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Brock Arifovic

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Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 19, 2009, 07:39:13 PM
To everyone here on the forum, I was sent an email last night from Eric Le Guyader, which most of you will know is the maker of Orion lures, asking if I knew anything or the guys behind the link below.

Please have a look at this:

have a look at :   http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=23843&forum_id=67

I mentioned to Eric that i would put up a post here to make you all aware of what is out there & that there is someone out there copying his lures, using the same names as his lures & changing the colors of them.

If you are after Orion lures Eric has mentioned on this forum to contact him direct & he is happy to make them for you.

Please show respect to Eric & only by "Original Orions" not copies.

Any thoughts??

Andre van Wyk

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 19, 2009, 08:05:13 PM
Hi Brock,

Thank you for posting this up here, as JigStar Africa is my company, a specialist Jigging and Popping Tackle company based in South Africa, and these images were taken and put up without our consent and without permission from JigStar Africa, and of course without Eric's consent.

I have just sent a mail off to Eric apologising for the fact these were put up, and I had the moderators of that website remove the thread from the forum last night already.

In brief to explain the situation, JigStar Africa are looking at a number of options for making our own poppers and stickbaits, as we want to make high quility products available to the local market. Unfortunately with the incredible price of most top end lures, and the poor exchange, this puts most lures well out of reach for most South African anglers.

We took some of Eric's original lures and wanted to understand more about how they are made and manufactured, as I have been so impressed with the toughness and build quality of them, and we wanted to build lures just as well.
The company who did the tests and analysis for us then took it upon them selves to build some of them, in exact ciopies of the originals we provided for testing, to show that it could be done, right down to the colour schemes.

Please note that it was never our intention to make copies of these lures, and never to pass them off as Orion's, or to sell them as JigStar Africa poppers that were exact copies. The only thing we wanted to do was to see if we were able to manufacture lures with similar materials, rather than wood poppers and stickbaits.

JigStar Africa will be designing and manufacturing our own design of lures, poppers and stickbaits, which will not be copies of Orion Lures, and will expressly not marketed as such. The shapes, styles, apintworks and fisnish will be completely different, and in no way resemble any Orion Products.

I hope this will clear the matter up, as we have no intention of copiying any products, especially from someone us highly respected and valued as Eric le Guyader and I apologise profusely for the fact that these images were put on a public forum, and for any confusion they caused in any way. I will repeat these images were not taken by us, nor were they put up on a fiorum by us, and have been removed off said forum.

I hope that anyone who reads this will understand that I personally have way to much respect for all lure builders and makers and anglers to attempt to try and undermine someone's reputation and business, and I would like to make a public apology to Eric le Guyader for these images popping up, and I hope that in the next couple of weeks we will be able to show you all the range of ORIGINAL JigStar Africa Poppers and Stickbaits, with roiginal shapes, designs, colours and finish. The only thing they will share with Orion's is that they will be of similar material construction.

Please don't hesitate to contact me for any further questions, and I hope that I have the understanding of the Forum members here, as I have a great respect for all of you, our fellow anglers, tackle manufacturers and suppliers, and that is something I would never want to tarnish in any way shape or form.

My thanks for your understanding and my apologies once again for this confusion.

Regards
Andre
JigStar Africa

 
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Eric Le Guyader

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 01:03:50 AM

Eric Le Guyader

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 01:06:00 AM
More pics

Eric Le Guyader

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 01:09:06 AM
more pics

Eric Le Guyader

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 01:10:55 AM
more pics

Andre van Wyk

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 01:39:26 AM

Eric,

Firstly my thanks for your reply, and I understand your concerns, and your feeling of anger at the thought of your lures and products, which you have put so many years into developing and testing and getting them to the level at which they are today.

Secondly, I sent a mail to you first thing this morning, to both address on your website, www.orionlure.free.fr, both of which were bounced back to me, and I sent a third one to the address you have posted up in this forum under the Orion Lures thread that you yourself posted in the Tackle and Techniques section of the thread. Please let me know if you didn't recive it, and please give me an address to which I can forward the mail.

I asked the moderator of sealine to remove the images for the very reason that we didn't want ourselves associated with lures that are direct copies of yours. These images were taken, by someone else, as I said, and shot on one of our brochures which is the yellow and black logo bearing behind each lure. I did not put this with these lures, and this is why I asked for them to be removed.

Yes my business partner did contact you, for the reasons of aquiring some of your lures, not to directly copy, but, as explained, to see if we could somehow figure out how you built them, materials and technique wise, and try to build our ouwn lures in a similar way.

Regarding the lures on display at the stand. We did not take any orders for them, from retairs or traders of any kind at the show, because we had no plan to trade with them in anyway whatsoever. We had them on display merely as examples of high end poppers and stickbaits, which are not availble here in South Africa at all, and very few, if any South African anglers have seen such. What is displayed in the images posted, is all the lures we have, the builders made 3 of each. The Show was a public open show, not a Trade show.

I understand, and I do respect the amount of time, skill and effort you have taken into developing your lures, and the reasons they have become so popular with anglers around the world, with good reason.
I hope you can understand that as I have said, we have no desire or plan to make any copies of your lures for resale purposes in any way shape or form. Part of what makes your lures so great is that they have been designed and built and tested by a great angler like yourself, and people know and understand that, as do I. For us to try and jump onto that band wagon would be foolish as well as disrespectful.Your lures are so unique, obviously, look at the pictures of them, for us to try and blatantly copy them, would be crazy.

