Category Archives: Advertising

Mel Krieger Dinner and Tribute

Mel Krieger Tribute Event

Thursday, September 24, 2009

MarketBar – One Ferry Building, San Francisco

6:00pm Reception, 7:30pm Dinner

Ticket Price: $150 per person or $2,000 for a table of (8)

Mel Krieger (1928-2008)

Mel Krieger is considered to be one of the top fly fishing and fly casting instructors of the twentieth century. Mel and Fanny Krieger moved to San Francisco in 1964 and soon became fixtures in the fly fishing community. Mel was a champion caster who turned to books, videos, workshops, and clinics to teach his simple techniques around the world. Mel taught thousands of pupils the art of casting, including casting champion Steve Rajeff. He was also played an important role with the Fly Fishing Federation when that organization’s Certified Casting Instructor Program was created in 1992.

Krieger has received many awards from the fly fishing community. In 1994 he was inducted into the Northern California Fly Fishing Federation Hall of Fly Fishing Fame, received the Federation’s The Order of the Lapis Lazuli award in 2006, and was presented with the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s Heritage Award in 2003.

MarketBar

The MarketBar is located at One Ferry Building in San Francisco. The MarketBar boasts a seasonal Mediterranean menu using fresh, local ingredients found in the surrounding marketplaces. For the evening’s event the MarketBar will be serving a brassiere-style dinner accompanied by wines donated by the E. & J. Gallo Winery of Healdsburg, California. Owners Doug Biederbeck and Joseph Graham are generously donating a portion of the dinner’s service to the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

For more information about the Museum and the tribute dinner honoring Mel Krieger, please contact Kim Murphy at 802-362-3300 or kmurphy@amff.com. Keep checking our website at www.amff.com for an auction preview and proxy bids.

Part 2 of 2 : Is the fly line industry running out of superlatives?

RIO NymphIn the last installment we looked at the Scientific Angler and Airflo brands and pointed to similarities of taper and how advertising didn’t always correspond to the line’s attributes. Without a standard we suggested every change to a fly line could be spun into a benefit, and how advertising artfully avoids using the same superlatives to describe features and capability.

Admittedly our research is simplistic; discarding color, texture, slickness, and softness, and most of the hype to focus on taper alone. Taper is responsible for the feel of a line in flight, and that’s something each of us is expert in, it’s something we’ve practiced for years.

We’re hoping that all the Excedrin Migraine we swallowed building the charts will be useful going forward. Knowing your manufacturer and his tendencies can assist in making an informed purchase.

Of the “Big Four” manufacturers only RIO and Cortland remain. We’ve cataloged their tapers and noted some examples of their practices below:

RIO

 RIO Fly lines

RIO doesn’t reinvent the wheel as much as SA and Airflo, it takes proven and popular tapers adds new boxes and artwork and labels them as new lines – often species specific, or topology related. 

The RIO Carp is identical to their Mainstream Floater, the Mainstream Saltwater has an identical taper to their Mainstream Bass/Pike/Panfish, and if you snip 3″ off the tip of a RIO Striped Bass, it’s a RIO Clouser – only about $10 cheaper.

The RIO Lake and RIO Classic share an identical taper, but the Lake is an intermediate sink fly line, which is a marked difference.

The RIO website has the following for the CARP line:

Designed for the carp fly fisher, this weight forward fly line combines a medium length head with a smooth front taper for a subtle presentation. Wary carp will not be spooked by either the presentation, or the camo olive color. The slick XS Technology coating, over a braided multifilament core ensures easy and confident casts.

… and for it’s twin, the Mainstream Floater:

Designed to optimize rod performance at normal casting ranges with shorter heads, tapers and running lines that empower novice casters to make the cast. MainStream lines undergo the same rigorous production processes and quality control standards as all RIO products. The MainStream floating lines have a supple self-lubricating coating that remains memory-free in cold water.

The advertisements are different, no mention of “smooth front taper” on the MainStream, and they didn’t claim Carp fishermen are novice casters, which was a selling point of the MainStream. “Memory free in cold water?” – is that better or worse than XS Technology?

The RIO CARP retails for $69.95 and the Mainstream floater for $39.95, which is a significant hit despite the XS technology. Is the same taper worth the extra dollars?

You be the judge.

If we look at forward tapers, as we  did with SA and Airflo, RIO has 7 lines with forward tapers in excess of 7 feet. If the practice we’ve seen with SA and Airflo holds true we would expect the Selective Trout II to tout its long tip as that’s the “money” superlative to use; fine tip = soft presentation = selective trout.

The Indicator:

MainStream® Indicator Fly Line • NEW for 2009 With a short front taper and a front loaded head, this line is designed for casting big indicators and heavier flies, and does so with ease. The line is built on a supple braided multifilament core and has a self-lubricating coating that remains memory-free in cold water.

