I don't really have a question. But my head is swimming a bit.

Pure Fishing owns Abu Garcia, Mitchell, Fenwick, Berkley, Stren, Spiderwire, among others.

Shakespeare owns All Star, Pflueger, Penn, among others. Of course, Shakespeare produces tackle in their own names - Shakespeare, Supreme, Cajun Line, Ugly Braid.

Now, the company that owns Pure Fishing has recently bought Shakespeare. Pure Fishing and Shakespeare are now sister-companies. The Federal Trade Commision has required Shakespeare to sell off their fishing line brand to Zebco, otherwise the company that owns Pure Fishing and Shakespeare would have had a virtual monopoly on fishing line.

Of course, Zebco owns Zebco, Van Staal, Quantum, among others.

Where is this going, you may ask. Hell, I don't know. It's just so bizarre, I had to write it down. :-/

Well, now you got my brain all knotted up....

               Pure Fishing owns Abu Garcia, Mitchell, Fenwick, Berkley, Stren, Spiderwire, among others                

Sten is owned by Vicious.  They have come out with a several new lines all under Vicious brand.

So Van Staal reels are just $600 Zebco's?  

Stren is not owned by Vicious, which is owned by JBS Fishing, Stren IS owned by Pure Fishing.

 In this day and age I think most industries from banking to car dealerships to fishing tackle are owned or run by a select few of giant mother companies ...

                                   As Ever,

                                    skillet

               Stren is not owned by Vicious, which is owned by JBS Fishing, Stren IS owned by Pure Fishing.      

I hate to say it but you are mistaken

I had dinner last Friday night with the people who own Vicious.   Pure fishing sold  stren and it was purchase by Vicious.  Vicious line is made in the same plant that Stren was made in.

Bud does sound like he has factual information, but the Stren site says Pure Fishing and the Vicious site doesn't mention Stren. Which is not to say that Bud isn't correct, it's just another case of manufacturers' sites being horribly unreliable because of non-timely updates.

Well Bud, if you look at the Jarden Corporation (the company that acquired Pure) Web page, in a news release October 16, Stren is still listed as one of their brands. Now I didn't have dinner with any body but I do know how to read information that is published by a Public corporation that is related to stockhoder information. In addition, there is nothing in the Corporation SEC filings indicating that they sold Stren.

ding! ding!

It don't make a bit of difference to me who own who.  I was just repeating what the the rep of Vicious told at dinner the other night.  He is suppose to get together with me in a couple weeks for a fishing trip and a little bussiness chat and I will ask him to explane it again.

Stren is owned by pure fishing.  The new Berkley Trilene Fluoro and the new Stren Fluoro were released at the same time, have the same diameter/look/feel.  I'd bet my marbles they are the same line.

http://www.purefishing.com/menu.cfm?CFID=2730350&CFTOKEN=35bf58a55de60e11-C553C0A8-AEC0-8309-8E3867C84261C3C7

Stren is a relatively new acquisition by Pure Fishing.   It was purchased from Du Pont.  Since Stren only makes line, I don't know why they would buy it and sell it off right away.  If it's true that Stren has been sold, it could be because the Federal Trade Commission wouldn't let Pure Fishing hold a virtual monopoly on the mono-market.  The company that owns Pure also owns Shakespeare - another new acquisition.  Shakespeare had to sell off its line division (to Zebco) for this very reason.  

My brain hurts.  :-[  

From the JBS (Viscious brand) website

"Dora, Alabama --- JBS Fishing Line, of Pell City, Alabama announced this week that they are branding a new line-up of premium fishing products under the trade name "Vicious". JBS Fishing Line started in the fishing line business over 33 years ago spooling line for DuPont."

Sounds like they did spool for Stren at one time...it is possible they still do, but obviously pure fishing owns the Stren brand now, but JBS may still spool for them.  

            Pure Fishing owns Abu Garcia, Mitchell, Fenwick, Berkley, Stren, Spiderwire, among others            

Sten is owned by Vicious. They have come out with a several new lines all under Vicious brand.

I think the way it goes is, Pure fishing owns the NAME Stren, but Vicious owns the production facility that made Stren before the sale. Vicious is now producing the same line that was Stren, but under their own name.