In the late 90s, I wrote a series of ads for the ill-fated Cope & McPhetres fly shop, which closed after the owners realized they could make a bazillion percent more profit selling boat parts instead of tippet material.
The above ad was particularly popular (the customers kept repeating the headline to the staff), but it reminded me we’re facing some pretty turbulent times right now.
The economy’s slowing. By summer, gas will soar over $4/gallon. Houses aren’t selling, investment banks are collapsing, consumer credit is tightening, and yes, we’re facing a few other things I won’t bother to mention.
Has All the Turmoil Affected Your Fishing Plans?
Are you reconsidering your fly fishing travel plans?
Staying closer to home? Buying less gear? Trying to make your own tippet with a pasta maker and a double boiler?
In January, I asked the Undergrounders to discuss their 2008 fly fishing plans. Now I’m asking you to take a deep breath, and think for a second.
Has the bad news changed those plans?
My answer is (surprisingly) "Yes" — though I’ll save the explanation for later. What’s yours?
Yes, You Win Something Just For Playing
The poll below is just to tally the big picture; I really would like you to also add your thoughts in the comment section.
And to make it worth your while, I’ll randomly select a winner from the comment section below (using atmospheric scattering to generate a random number) and send you a FREE copy of Kerplunk by outdoor humorist Patrick McManus.
It won’t help you find a job, sell your house, or make gas more affordable, but while you’re reading it, you may just forget about all that crap.
See you in the cheap seats, Tom Chandler.
I plan to make less fishing trips this year; however, the trips I do make will be of longer duration.
I’ll fish more days this year, yet drive less miles.
Don(Quote)
No, my plans haven’t changed. The big road trip out West is still in the works. But I’ve backed up my expectations for early retirement a year or two.
hawgdaddy
hawgdaddy(Quote)
Wait a second. Hawgdaddy, you work for a living?
Tom Chandler(Quote)
I unfortunately don’t have any plans to go fishing until the summer, when there is no fish. Hunkered down in Oakland with a newborn and a 2 year old. I’ll find a river someday, even when it hits $6/ gallon
Dean
Dean(Quote)
My plan is only carry thousand dollar bills.
You know exactly what I mean, the guy who “only has hundreds” when it’s time to pony up for gas.
I’ll say, “Great, at least one of us has small bills.”
kbarton10(Quote)
I must admit I have had to make a decision already re: recession , gas prices and fishing . I am one of the lucky ones who has not yet felt the cold wind of the recession at the door but it is so close that i know it is just a question of when this year not if . so decided to leave the boat in storage rather than putting it on a slip that i rent as every little I can save makes it that much more likely My family will survive the coming problems
steve(Quote)
I reserved a house on the Upper Sac for the first week of June and originally planned to spend a week there and then drive back home, but with gas prices going through the roof, I’m now contemplating extending the trip to two weeks instead of one, and spending a few days at the McCloud, possibly the Fall. Not such a bad thing.
SMJ(Quote)
Yes, my plans have been changed.
I still have my big trip to Montana in July, and a couple smaller trips planed as well. Decent cold water fishing is at least 2 to 3 hours away (4-5 if you count the Smoky Mountains.) I just cant see myself loading up and spending the extra money. I guess I’ll just sulk and listen to everyone else’s tall tales.
Dude(Quote)
No, I’ll still fish, but I’ll be p*ssed off evertime i have to fill the fish car tank. Fishing is what keeps me sane in an insane world. Tom, i hope to meet you on the Rogue with David first weekend in June.
chriso
DrCane(Quote)
No changes based on the current economy. Last fall we decided to make more frequent shorter trips this year so we’ll be going to Yosemite and the Eastern Sierras. I do intend to sneak into Dunsmuir for a week and shadow you to find your favorite spots on the Upper Sac. Or maybe it would be cheaper to bribe one of your friends?