Once again I would like to apologise for what you have taken us to be attempting to do, and I hope that you can take my word, that what I have said to you, regarding the fact that we are not making copies of your lures, nor had any plans to do so.

We wish to be as open a business as possible Eric, and we want to establish a solid reputation right from the start, and establish that on respect, good products and good service. One doesn't do that by copying a highly respected and valued member of the angling community. One does that by working hard to bring quality service and products to your clients, and creating unique products, original products which set you apart from everyone else, much like you have done.

I hope this clears the matter somewhat, and again I apologise profusely for this matter even existing at all in the first place.
Please be sure to put up an e-mail address to which I can send you a mail if you have not yet recieved my mailsfrom this morning.

 My Thanks for your time and I look forward to your response,

Andre
To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth...

AustralianAngling

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 08:10:18 AM
Good luck with the copies Eric.
I have just returned from the Australian Tackle Trade show and there was copies of your lures for sale as well as Hammer Head, and others. Some of the big brand names stores are the main importers sellers in Australia of these copied products. SMITH also have the same problem many of there lures are now been copied the latest was a copy of a small bream lure called the Towadi.

Robert Palcak

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 09:16:51 AM
Not too sure why anyone would want to copy your lures Eric?
They're well built and very well priced... they are not an expensive lure... I would consider them a low - mid priced lure by GT lure standards. Very good value for money.
Those that have dealt with Eric, I'm sure will agree that he is a pleasure to do business with.
A big thumbs up for Orion lures from me!

Cheers Rob
<*///><

Serge de Bruijn

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 09:33:00 AM

Andre van Wyk

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 20, 2009, 06:46:30 PM
Guys

I would just like to reiterate once again, that JigStar Africa WILL NOT be selling or copying ORION lures in anyway shape or form, and we had never planned to do so.

There is no coincidence in this matter Serge, and I never implied that there was.
 As I mentioned, the images were not taken by us, and were not circulated by us, as we are fully aware that they would send out the wtrong message.

Anyone who was at the tackle show was told right off that these Lures on dsiplay were copies of Orion Lures, and in fact introduced the name Orion lures to hundreds of anglers in South Africa, as very few poeple here in South Africa, in fact less than 15 probably had ever heard of them, due to our isolation and poor economy when it comes to purchasing high quality products. We also were sure to tell people they were not for sale, and wouldn't be for sale.

It was a mistake for us to have these lures on our stand, I completely see that now, but at the time, we were excited to show off some quality lures alongside our new range of popping rods and help create more interest in high end popping and jigging, as its still in its relative infancy here in South Africa, and we as a company are trying to grow it.

Once again, my apologies. I consider it a priviledge to be a part of this community, and am very sad that this misunderstanding has jeopardised that. I hope this matter can get cleared up, and that understanding on it will be forth coming, and that all parties, Eric and Orion Lures in particulr, can be assured and rest easy on the fact that his lures will in NO WAY be copied by JigStar Africa.

Again I thank you for your time.

Andre
To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth...

Eric Le Guyader

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 21, 2009, 07:44:38 AM
Andre, thank you for your response.
 
I find it difficult to believe or accept that the lures produced for the show were only for the show with no intention of sales. That said, I will take you on your word but I request that you give a commitment that you and Jigstar will not market any poppers or stickbaits that are based on the design and the materials of my lures. It will be obvious to anyone if the lures are based on my Orions because my lures and the materials I use are unique.
 
I am willing to put all this behind us if you can give that commitment.

Eric.

Joseph Ngan

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 21, 2009, 11:49:43 AM
Sounds very fishy.

Atleast i know where to buy original lures now. Respect!

Andre van Wyk

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 21, 2009, 05:22:52 PM
Andre, thank you for your response.
 
I find it difficult to believe or accept that the lures produced for the show were only for the show with no intention of sales. That said, I will take you on your word but I request that you give a commitment that you and Jigstar will not market any poppers or stickbaits that are based on the design and the materials of my lures. It will be obvious to anyone if the lures are based on my Orions because my lures and the materials I use are unique.
 
I am willing to put all this behind us if you can give that commitment.

Eric.


Eric,



Thank you for your reply and your understanding, and I hope that you recieved my Private Messages as well my mails through Bertrand Picard as my mails to you directly have all bounced back to me.

As stated before, you have my word and the 100% commitment from myself and JigStar Africa that there will be NO COPIES OF ANY LURES BY ORION LURES, whether in design or construction made, marketed or sold by JigStar Africa at any time, nor has there ever been any plan to do so.

You lures are so unique and successful Eric because of the designs, techniques and the years of testing that has gone into them, that is plain to see.

I'd like to thank you once again for your understanding and and allowance to hear our side of the story, and again apologise for the misunderstandings created.

I'd like to put this matter behind us now, and move forward, onards and upwards.

Again my thanks to you Eric, and apologies once again.

Andre - JigStar Africa
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Eric Le Guyader

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Re: Orion Lures Be Carefull !!!!!!
August 21, 2009, 07:23:57 PM
Andre, thank you for the commitment.
I appreciate the effort you have gone to in order to explain and clarify what has happened.
I am happy to put  this behind us and get back to the serious business of catching GTs!
I think it is time now for this matter to be closed now. To all of you who have posted or PMed me with your support, I thank you all very much for your support of Orion Lures.
 
Eric Le Guyader