Huh? Short Front Taper? A delicate tip would be worse at turning over large flies as it lacks the mass of a heavier line. The front 7′ of the belly of the line is what they’re trying to suggest as the weight forward, it’ll have to transition its energy into the decreasing diameter of the 8′ forward taper otherwise it’s a mess when it lands.

The RIO Grand:

The RIO Grand is one half size heavier and features more weight distributed towards the front of the line to easily load fast action fly rods. AgentX Technology gives the RIO Grand maximum floatation and the XS Technology produces a wonderfully slick finish for easy distance. The line remains supple in coldwater conditions and is ultra smooth for maximum casting distance. The Super Floatation Tip™ has a welded loop for changing leaders. Tests prove that when you land a fish, the loop slides through the rod guides more easily than the customary nail knot.

No mention of the longer front taper, but has “Agent X” as a wildcard to feel safer about the purchase. “One half size heavier” means the line is AFTMA #7.5, and it’s likely a thicker diameter throughout the taper. We’ll have to take their word on it because a long front taper doesn’t concentrate the weight towards the front of the line, that’s an attribute of a short front taper.

The Selective Trout II:

One of the softest, memory-free fly lines made. A unique manufacturing process enables this line to have a relaxed off-the-reel feel yet the harder outer coating ensures the highest casting performance and durability. The Selective Trout II line is for discerning anglers and technical fishing situations where the long, fine front taper provide the softest of presentations. This line is the best for bamboo and traditional action trout rods. RIO has slightly increased the diameter behind the front taper of the double taper for easy turnover of long leaders. The AgentX coating makes these high floating lines incredibly easy to lift quietly off the water, while the XS Technology results in a very smooth and slick finish.

Predictable isn’t it? Here’s our mention of the benefits of a long front taper and how it assists a gentle presentation. Note how “soft” is immediately diffused by “hard outer coating” and durability is no longer in question. 

There’s little question that the marketing is genius – and fascinating how each line contains attributes that are selectively ignored or pronounced ensuring each line is marketed to a unique niche. This style is constant among all line manufacturers – and is required to ensure we’re lining up for more spools and the lines to go on them.

Real genius is touting a long front taper as good, and not having to  explain why a short front taper isn’t bad.

In my mind RIO takes it past the line of good taste however. I give high marks to its authors, their prose is deft, subtle, and you can’t argue with any of it. Claiming the delicate tip will assist in turning over large flies and a longer front taper is “more weight forward,” isn’t consistent with physics. The belly of the line is not part of the forward taper, and RIO blurs that distinction.

SA and Cortland were both effusive and elusive about their products, but they didn’t require a 4th dimension or a rift in the space-time continuum to validate their assertions.

CORTLAND

 Cortland Fly Lines

Cortland 444 LineCortland appears to have made a concious decision to simplify everything but the box art. It’s as if their strategy is, “We’ll make a taper that we like and use it on everything, if you like the feel of how a Cortland casts, then you’ll like all our lines.”

I can’t argue with the logic as it’s sound. It could also be indicative of a company attempting to keep pace with others and ill prepared for the specialization wave. It’s a reasonable explanation but it’s entirely conjecture on my part.

Cortland makes many lines but very few distinct tapers. Like Airflo they like a full foot of level line at the tip, and prefer 90′ and 105′ lines, and are betting on one of two things; either their coatings and textures are so much better than everyone else, or you won’t look at the above chart and realize they only make 2-3 different lines.

The chart speaks volumes, and suggests you’d be best served looking at price. Despite the box art, the line hasn’t had its taper tuned to match the advertised quarry or conditions, and with so little variance in taper the real difference is what you pay.

The SYLK and Classic Clear Creek have an uncommon amount of level tip and should be noted as such, let’s take a look at the marketing:

444 Classic Sylk is the first modern line designed specifically for fine bamboo and rods. The “Sylk” replicates the fine diameter, long taper, supple feel and subtle color of natural silk, but in a modern, easy to care for fly line. But, the “Sylk” isn’t just for bamboo! If you are one of the many anglers who have rediscovered the delights of fiberglass fly rods, this line is for you! It even works well on graphite for the finest presentations under the most demanding low water conditions. Can you say “midges?” 

… and the Classic Clear Creek:

Whether you’re on the legendary creeks of Paradise Valley, the Chalk Streams of Hampshire, or in the Limestone country of Pennsylvania, spring creeks (and tail waters!) present special challenges. The extra long, supple tip of the Clear Creek helps put the body of the line further from the target, resulting in a softer, more precise delivery of the fly. The mute olive color blends into both bank-side and aquatic vegetation. And our cold-water formulation remains coil free in any condition. 444 Clear Creek, the choice of spring creek experts!