Greg(Quote)
I say with everything else going to shit, I might as well fish more and have a bit of fun…
NickB(Quote)
With the exclusive privilege of living at the Mount Eddy Executive Bluegill Ranch, I see no reason to travel. Do you?
shastacc(Quote)
I am still going to Yellowstone as usual but from where I live I have a two hour drive each way to get to any cold water. I usually go twice or even three times a week but this year it will cut down to once or maybe twice a week. There is a small stream about an hour from my house full of wild six inch rainbows which I fish some but this year may fish a lot.
Bruno(Quote)
With the status of the economy, I may be a bit slower this summer as I am now with work and will have more time to sneak away to the river.
I don’t ever travel further than 2-3hrs to fish anyways except to the UP for a week and a half in the late summer, so the 2-3hr distance isn’t huge in the gas column.
As for gear… I have most of what I need, but you always want something. I just might have to get me that new Rod with the Eco Stim money.
Cheers~
jvk
jvk(Quote)
“Sorry folks, the park’s closed. The moose out front should have told you.”
Predictions are there won’t be ANY gas in Montana this summer. Certainly none for tourists.
My few trips this summer will require rigging wheels beneath the Koffler and mushing the dogs to the river. Shuttles will literally be a bitch.
Sully(Quote)
Plans have not changed, still going to make the Alaska trip I have been planning on for years. I will try to do more warm water fishing closer to home though and the boat may stay dry a little more this year.
Lots of little ponds around here to fish, bass and bluegill are still fun on a fly rod and you would be amazed at the size of some of the fish found in housing development ponds.
Only so many years in life to fish-got to make the best of them.
Harry
Harry(Quote)
Ok, I’ll get right down to it. The only way my fishing plans would change is if new bike tires get so expensive that I can’t afford to bike the 5′ (10′ if I stop for coffee) down to the river. That’s what I get for living in the cheap seats (well not really anymore, but it was when we bought the house)in MT I guess…… Although towing the raft up to the Blackfoot with my bike might be a little tough.
taku(Quote)
Heck of a thing this recession talk…only my second full year of fly fishing. I say damn the torpedoes and make like an ostrich. It don’t exists as long as I don’t see it, hear it, feel it, smell it or taste it, right? As written above, I hope to extend my trips to maximize my fish-to-the-net-per-gallon ratio. …and thank goodness I booked my Alaska trip and flights when jet fuel was nearly 50% cheaper. Still trying to figure out how to haul my gear — waders, vest, boots, rod, etc. — on the better-mpg motorcycle.
Patrick(Quote)
For those who couldn’t afford to make big plans before this “bad news,” not much has changed in that arena…so no, my plans have not changed. Explore as much territory as possible within a 2 hour drive, focusing on “local” streams and NE Mass (1 hour drive).
Ed(Quote)
Tom,
I have a job. I never said anything about actually working.
hawgdaddy
hawgdaddy(Quote)
Yo, TC. Since I discovered that my fully rigged 9′, 5 wt will fit into the Prius, I’ll be fishing MUCH more. Even at 4 bucks a gallon I’ll be able to afford to go all the way down to Sims to fish. Without the benefit of the Prius, I could only afford to borrow “Kerplunk” from the winner and read about fishing. Thanks GW…
md
Mad Dog(Quote)
My plans have changed in that I am one of those who fishes in order to escape back to reality from the crazy world around us. I just might find myself looking for a Festiva or Geo to get me there and leave the King Ranch at home.
Bud LaMonica(Quote)
I’ll make other sacrifices in order to keep my fishing plans as unaffected as possible. Then again, I’m fortunate enough to live in an area where there are so many options within an hour or two of where I live that I’m fine with not going very far.
Smithhammer(Quote)
My fishing plans haven’t changed at all. I have the good fortune to live within 1-2 hours of some great sierra trout streams. An extra hour or two to get up to the upper sac area is the price I have to payfor my pastime and passion. Did I mention that my fuel is all paid by my employer?
guido(Quote)
The only way my plans have changed is that I’ve abandoned the quest for the perfect powerboat and acquired two pair of kayaks: a pair at home for those NorCal trips which don’t involve freezing my butt off while wading, and a pair in Texas for the times I simply need to return to warm saltwater and yank some lips. Whatever the price of gas, I’ll get to Copano Bay next month to christen my Gulf flotilla, and wet a line as well as my whistle. Now, if Whataburger ever expands into California, I may cut back on the Gulf Coast trips just a bit….
