The Qualia Story

Nearly 40 years ago, we started building reels and rods for most of the major fishing companies. My business partner, Dosh, handled the business side and I designed the products.

At first we supplied parts. As the business grew, we began to develop and patent our own reel and rod designs. We created reels for some of the biggest names in fishing, including Penn, Mitchell, Shakespeare, Abu Garcia and Zebco.

Finally, in a flash of inspired insanity during 2005, we decided to put all of that experience to work and start another company to sell our own brand of reels. We named it Qualia (a play on the word “quality.”)

We realized that there was a gap in the market between lower-quality, mass-market reels and rods sold in big-box stores, and high-quality, expensive equipment sold in specialty shops. There was little attention given to well-made reels with a price that was between those two extremes, especially in the saltwater market .

We wanted to offer high-quality products that were dependable and built to last, but were kind on the wallet. So we decided to design and build reels and rods that filled that need.

We engineered brickhouse products that could be comfortably used in extreme situations. We made precision reels that were purpose-built and designed for dependable fishing. A short series of rods were custom-built and perfectly matched to the reels.

We now have more than three dozen patents, and our business has earned a reputation for reliability and great customer service. We’re based in Novato, a small city just north of San Francisco.

When customers contact Qualia, they talk directly with Dosh or me, and what we both learn from customers goes straight back into improvements for our reels and rods.

Just as it should be.

Jack

Reel Technology

We were going to write about our patents and technologies, but then Richard Brock came along and shot this video. Richard is starting a fishing show for one of the cable networks called Hooked On Adventure. He’s a long-time Qualia user. We thought this video said it all. The only problem he had was a broken guide at the tip of the rod. He also had to pour water on the drag to cool it down. Other than that, the Hemi was on the losing end of the line.

Environmental Impact

Qualia and Water 4 Fish share a commitment to the conservation of our natural resources, and we agree that huge areas of our coastal environment should not be off limits to responsible fishing.

Water 4 Fish is an organization that represents the interests of fishermen and wildlife supporters as California restructures its water policies. The goal is the recovery of our fisheries in this state.

Water 4 Fish advocates for a more environmentally sustainable water policy that will provide enough water for municipal and agricultural use, as well as improve viable fisheries. If you didn’t know, California has been undergoing a crisis in its offshore and river fisheries, and the state is struggling to find solutions to efficiently use limited water supplies.

California’s water wars have escalated, and Qualia supports Water 4 Fish in its efforts to restore sanity to environmental conflicts.

Qualia Warranty

We warrant to the original purchaser that the reel or rod will be free of defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. If something breaks, we’ll either repair or replace the reel or rod. The full warranty is on a PDF and can be found on each of the product pages.

After the warranty has expired, our Service Center that can help with any equipment issues.

Copyright Info

The following product and feature names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Qualia Corporation: Advanz, No-Load Fishing, Balanced Beam Support, Flatline Oscillation, Deep Muddy, MuL, Dependable Extreme Fishing, Extreme Free Spool, and Qualia Fishing.