No mention of the 400% longer tip on the SYLK (as compared to SA or RIO), which is being marketed to the bamboo crowd, that “extra long supple tip” is reserved for their technical offering, the Clear Creek.

Artfully chosen verbiage ensures no two lines appear the same in print, regardless of their physical properties.

Summary:

Fly line manufacturers are playing a game of words with us consumers. That’s not terribly surprising, but inclusion and omission requires us to do our homework before assuming anything about a fly line.

It doesn’t appear that a Bonefish line is required to catch a Bonefish, and you may have known that instinctively – but the new fly fisherman who’s looking to fly shop staff and magazines to make decisions doesn’t.

Advertising copy used by fly line makers are slicker than their line coatings. Features they tout on the box are shared by other lines in their product suite, many of their tapers are similar, and there’s no standard to judge words like; longer, shorter, and slicker.

A desirable feature is touted by the maker, its opposite is present on another line – where it too is an asset, and all we’re supposed to acknowledge is “it’s all Good.”

Fly lines are limited in their physical properties by the AFTMA standard. Weight (taper) is either pushed forward on the line or pulled rearward, with predictable consequences. Skagit lines and shooting heads are “all the weight stuffed forward” – and there’s no parallel for everything pushed to the rear other than … kite string.

Our research for these articles is inherently flawed. We’ve ignored all qualities of fly lines other than their taper, but taper is the entire feel of a line in flight and quite possibly the most important portion of any cast. Manufacturers toss us buzzwords; “Agent X”, “hydrophobic”, and “repeating geometric micro patterns” and like fish we swallow the bait whole.

Not all technical breakthroughs are worthy, and it’s up to us to determine what really works, what we really like, and to reward those firms that consistently produce superior quality in addition to superior ad copy.

Note: As an added bonus you can use the charts above to quickly determine who is repackaging another vendor’s lines. While the colors may change, the tapers should remain the same.

Part 1 of 2: Is the fly line industry running out of superlatives?

Scientific Anglers UltraI just can’t seem to leave well enough alone. Dogged determinism has me squinting at the screen digesting numbers and errata when I should be mowing lawn or squinting at a small fly going in harm’s way.

Like the evolution of medicine, fly line manufacturers are no longer content with a general practitioner, they’ve pushed us down the specialization path with glee – leaving us to ponder whether Mango is better than Avocado, slick is superior to textured, and whether a line called Salmon is needed for Salmon, or just another gimmick to add to the already horrendous weight of our vest.

Much is made of all the differences, with anglers professing allegiance to one camp or another, or merely shivering in the middle; unsure and undecided whether the voices of vendors and vendor-backed media are taking them down the primrose path.

Our angling publications aren’t much help, authors vie to give manufacturers the least offense, hoping the flow of freebies continue unabated. Product reviews always contain superlatives, the marketing materials contain even more  – and  end prematurely with little more than, “it’s cool, definitely slick despite the ridged and  bubbled finish and the Puce polka dots allow you to maintain contact despite blending with bankside shrubbery.

Vendors are in constant competition, and pricing depends on mass production, each manufacturer wants as few pots of bubbling plastic polymer as possible. Cortland and Scientific anglers prefer PVC, Airflo likes Polyurethane, and everyone touts their mixture as the “one true God.”

But with the plethora of specialty lines and the maker’s desire to ensure you own all of them, they’ve trapped themselves. The AFTMA standard requires the line adhere to a given grain weight in its first 30 feet. Like NASCAR, everyone has a similar rule set – and there’s only so much you can do to a fly line taper. Shorten, lengthen, make “stairsteps” of increasing or decreasing line size, but when you’re done it’d better weigh within a fixed range just like your competitor.

We’ll assume everything they say about coatings, compounds, and textures is true, allowing us to get past the nouns and acronyms, past the religious fervor of Sharkskin, SYLK, and softeners, and focus on the product’s taper. We may not be able to discern the difference between hydrophobic and hydroponic, but we’re expert in soft butts,  big bellies, and a long tip when cast.

That “feel” comes from the taper – and whether it’s a sinking line imbued with Tungsten dust or a floating line with microbubbles, we’ve flung them with great passion for years; we know what we like, and might be able to answer, “are all these specialty lines really necessary?”

Remember, “as few pots of bubbling plastic as necessary” – and regardless of the spittle and vitriol, it’s likely all these lines use the same basic formula of plasticizers and polymers.

Method

I chose a AFTMA WF7 F/I/S to show the taper of each vendor fly line. These numbers are taken from the vendors website and/or discrete PDF’s constructed by the vendor which contain their line specifications.