Lou(Quote)
I’m in Smithhammer’s boat. A couple of small trips to the Delaware and the Adirondacks are still a go. But I’ve got riches of fishes right out the door, and they’re starting to get uppity and need to be taught a lesson.
Wook(Quote)
They say “When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing.” So that’s what I’m going to do. I actually plan to fish more. But this recession sure has taken a big bite out of my single malt rations, and that spells disaster for the Scottish economy. The only other thing I’ll really change can be summed up in three words: used vegetable oil. If you smell french fries on the stream, that’s me pulling into the parking area just upwind.
Ken Morrow(Quote)
In one sense, I guess you could say I planned for this recession when I moved up here in the 1999; I’ve got way more fishable water 60 minutes or closer than I could cast to in a season.
The bad news is that I’m not going to Tennessee this year (plane tickets haven’t exactly gotten cheaper, car rentals have gone up a bit, and high-dollar work isn’t exactly flowing through the door).
The loss there doesn’t revolve around fishing the Smokies — water that’s a lot like the local stuff, only different. I just get a kick out of fishing with Ian & Charity Rutter and Rich Margiotta, and that’ll have to wait a year.
The good news I spent more time in out-of-the-way local places last year, and plan to repeat that this year.
I’ve got my eyes on a few small streams around here, and it hasn’t escaped me that I don’t know nearly as much about Lassen and the Trinities as I should.
Plus there’s the chance I’ll road trip it to Montana this year (flogging my 1987 Toyota econo-box 2wl drive pickup with 193,000 miles on it).
One door closes, another opens.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
Last year, this years trip plan was a five week road trip out to Cali from Georgia.
This year, this years plan is a number of shorter trips based from home and not extending more than a days drive.
a cabin in florida, an cabin in the smokys, a cabin on N.C.
Not so bad.
Darth Wader(Quote)
The bite on my pocket won’t be nearly as severe as some of the folks posting as I live here in Siskiyou County. Lots of fish filled water within 100 miles. Will plan more camp trips with the tent trailer…always good to spend some quality time on the crick.
Mike(Quote)
My plans each year are always the same – get in as many days/trips/half-days (or even evenings of just an hour or two) as I can and hope that it’s enough!
Gas here (in Alberta, Canada) is about $1.10/litre which is about $5.00 per US gallon, but there’s serious (always SO serious!) talk of $1.30 to $1.50/litre gas before autumn.
I drive a 4cyl on trips, so I can afford it without selling equipment or anything drastic like that!
Looking forward to every day (hour, minute) with a fly on the water!
Larry Nash(Quote)
I’ll probably fish less. I switched jobs in our plant thinking that one of the guys ahead of me was going to retire by the middle of the year and I’d move into his day shift job. But since the stock market and economy sucks, he’s now changed his mind. So I’m stuck working graveyard for god knows how long.
Still planning on driving out to northern Colorado in early July though. The Chinese have kindly offered to loan me 1500 bucks and I can defer the payments to my kids and grandkids (and great grandkids). How cool is that.
fishskicanoe(Quote)
Texas is a big state. I get calls from out of state to do jobs 150 miles away and tell them “that’s close”. So to continue fueling my ’84 Land Cruiser(350 V8) to get to water, I’m going to have to pass that along to customers. It is nice to have a vehicle to live in after a long day of fishing anyway. Heck, at the rate things are going I may be living in it full time. We are all going to feel each other’s pain on this one.
shannon(Quote)
Not really. I did a radical change year before last, bought a much smaller truck to use for fishing. Living in Sacramento I’m only an hour or two away from places to fish for browns, rainbows, brookies, cutts, or goldens. The goldens require a secret handshake and security code. I’ve found that I don’t really need a 4×4 to access most trailheads or jumping off points, and I don’t mind sleeping on the ground.
