The fly fishing industry need to promote warm water fishing. They have spent millions promoting trout and areas where trout live so many do not realize the fly rod can be an effective tool in waters right out their back door. I have been lucky enough to fish many places but still consider the bluegill my favorite fly rod species. They are numerous, willing, hard fighters and tasty. Smallmouth are also numerous and well distributed throughout the Midwest but is a little advertised species for the fly rod.

The industry would be better off selling ten $100 rods than one $1000 rod. Both fisherman will still need waders, net, flies, and all sorts of gadgets that come with fishing. Selling 10 cheap rods would increase sales tremendously.

The industry hurt itself by selling fly fishing as an elite sport done only in expensive places. That needs to turn around. The market for the high end rod will always be there. There is much opportunity with the low end rods.

Just a few observations.

On an unrelated note, Arnold Richardson, the elder Norman Maclean in the movie, "A River Runs Through It" passed away last week at the age of 96.

Despite what "the industry" calls it (resale price maintenance), in short price fixing is alive and well in the industry - and something that I think should change.

I'm in the market for a new reel.
As an informed consumer whose disposable income is precious, I will save up and buy quality products. Again, as an informed consumer, for most products I will do a bit of research, for which I use the internet to look at procucts, specs, reviews and of course, price. After doing my homework, I will purchase at my favorite local flyshop. Not only do I like to support my local businesses, but I also want to thank them for the times (more often than not) that I just come in to daydream and talk to those who are "getting some", when I can't fish. Typically the big purchases come evey other year, but most often, I'm buying leader, tippet matrial, or a few files that I want to try & tie myself.

Here is my issue...
Manufacturers and dealers are colluding to fix prices.
Intentionally (= illegal) , or unintentionally, the same reel at any shop, discount warehouse, or internet site is always the same price.

I'm not posing this question to be a jerk, it is a serious question. I believe in a fair profit margin - indeed I want businesses who make quality products to remain in business, to be innovative and to provide good customer service. I don't feel prices for the product are out of wack, I just find it curious that the prices are exactly the same.

Is it "soft collusion" where manufacturer's strongly recommend dealers adhere to the MSRP? Is it a situation of just-in-time inventory where dealers don't have a lot overstock? Why are models that are 2 years old still the same MSRP when new models of competitor's products (of similar maretials and manufacturer are used? Why can't the market set the price?

I am truely interested in any insider thoughts and opinions.

While I understand what you're saying Buckhunter, I just don't think the typical warmwater fisherman is going to be willing to pony up the money to outfit him/herself to flyfish for bluegill. Face it, fly fishing gear is still too expensive. Whatever company develops a decent $50 rod/reel combo will take the market. Until then, us trout bums will be the focus.

I usually get a piece of gear and keep it for years, so maybe completely out of touch with the market. But as I've started a modest search for non-felt wading shoes, I've found it tough to find many choices that seem both effective and AFFORDABLE. Sure, you can get Simms for a couple hundred bucks, but with ever increasing emphasis being put on avoiding felt waders; I'm suprised catalogs aren't packed with different options or labs aren't cranking out materials that can grip better. I'd think if someone would focus on developing a practical option, the floodgates would open. But again, maybe I'm just a combo of cheap and nieve to what's really out there.

Sam & Rich-I think you're both right. Once exposed, I find it hard to believe any fisherman wouldn't take to flyfishing for panfish and/or bass, that's just a great way to spend a summer evening. However, how do you convince them to bother trying? Why should a 40 year old dog learn a new trick? It's not necessarily money, they spend as much or more on baitcasters and softbait as a fly outfit, but it is just enough to convince them its not worth it. There just needs to be some catalyst to make them give it a shot, whether it's a friend, clever marketing, or something to make them see it's worth the change, and money.

These comments are a marketer's dream, and a great conversation.

I've been a trout fisherman for twenty-five odd years, mostly with the fly rod (although I cannot resist, a couple times a year, chunking Rapalas for truly big fish, especially during run-off). Started out drifting crawlers with a Zebco Cardinal spinning reel on the tailwater Elk in s. Tennessee. Trout were our exotics, and so were smallmouths.