We’ve ignored sink tips intentionally as their taper is compounded by the sinking portion.

Length = Total length of the fly line (feet)

Running Line = Length of the level running line portion (feet)

Rear Taper = The length of the rear taper of the head (feet)

Belly = The length of the fly line belly (feet)

Front Taper = Length of the front taper (feet)

Tip = the length of the level tip (feet)

If the line has a compound taper in the belly portion that taper is denoted by its overall length, and the steps of the taper in parenthesis. 35(Front20Rear15) is 35 foot overall belly length, the front 20′ is different from the rear 15′.

Lastly, I took every WF7 the vendor sold and compared their respective tapers in a chart, allowing you to see real differences in the line taper without being swayed by box art and advertising.

Scientific Anglers

Scientific Anglers fly linesScientific Anglers fly lines

I’d describe Scientific Anglers as the most prolific of the fly line kingdom. It’s apparent that almost every discrete line they manufacture has some small difference. These differences are not drastic and begs the question, “can the average angler detect the taper, and will it make much difference in his casting?”

Example: Take the Lefty Kreh Signature and the SA Professional floating line.  The differences between the two are a 2.4 feet longer rear taper on the Kreh line, and the Professional floater is the converse of the above, a 2.4 foot longer head taken from the rear taper. Both are the same price at Cabela’s.

All other line specifications are identical, suggesting the Kreh and Professional are largely the same. Manufacturers would claim the Kreh gives the softer presentation due to its longer tip – you’ll note in the marketing material below taken from the 3M and Cabela’s websites – no mention is made for the longer tip – it’s not considered an asset.

The marketing at Cabela’s is very different, differentiating the two, and there’s no mention that the Professional series contains the Lefty Kreh Signature line, as demonstrated by the Scientific Anglers website. That’s not an indictment so much as demonstrates the pains by which advertising attempts to make them all quite different.

Lefty Kreh:

It’s specially engineered by Scientific Anglers to possess optimal density for high-flotation applications. Both supple and easy to use, this line has a versatile midlength head that makes it suitable for a wide range of fishing situations. Special 3M lubricants increase the slickness of the Signature Series, resulting in superior casting performance.

Professional:

Scientific Angler’s new Professional Series Floating Line has optimal density for high flotation, and is supple for ease of use. With a braided multifilament core, internal lubricants to increase slickness and enhance shootability, and integrated UV inhibitors, this line is ideal for a wide range of conditions.

The Scientific Anglers website is terse in its prose, listing an abbreviated preamble and bullet points to describe each line’s attributes.

Lefty Kreh Signature

Applications:

  • Excellent general-purpose line
  • Easy to cast and high floating
  • Optimal line density for high floatation
  • Supple and easy to use in most conditions

WF taper characteristics:

  • Versatile mid-length head designed with input from the master himself – Lefty Kreh

Core:

  • Braided multifilament nylon

Coating:

  • 3M PVC formulated with special internal lubricants to increase slickness and enhance shootability
  • Integrated UV inhibitors for increased durability

Professional Series Floating

Applications:

  • Excellent general-purpose line for all weather
  • Optimal line density for high floatation
  • Supple for ease of use in all conditions

WF Taper Characteristics:

  • Group-tailored heads for general use

Core:

  • Braided multifilament nylon

Coating:

  • 3M PVC formulated with special internal lubricants to increase slickness and enhance shootability
  • Integrated UV inhibitors for increased durability

We find both have the UV Inhibitors, both have the same superlatives in describing function and use, the only difference being that the Lefty Kreh line is “designed by the Master himself” and “easy to use.”

I’d suggest that the lines are identical (except for the 2.4 foot reallocation) and that a casual angler isn’t looking at two different lines – but is in fact looking at pretty much the same line.

So why would a vendor go to the trouble of building a feature into the line that was singular when compared to other tapers, yet make no mention of it?  It’s likely they’ve used the superlative already in a half dozen other lines, and it’s important to distinguish each line as an asset to the angler’s overall quiver.

So you feel you need them all.

Note that the SA Mastery Stillwater has the 2nd longest front taper of any fly line they make, but it’s length isn’t mentioned in the marketing material. Ditto for the Supra Floater, it’s the third longest forward taper SA makes – yet no mention of that attribute on their website.

The Mastery Bonefish and Sharkskin Ultimate Trout Taper both advocate their long tips to provide graceful presentation, and there’s no sense confusing you as to how many “long tip” fly lines you really need, is there?

Both the Mastery series and Sharkskin lines are more expensive than the Professional and Supra series – why not save the best superlatives for your high end lines? That’s good marketing.

Scanning the chart of the Scientific Angler lines above, many more similarities announce themselves, like the Saltwater Specialty, and the Specialty Bonefish line – a mere two foot difference in taper location akin to the Lefty / Professional.