Ed Wahl(Quote)
Unfortunately or Fortunately I saw it coming and planned on fishing local waters with a few trips to the ADKS (one disguised as a family vacation)..Funny that the wife didnt ask what a 1 yr old and 3 year old are going to do in the north woods, I guess they will learn how to fly fish..I think next year the family is going to Patagonia, can anyone suggest a “Kid Friendly” campground.:)
Beaverkill(Quote)
…Not yet,…really should. But I learned to pass on a high end graphite rod for an older fiberglass one.
Vix(Quote)
with a mortgage that;s killing me and the only adult in my house, gas prices are surely going o affect my fishing this upcoming season. i’ll concentrate more on stream trout closer to home, like parlier, fowler, malaga, selma…
eric
fresno, ca.
eric(Quote)
We are still heading up to Grayling, Mi. for a week to Fish the AuSable, BUT the smaller side trips, like up to the U.P to see some of the Waterfalls ain’t a gonna happen.
Bill DeSavage(Quote)
Right now we’re running 55 “Yes” in the poll and 63 “No” (which is why you run polls in addition to asking for comments).
It’s clear the recession is more than a sterile economic concept for a big chunk of the Undergrounders.
Keep the comments coming.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
Having said what I did above, I’ll be driving back and forth over the pass all summer and towing a boat for work, so I’m definitely going to feel it. And I’m curious to see how it affects our business overall – will we tend to get more locals and fewer people flying in from the rest of the country? Or, for the income level of many of our clients, do things like recessions not really matter?
Many pundits are focusing on the banking issues that have led to the current state of things, and they have played a role to be sure, but I think rising oil prices are having a HUGE affect as well – not just on the obvious things like driving & flying, but on pretty much everything we consume. With little chance that oil prices will drop, it makes me wonder how long this recession will last, and what will turn it around?
Smithhammer(Quote)
Gas prices may reduce the number of long trips I make to go fishing but will probably increase the local areas I hit. All things considered I’ll probably spend just as much in gas staying close to home.
Asia’h(Quote)
Not really. Most of my fishing is fairly local, Hat Creek, the McCloud, Upper Sac, etc., all within a couple of hours of home.
Chuck Sambol(Quote)
Feeding my tank to quench the thirst of my soul is hardly a trade-off…..
John J. Zubeck Jr(Quote)
No…still going to Michigan a couple of time in the car, and flying out West a couple of times for work/fishing trips.
Cameron(Quote)
Well, all kidding aside, gravel is getting more expensive, with all those vitamins, PH conditioners, Test Kits and keeping the glass clean enough to “Spot” them… I think my plans have not changed a whit. My favorite fishing spot is not that far, perhaps 8′ or so from my usual perch, so Gas won’t affect me much.
It’s the back cast which keeps getting tangled in the bloody shower curtain and loosing flies which is frustrating and expensive. (once on the floor the Cat eats them… so far the cat has eaten 8)
Me Drive to some remote (once remote) location and spend the Gas and DANGER on the roads? Face hordes of other fishermen (and possibly some idiot Giant) Forget it.
Keeping a “pond” is the only way to go.
10 to 20 gallons is the usual size, but for the all day experience you really need upwards of 100 gallons…
…and a real good “bubbler” too or the fish will taste like PH conditioner.
Mark Ostrom(Quote)
With high fuel prices hitting us in the face, do you guys find yourself passing on buying gear this year…….such as that nice rod you’ve been eyeing up? Personally I don’t skimp on gear and refuse to go cheap or not buy something that may improve my chances. Any thoughts?
Jason
jason brunner(Quote)
Jason: I’d suggest the single best way to improve your chances is to spend more time on the water.
If that means less gear (and I haven’t bought much gear the last few years), then so be it.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
The local businesses of Dunsmuir must be hurting..
I’m staying put in oakland until Tom says the water is
down a bit… otherwise I’d be up there with my noodle
rod thrashing the froth and bothering Louis and Sylvia at Cave Springs.
$4.05 for Regular here in Oakland. Anybody notice it now cost’s $5 to send a stinking fly across town via any delivery service out there?
…but Georgie Boy says we’re definitely NOT in a recession. Thank god
and political spin.
ROFLMAO
Mark ostrom(Quote)