LH Design Reels

Sapphire 4/5

Leen Huisman of Holland is the man behind LH Design. His reels are perhaps the finest example of craftsmanship in reel making that I have ever seen. All of his reels are made from 100% pure titanium. This material is incredibly strong, looks beautiful on a fly reel, and is completely corrosion proof. LH Design makes reels in seven different series. Series A models have Bickerdyke line guards made from stainless spring steel, are available in two sizes for line weights #1-6, and are silent in both directions. Series B reels are traditional enclosed reels with a full cage frame in four sizes designed for #1-8 weights. There are also Series AA and Series BB Lightweight reels which look very similar to the standard models A and B, but have no drag system. They feature just a simple two-way click system. The Syntex drag on all drag models through the 6/7 size is incredibly smooth and has more than enough range to handle fish that would be pursued with a reel of that capacity. Leen has moved toward a center-mounted disc drag that has considerably more range on all models from the 8 weight sizes on up. The Sapphire 4/5 (also known as the series E) features a sketetal frame, and has spools made from P.E.I. which is a space age polymer, and has the same two-way click system of the AA and BB. They look as if they have been machined from amber. It's a great way to get a titanium-framed reel for only $995.00. There is also a titanium spool available for the Sapphire. For $1195.00 you can get the frame, one PEI spool, and one titanium spool. I try to keep the Sapphire models in stock at all times.

New for 2010, though rumored for a couple of years, is the Amber trout reel. This combines a very traditional, S-handled look in titanium with PEI sideplates. It's slightly larger than the Sapphire, and I would rate it as a 5/6 reel. This is a joint venture between Leen Huisman of LH Design and Alex Kaplun of Megoff. I will also make every attempt to keep the Ambers in stock, also. The photos will be up very shortly. Look for a spey-sized Amber soon!

All the other models can be personalized in many ways and are essentially custom made to your desires. They make about 30 reels a year and will probably only be able to export about half of those each year to me. If you want one, be prepared to spend a few minutes on the phone getting everything worked out and also expect a very open-ended shipping date. If you are not willing to wait perhaps several months or more (hopefully less than that most of the time) you need to look for a different reel. Leen has been very explicit that he will not be rushed; reels will be delivered when they are finished! I have used several LH Design reels and they are fantastic fishing implements as well as being beautifully designed and constructed. It should also be noted that Leen makes superb cane fly rods. He has one, two, and three piece designs with one or two tips and an optional leather case for prices in the $800.00-1350.00 range. If this is of interest to you please contact me, and I'll give you more information. You need to understand a couple of points regarding prices. First of all, the raw titanium prices have gone up significantly the last few years, as has the PEI that he uses in the Sapphire spools. Also, the dollar continues to fluctuate against the Euro. Since I have to pay him in Euros, I have to convert the equivalent prices into American dollars. When the Euro and the US dollar were within a few pennies of each other I just quoted the same price in dollars. Since the value of the US dollar has slipped significantly in the last couple of years, I have converted the Euro price into dollars. If these values continue to fluctuate wildly, I may end up having to show the prices in Euros and then provide a hotlink to a currency conversion site. Since the dollar is slightly stronger against the Euro right now, these prices are a little lower than 2008. One other point. The sizes and models that have been discontinued are still available on a special-order basis. That means the price will probably be higher than they were, but at least they're available. This would include the Series C and Zircon (Series D) which were eliminated from the regular listings. Call or e-mail me for more details including specs.

The new saltwater models are now available. The prices range from $8500.00 to $9050.00 for the three sizes. In talking to a few people who have seen these (Leen brought a Tarpon model to the Sommerset, NJ show recently) they are supposed to be incredible examples of the reelmakers art. And they were designed and built to use, not just collect. They feature the new center mounted cork disc drag that Leen has developed. Finally, expect a few surprises from Leen for 2011. I'll update this page when those surprises are finally announced.

The Sapphire and Amber models are kept in stock and the price shown is guaranteed and should only change when Leen raises his prices, which he hasn't done for several years, or when I have to order more and the Euro/Dollar exchange is different. Of course, that may mean the price could come down as well as go up.

The other models that I have mentioned above and have listed below I'm going to not be carrying, at least for the time being. The Euro/Dollar situation has made doing so almost impossible with such small margins between wholesale and retail, which of course helps keep the price lower for you. I'll be glad to answer questions for you on each of these models and will help you contact Leen directly to place your order.

As noted above, the reels listed below are available only by going through LH Design in Holland directly. Contact me by phone or e-mail to get contact information for them.

Series A and AA

Series A and B

The Beaverkill is the B series of reels with incredible engraving on the backplate. Each comes in its own mahagony presentation box. The set of all three in one presentation box designed for all three reels is $22,995.00. The #3 model is $7395.00, the #4 is $7775.00, and the #5 is $7875.00.

The Saltwater series also consists of three reels and each has a hand engraved backplate showing the fish for which the reel was named. A set of all three in a walnut presentation box with a titanium name plate is $26,500.00. The 7/8 Bonefish is $8500.00, the 9/10 Tarpon is $8950.00, and the 11/12 Sailfish is $9050.00.