There are many pronounced differences in the tapers as well, what the angler needs to ask themselves is outside of the marketing hype of slickness, texture, color, plasticizers, and coatings – is there much difference between my choices for a Carp line – and would the Bonefish taper be just as good?

Most anglers won’t be able to discern the difference between 2 foot of taper shoved forward, and as we’re ignoring all else other than their functional spec, it appears much of the cornucopia of fly lines tapers are not as distinct as we’ve been led to believe.

Airflo

Airflo_Lines

Airflo fly linesAirflo has a much smaller stable of fly lines than Scientific Angler, and like SA they’re showing the same advertising tendencies.  Both Airflo and Cortland include a full foot of level taper at the tip, unlike RIO and SA which opted for 6″.

The Delta, Sixth Sense, and 40 Plus all have long front tapers to ease the splash of presentation, and the balance of the Airflo suite are roughly similar with the weight shifted forward or backward by less than 5 feet.

Despite the differences between the two basic groupings of Airflo lines, only the Delta advertising mentions the long tip. The Sixth Sense and 40 Plus make no reference to the tip at all.

(The 1.5′ tip on the Ridge Delta Floating appears to be a website typo)

We should be asking ourselves when the manufacturer touts his “extra long belly” as an aid to long casts, long as compared to what?  There’s no such thing as a normal belly, tip, or rear taper, ensuring every possible change to the line can be touted as a benefit.

With the debut of the Singlebarbed line and it’s Zero-Taper tip, the sumbitch lands like a gutshot mallard – offering the angler the advantage of visual feedback on the location of his fly. Available in Raspberry Red, Lemon Yellow, and Orange Orange..”

Whether it really makes a difference in your casting, you’ll have to try one and find out. 

I fear there’s plenty of lip gloss in fly line advertising, largely to differentiate similar products – giving us anglers the illusion we need multiple lines.

Wednesday, Part 2 of the series, “Are they Rogues or Demons, and why didn’t they tell me snipping 3 ” off the tip of a RIO Striped Bass line yields a RIO Clouser and $9 savings?

It’s high enough not to get wet, it’s an elegant solution to an age old problem

Other than presentation, fly fishermen are rarely concerned with delicate and the “feed bag” should counter the lost time of the evening meal. Any dry fly fiend recognizes the awkwardness of dining while the hatch is ramping up, and Yum Brands has been listening – “multi-tasking professionals” are us – and for an extra half dollar, they’ll add the drink to the bag as well..

Gear up, strap on – and let cholesterol sort ’em out. Just remember to pause long enough to tell the fellow next to you what fly you’re using, speaking with your mouth full can confuse the poor chap unnecessarily.

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I’m betting the Pompadour wouldn’t move if he took a header

You’re aware of the decline in fishermen and license sales, how “them as will inherit” are more likely to play the electronic version than actually venture into the woods.

With state and federal budgets adversely affected, a tourniquet is needed to reverse the trend and restore “Man’s Oldest time-wasting pursuit” back onto it’s ivory pedestal.

A consortium of agencies undertook the development of an “Outdoor Fly Fishing Awareness” campaign, hiring the promoter responsible for the  highly successful “50 State Quarters” program of the US Mint.

Each state is represented by a celebrity citizen carefully chosen to demonstrate the qualities and character needed for the successful angler, whose role and activities in the angling community are near-legend.

Mr. Las Vegas hisself

First to release is the 2008 “Nevada” poster, guaranteed to make them disenfranchised couch potato’s flock to the stream in droves. Nothing like a little “Danke Schoen” to revitalize that waning hunter-gatherer ethic dulled by Domino’s Pizza.

Hell, you knew I was going to follow all them serious posts with something akin to lying outright and completely silly…

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It’s either why I can’t catch anything – or they can’t dribble

My what big hands you have, GrandmaInstead of bills there’s a fishing mag waiting in my mailbox. I’m cradling it tightly threading my way through cars, chores, and girlfriends, hoping the porcelain throne and it’s locking door will provide me the uninterrupted ability to digest it properly.

Fly fishing magazines are “anti-matter” for the Playboy’s of our youth; the former is read by looking at the pictures, and the latter digested by reading only the articles…

.. at least that’s the story Ma got when she found my stash.

Grab any two covers off the current crop of angling literature and you can’t help wonder why these fellows weren’t first round NBA draftee’s. Most anglers are sturdy enough, of unknown size as they’re usually crouching –  and all possess a singular trait that the NBA scouts have to covet..

… hands bigger than their head.

Is it a freak of nature, or is this the reason I’m only marginally successful? Is the Spey rod craze merely an excuse to get a longer cork handle – so them “cover-guys” can get a comfortable grip for once?