But I am with buckhunter here, for sure. I got a heavy - I think it was an Eagle Claw 8 ft'er with a automatic reel- (perrine?) when I was eight, and I flat fished that combo to death. Shellcrackers, redeyes, largemouth bass, some crappies, even underhanded a few crawler pieces or live hoppers with it when things were slow. My father, who was really only an occasional fisherman, showed me the basics of how to cast, and early one morning, while I was fishing plastic worms on a spincaster, he lobbed a big popper against some cattails, fished it real slow, and a 3 pound bass (largemouth) busted it. I was astounded. Hooked for life. When I got older, throwing poppers for those black shellcrackers in north tidal creeks Florida really took me over. Smallmouths later. I think smallmouth were made for the fly rod. or vice versa.

A $50 dollar fly fishing combo and some instruction could open up a new world for people- for instance I read in Kirk's magazine a story about a couple of fly-only guys competing in a bass tournament, in, I think, the Sacramento Delta. Great story.

And that photo on this blog post makes me want to go fishing, like being super hungry and looking at a photo of a big ribeye.

I also agree that more needs to be done to bring new blood into the sport. I've got two in training right now, but they are a little weather shy and don't know knots or anything other than casting and the basic drift. I read an article over on angling trade about a guy who increased the sport four fold......or he taught four anglers who stuck with it, from one guy into four, the sport with certainly grow. I've only got one lifelong guy so far, maybe it'll be three within the next year. I'm finding anything I can, and have emptied my own boxes and old gear off onto them, as soon as I upgrade another rod will walk out to one of them as well, how many 6 wt rods does one guy need?

buckhunter..I grew up near Lake Erie, Bellevue, Ohio and we always had a yacht on Lake Erie,..Port Clinton, or Sandusky. We fished the Islands for perch, walleye, and bass, but I never fly fished. There wasn't a steelhead fishery on the rivers as there is now.
I pheasant, and duck hunted a lot, I got into fly fishing big time working for Eddie Bauer in Seattle. I was one of the first guys that taught fly fishing schools for the Sage Rod Co.

Nympho - I have owned and operated a fly shop for nearly 20 years, believe me there is no price fixing that I am aware of. Quite the contrary, sometimes I would like to put items on sale at a discount - for promotions or to generate more sales during slow times, but I have to sign an agreement with the manufacturer that I will only sell those items at the MSRP, unless they are discontinued by the mfr.

With the current tight market we have and wholesale prices that are as little as 35%, there is not much room for a discount unless I want to take a cut out of my meager profits. If this practice were not in effect however, a big box could come in and undersell me every time by "negotiating" a better wholesale price with the Mrf. Keeping some products only available in "Pro Shops" have at least to a small extent helped me and other small shops like mine to remain in business. I have stayed competitive by offering great professional service, advice, and seeking out those products that offer a great value, not necessarily a higher price.

I don't have a magic formula with which to predict the future, but as noted before, unless we get more people outdoors, we soon won't have anyone to sell to. I just heard of another Fly Shop in the Chicago area which succumbed to the ravages of this slow economy.

I must admit, it's much more peaceful going to my favorite stream or lake and not having anyone else there, the fish are larger and more abundant now also!

I work at a small fly shop in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have been there on and off for about 6 years. In that time I have seenmmany changes. The market may be declining but there are a multitude of reasons. We are not exaclty in the best fly fishing country around but we make do. We have several tailwaters, and our shop heavily promotes smallmouth and other warmwater fishing oppurtunites. I can say without a doubt that we sell far more St. Croix rods from the $200-400 range than some of the other highend rods. That is fine. Anyone who buys a rod will be back most likley. Shops like ours provide what the big box stores cannot.
We also run schools, trips, fly tying classes, anything that will interest people or get them involved in the sport. In my opinion one of the best represenatives our sport has right now is a young man named Tyler Befus, son of Brad Befus from Ross reels. Though young, he is an accomplished fisherman and more importnatly is working hard to bring other young people into our sport. Check him out,young blood is crucial to the strength and survival of this sport in an age of Wii fit, Black Ops, computers and cell phones.

Glad to see the bearcats doing well, I am actually in a different state for school right now but it is good to see them having some luck, hopefully their coach won't abandon them this time.
I did hear about Ross being involved in the merger. Hopefully it won't affect their quality, though I really have no complaints against SA except some personal preferences.