SHERIDAN — The trio behind O.clarkii Reels plan to utilize a unique fly rod design to help promote local businesses and grow the outdoor industry in Wyoming.
Zac Sexton — who is in charge of marketing, sales and distribution for OCR — said he first learned about semi-automatic fly reels from a friend who lived in England and Scotland. When Sexton looked into buying one, though, he found only low quality ones available and discovered none were made in North or South America.
As a result, Sexton opted to partner with Black Tooth Innovations in Buffalo, which includes OCR business partners Brad Williams and Rodney Fought.
Williams is a Wyoming native, raised in Rawlins, who from an early age had an interest in all things mechanical. He has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Wyoming and experience in concept, design and manufacturing.
In 2017, he and Fought opened an engineering design and CNC machine shop — Black Tooth Innovations — which has since made parts for companies such as Boeing, NASA, JPL, Chevron and Weatherby.
“As we were growing BTI we began looking towards potential products of our own, focusing on the outdoor industry and ;made in Wyoming’ notion,” Fought said.
Shortly after that, Sexton approached the duo at BTI with his ideas on improving fly-fishing products.
Fought said the reel is special because it incorporates multiple never-before-seen features. For example, the reel is a semi-automatic design incorporating a sliding reel foot, adjustable line guide, quick-thread eyelet and sealed geartrain.
So far, Sexton said, the trio has two working prototype reels and the trio is working to acquire materials and manufacture handmade reel cases as well.
The plan, they said, is to promote small businesses by selling the reels only to retail outlets. The reels will also be available online, but only through approved vendors.
As part of the 2022 Sheridan Start-Up Challenge, the guys behind OCR hope to gain enough capital to finish prototyping and market the reel to a worldwide audience.
The prototyping process isn’t without challenges, though. It’s a large investment of time and money that includes redesigning parts, fitting them together and field testing them.
Sexton added that while packaging and establishing a sales network has started, the prototyping has to be completed before sales can begin.
“Once people try out our reels, we expect enough orders to expand our business and become a domineering force in reel design,” Sexton said.
The trio behind OCR will make the case for the product during the Sheridan Start-Up Challenge Pitch Night set for Nov. 1 at the WYO Performing Arts and Education Center. The winners from the challenge will become eligible to apply to the $100,000 seed fund. Locals, too, will have a chance to vote for their favorite Start-Up Challenge finalists.