Wouldn’t surprise me one bit – but it’s a tad discouraging, all the “fly tyer” covers have guys with normal hands, so we’re to toil in frustration while “Meat” goes home with the Prom Queen?

Dammit, I thought them days was a chilling and distant memory.

With the multi-million dollar contracts of the NBA, these lads are either philanthropists or they can’t dribble.

It certainly gives me pause – but I’m odd like that.

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Get enough virtual bricks and mortar, and you’ve created both a Big Box retail outlet, and the World’s Largest Fly Shop

Tough times are on us and if it’s not on sale it’s not a priority. Too many folks strapped with burdensome mortgages must make do with less, and the repercussions aren’t limited to the the fly fishing industry, it’s all industries, part of the Recession they whisper about in hushed circles.

We haven’t had one in 20 years or more, for some this will be an eye opener, coupled with the decline in the US greenback and 4.5% inflation and your dollar has to work much harder.

Virtual meets physical Fly fishing is a niche sport, and while rich folks aren’t likely to be affected, the rest of us will tighten our belts – with the obvious luxury of $800 rods and $500 reels, I expect to see the retail landscape get thinned considerable.

There’s multiple reasons for what’s coming, economics is the primary driver – but most fly shops are poorly capitalized and poorly run, compounding their burden. It’s a labor of love for proprietors, not the “last man standing” predacious Capitalism common to larger industries.

The manufacturers won’t help at all, their allegiance will quickly run to the “Big Box” stores in an effort to weather the coming storm, putting additional price pressure on the little fellow down the street.

So who’ll survive? Not a simple answer, but two styles of shop should continue to tread water; the small destination shop that has all the flies for the local waters, and the canny fellow that leverages the Internet to broaden his customer base.

I’m thinking eBay is the biggest winner, and some startling facts are coming to light after spending the last four months researching this “e-tailing” auction behemoth.

“I’m more interested if they have clearance items,” she said.

EBay is the undisputed King of clearance; it sells trash and exceptional items with equal ease. It boasts a friendly intuitive interface and allows unlimited sales without distinguishing between individuals and companies.

Hundreds of small fly shops make use of their auctions, a roughly equal mix of small seasonal destination shops and larger city stores. Most hawk their wares at retail prices, giving them a robust electronic “second market” or lengthening their season, making them independent of their locale.

So where does that new rod go after it doesn’t sell? The same place everything else goes – eBay.  It’s a potpourri of folks downsizing their garage, relatives selling Grandfather’s estate, and “bricks and mortar” stores taking advantage of the ease to market interface – to dampen their toe in e-commerce.

It’s the same story with last year’s tackle, eBay represents an enormous outlet for clothing, sundries, and last year’s graphite rods – it’s the largest fly shop in the world, and many fly fishing manufacturers are assisting in a way that’s not obvious.

New is better, and we’re reminded constantly in the angling periodicals. 65 million modulus was last year – this year it’s 73 million modulus, and if you have an ounce of decency – you’ll buy two…

Clothing and rods change every year – and small retailers can’t keep pace. Destination shops with a 6 month season – can’t unload high priced tackle as easily as urban, year round, stores – who are struggling to sell $800 fly rods in a worsening economy, and have an additional obligation having to stock a “comprehensive” shop. Rods and “big ticket” items make only a small percentage of yearly sales, yet they command a lot of inventory dollars. The rapid evolution of models leaves the “bricks and mortar” vendors struggling with old stock and assimilating the latest “improved” models.

Orvis Cosmetic second and its label While the “little guy” struggles with low-margins and high-prices,  manufacturers dump their leftovers on the wholesale market. Freed of the burden of hundreds of last year’s rods, manufacturers introduce next year’s model, unleashing their advertising juggernaut with little regard for their traditional distribution chain.

It’s the unspoken rule of the rod making community, “.. you will not undercut my pricing, and if you do we’ll cut you off.” It was the constant in my 20 years of fly fishing retailing, little has changed for the small shop today.

A shop’s only price flexibility is when they build their own brand on manufacturer’s blanks.  The occasional demo rod can be sold as it’s been handled, but margins on prebuilt rods are paper thin, making the smaller stores especially vulnerable to the whim and timing of manufacturers.

“Cosmetic Seconds” is a unique practice and not all vendors offer “blemished” rods. In the past it was limited to “warehouse only” sales or special events at the maker’s premises; that’s changed with the electronic marketplace, it now boasts a multitude of sins and advantages, and a canny angler can be both stung, and count coup.

Many eBay vendors boast of such deals, it’s more than rods and tackle, it’s dishes, hunting knives, and car tires. Rods are a microcosm of the larger practice.

