanding flyfishermen.

What is most difficult to communictae is the fact, that this traditional way of manufacturing and constructuction does not only define and determine the function of the reel, but also, maybe even more important, its ethetic appearance,- its "appeal".

Here the vom Hofe reels excel, no contest. In stern contrast to it you may look at another s-handle "vom Hofe style" reel with its reel cage milled from a piece of standard aluminium tubeware. What do you expect to look the finished reel look like? You name it,- just like a piece machined from a standard size aluminium tube! And when you can ascertain its original wall strength, the more questionable.

That`s way off the often called for "vom Hofe tradition"!

Joe Janciuras and Orvis

Joe`s approach to make reel eventually found the recognition of one of the owners of the Orvis company. He spotted one of the prototypes, one of Joe`s friends had brought into his office.

Another prototype was then finished on order and presented to the company`s inner circle for approvement. Then in 2006 a limited and numbered special edition "Perfection" reel and a complementary "Orvis impregnated" bamboo rod was offered by Orvis to mark the companys 150^th anniversary.

This order was decisive for Joe`s recognition and standing as a reelmaker and made his name known outside the vintage tackle grapevine and the knowing few.

Last year there was another cooperation with Orvis resulting in a series of ten of the all-aluminium raised-pillar model again with a matching Orvis bamboo rod. Joe was the first maker since the thirties of the last century to have realized this model, which had originally never been catalogued and advertised. It is said that only one or two original reels have survived with collectors.


Here we have one of the rare originals

One might tend to think now that Joe has now safely established himself as the "Chief Orvis reelmaker" and his workshop as a kind of "outsourced" Orvis supplement. Joe rather views his cooperation with Orvis as a kind of prolific "historic" accident, one that enabled him to put the name "vom Hofe" back on the agenda and make it perhaps the hottest name in reelmaking again. Of course the enormous standing of Orvis has been the other too-good-to-be-true factor.

Also he does offer an authentic recreation of the "Peerless", which just offers a basic drag design to prevent line overrun and a click and pawl with a silent "poacher`s "setting.

Even for that simplified "blue-print-like" design flyfishermen had to wait for generations despite the numerous CNC born "vom Hofe Style" versions.

From the second limited Orivis release,- Joe`s rendition of the "raised pillar-model"

Last, but not least, Joe presented the Peerless, left with another "Raised pillar" and above.

The most important vom Hofe models are available brand new and those around meanwhile have left their impact as manifestations of quality on the flyfishing public despite their limited quantities. Can I call these a "landmark"?

What is it all about?

The more Joe has devoted his time and skill on "vom Hofe" the greater his respect grew. And consequently he doesn`t see his work not as a selfish ego-trip, but as the "continuation", as he calls it, of the vom Hofe reelmaking tradition.

He`s the first reelmaker since the closing down of the vom Hofe workshops in Brooklyn and later in Philadelphia who can make you a "Perfection" as a kind of normal routine. The larger and slightly less complicated drag versions in the salmon sizes were last made by Otto Zwarg in 1957 in Florida, who had been the former head of the vom Hofe workshop and until the early 70ties by the Walker family in New York.

Joe`s interests do encompass several aspects of "vom Hofe" reelmaking. First of all there`s research work concerning all the reels` variants. Joe is cooperating on short notice with Mr. Hoagy Carmichael, who surely does not need any introduction as foremost expert of classic fishing tackle.

Maybe better known for his authority with bamboo rods, Mr. Carmichael is also not at all less knowledgeable when it comes to the historic New York City "reel-making-tradition"! His archives must be a place of their own!

For some rare originals Joe is not at all reluctant even with simple repair or overhaul jobs, curiosity to face a job aside from routine makes the difference for him. Just come and ask!

But concerns like that have to be put into a wider perspective/ set against a wider horizon.

There`s the other side of his focus,- he means to spread information to the public about the vom Hofe reels` inherent quality. This does consume a good proportion of his time allowance.

Also he would like to have his know-how documented in theory and practice and I hope I can provide some sort of remote assistance.

To make this point entirely clear,- no doubt about it,- of course there`s Joe Janciouras, but first of all there`s Edward vom Hofe,- his legacy comes first.

Joe has left a definite mark of his own and sure he did not come up with a step-down!

His latest work does produce some variations of vom Hofe designs, but more about those in another report!

And here is a first glimpse, a raised pillar size 1.0 with Ebonite inlays, originally a Julius vom Hofe design, but here combined with Edward`s "Adjustable automatic tension drag", here is the first prototype.

Rochester calling!

"Hi Wolfhard! Joe speaking! What about the magazine article?"

"It`s finished"

"Hope people like it"

So do I! And I promise to go on now with reel prototype number 2, number 1 having been field-tested now for the second season.

Author releasing a rainbow in the Schwarzach, near Lienz, Austria,- 1st German "Peerless"! Thanks to Joe`s support!

The real story

Well, this report does not only come to you as maybe reelmakings most unbelievable tell-tale heart! There`s more to it than just the gist you have just picked up here ! And it is only the gist of it, I tell you,- please, do not ask!

How did it it really start?

It`s a little "girl",- or shall I rather say "lady",- that it is all about and she happens to be Joe`s granddaughter Nathalie!

When Joe showed her numerous pictures of all sorts of different historic fly reels, she just pointed out the all-aluminium-raised-pillar vom Hofe, the scarcest of them all! That really got him going! Who could have resisted her? No chance!

Good girl! Good grandfather!

Fotos Copyright. Jim Brennan, Joe Janciuras, Wolfhard Schulz

Joe Janciuras died on Monday, March 14th, 2011, due to complications from a heart attack.

With great sadness I had to face the news about his passing. His message concerning reelmaking was very clear: no shortcuts,- no compromise! Joe Janciurias re-established the legendary reel-design of Edward vom Hofe as an all-time classic,- being the one maker that changed it all: no more acceptance for half-hearted and self-acclaimed followers,- but authentic re-creations as highly attractive present- day fishing tackle, just too good to be true.