A cosmetic second is a rod that’s passed the inspection of the blank, is structurally sound and is wrapped and fitted for sale. Either the final fit incurs a blemish on reel seat or cork, or the finish has a flaw that prevents the rod from passing final inspection.

It could also be a rod produced and not sold, excess inventory at the manufacturer’s facility – and is a real liability in an industry that does not allow drastic price reductions to dispose of leftover models.

I contacted Echo, Scott, Orvis, Winston and Sage, hoping for information that would illuminate this process better – but only Winston and Sage responded. Orvis acknowledged the missive but did not respond.

Sage was characteristically terse, “We do not sell any blemished or second quality blanks or rods.”

Winston elaborated a little: Our policy is that we do not sell “Seconds” or “blemmed” rods. Each person who handles and rod is empowered and expected to stop production of the rod when a problem is found. For example, if a builder notices a blem in the finish of a tip section they will not use that section but rather destroy it and get a different section. At that point they will ferrule the rod out and then send it to the next station. Then the person at that station inspects the rod. If all is good the rod continues through until it ends up in inventory. The goal is for every rod in inventory to be perfect.

Neither vendor distinguished between the “factory second” and excess inventory, nor could I find evidence that they wholesale excess product on eBay.

Surprisingly the Orvis Company of Manchester, Vermont is the largest contributor to the eBay phenomenon. Because of the volume of items and vendors found, it suggests this is a significant source of income – and a method of employing a “big box” style distribution chain without owning it publicly. It allows them to remain above the fray – retaining their “little store in Vermont” image – while undermining vendors that must sell their product at strict retail.  

I’ve researched the feedback logs of a half dozen Orvis resellers, who combined have sold nearly 50,000 Orvis items since January of 2008. The bulk of their sales are the seasonal clothing Orvis sells, but among their totals are more than 2000 Orvis rods, thousands of Orvis fly lines, flies, and all the terminal tackle necessary to equip a couple regiments of hardened fly fishermen.

The rods are selling briskly, averaging 22-25 per week, and I can’t think of any fly shop that does that kind of volume anywhere. In these declining economic times, I’d think some of the existing Orvis dealers would want a shot at this profit cow.

Orvis T3

Last year’s Orvis rod, a discontinued model or cosmetic second, starts it’s eBay life somewhere between $90 and $250 – a tasty bargain for a $600 flyrod. The trout models usually end up selling for about $180 (includes postage), and the larger line size rods (greater than AFTMA #7) sell for slightly less. Current rods sell for a higher premium than older tackle, despite one rod being only 6 months older than the other.

All the Orvis series are available with the exception of the latest rods. The Orvis “Helios” is available from many fly shops with storefronts on eBay, all offer them at traditional retail prices.

“Zero Gravity”, “T3”, “Green River”, “Clearwater” and “Silver Label” rods are available from wholesalers, but despite selling many hundreds of the rods, their selection is incomplete. This suggests “excess inventory” offloaded to jobbers rather than Orvis’s systematic use of a new sales channel.

Scientific Anglers and the venerable Hardy of Alnwick appear to use a similar mechanism, though neither is a mainstream US vendor – Hardy is based in the UK, and Scientific Anglers has all but left the high-end rod market, relying instead on their fly lines for the lion’s share of revenue.

A canny “e-tailer” likely starts the auction near their cost, within 15-20% of what’s paid the manufacturer. They have a steep discount because the manufacturer is motivated, get a break for buying in bulk, and get to charge higher than normal postage, a huge revenue stream for eBay vendors, with many charging $20 or more per delivery.

With little detail other than auction prices, I’ll assume the vendors are paying about $80 for each Orvis high-end series rod, with the price ratcheting downward based on series – and their target demographic, entry and mid level anglers.

eBay empowers the seller with only two tools; the “Buy It Now”, and the traditional auction format. Auctions are typically seven days duration, with  hopeful anglers driving up the price. There’s little consistency other than the final price, as many retailers start their rods at 99 cents, playing havoc with my guesswork.

Pricing for Zero Gravity, T3, and the Trident TLS series typically started at $99, Silver Label around $75, and the Clearwater, Green River, Streamline rods at $20. The implication is the manufacturer is selling the rods to the wholesale vendors to recoup their materials, fittings, and labor, and generating profit – it’s a canny operation, but it’s likely to cost them later.

In my opinion, Orvis has provided a glimpse of what today’s rods cost to make. A pristine rod ($700) may yield around $595 profit, allowing for a simplistic calculation based on a $20 aluminum case and linen rod sock. That’s a 566% profit margin. For a niche industry like ours that’s required – you can’t sell millions of them – there’s not enough millions of us.

It reaffirms my “old guy” sensibilities that no contemporary* rod is worth more than $200, and thanks to the miracle of e-commerce, I can guarantee I pay a lot less than those that do.

Stay tuned for Part 2, wherein we look at the Big Boy’s of Orvis’s eBay vendor community, their auction practices, and how to score a $600 rod for a quarter of the price.

* Contemporary rod is defined as a mass produced rod from synthetic materials, spat onto a sheet of waxed paper, rolled under intense heat and pressure like a Twinkie, then fawned over by fanbois’.

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I’m kinda partial to Miss Pikeminnow myself

It may be the perfect marketing ploy, combining babes, beer, minor fishing luminaries, and part of the proceeds for charity, now every mancave can be festooned with half naked gals sporting cold beer, and if anyone protests you can act wounded or hurt…

Miss Lakemaid Largemouth, agressive and vocal may be too much

I’m not sure Miss Lakemaid Largemouth (above) would be my first choice, I have to assume she’ll have some of the characteristics of both species; aggressive, vengeful, predatory, and vocal. You can skip the “caress and release come hither” bit – she may be willing but your reaction will be – “dammit, she slimed me.”

Minneapolis marketing agency Pocket Hercules has woven an intricate back story around the brew that features mythical Lakemaids (half woman, half fish). It includes a website (www.lakemaidbeer.com), mascots (12 Lakemaids) and celebrity endorsers (fishing personalities Dick Gryzwinski, Larry Dahlberg and Larry Bollig). Gander Mountain, the St. Paul-based outdoors retailer, is selling Lakemaid gear at its stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A portion of the profit from Lakemaid Beer and gear will be donated to the International Game Fish Association for freshwater fish research and conservation.

Miss Northern Pike Lakemaid - uses Rotenone for Shampoo

Stick with the beer, if the relationship is consummated you’ll spend your weekend’s parenting …  Imagine Miss Northern Pike delivering the “..don’t accept candy on treble hooks from strangers” lecture – and keeping a straight face…

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The Complete Vindication of the Trout Underground and my public semi-heartfelt apology, well almost

I see this as a complete vindication for Tom Chandler and the Trout Underground. I’ve teased him unmercifully about “scantily clad strumpet” posts being his undoing, he counters with the “… new advertising paradigm you (expletive) Meathead…”

Heartfelt apology, american style

I’m not surprised, he’s a talented writer known for elegant prose and sloppy hot dogs, I’m merely the dog that whines at his feet hoping he’ll let me crap sometime this century.

For them as has fished for a couple decades, Aberchrombie & Fitch used to be a real tackle store, and before its current reincarnation the old San Francisco store had four floors of gear; two for clothing, 1 for tackle, and 1 for guns.

I remember smashing the Piggy Bank when I heard about the “going out of business sale” – and still own the Hardy Perfect I got after “coldcocking” Grandma, wrenching the reel from her fingers, and applying both boots to her.

Don’t look aghast, that reel was only forty bucks, at today’s prices – you would’ve shot the old gal.

Calling someone “Mr. Abercrombie & Fitch” used to mean he was attired in the finest of outdoor clothing and a conspicuous overconsumer, now it appears the meaning is something vastly different.

Police confiscated two display photos of scantily clad men and a woman from an Abercrombie & Fitch store and cited the manager on a misdemeanor obscenity charge, authorities said.

Based on the above, Tom’s correct – the new advertising paradigm appears to be gathering momentum, “partially clad” sells like hot cakes and us “wannabe’s” are just that. I don’t dare ask Tom who he’s been writing copy for – anyone wanna guess?

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You can’t have sweaty hands and you need to know which end of the airbrush to point at them

I have legendary airbrush skills On first blush I assumed it was more proof of a coming apocalypse, another dark day for anglers, as well muscled “male-like substance” took turns looking grim, stern, or virile, while adorned with technical fishing attire.

New Clothing Brand Seeks Make-up Artist for Advertising Campaign

Diem Angling, a new clothing company designing technical and fashion wear for anglers worldwide, are organising a photoshoot to take place on the Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th January 2008. The shoot is an FHM style shoot and we plan to shoot 12 models over the 2 days and we require a competant make-up artist to assist us.

I was about to take them to task as angling is less about makeup, and more “what you got spattered with.” Airbrushes are fine, but all that’s needed is a liberal dousing of Muskol, roll the result down a dirt incline, then dip them in a creek a couple times.

That’s fishing.

The “FHM” reference gave me pause, so I took the trouble to look it up. It’s no longer an item to ridicule, it’s your bloody dream job. FHM is a european men’s magazine, and the “models” described above would have to be … you guessed it … Women.

Despite legendary airbrush skills I’m unable to do much more than sulk. For those stalwarts in the UK, you lucky bastards still have a chance to get there before dawn.

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