An Underground Poll: How Has the Economy Affected You?
Writer Tom Stienstra of the Chronicle conducted interviews with “industry insiders” to get a sense of the damage, and some of the answers are eye-opening (others are expected).
First, he suggests that fly fishing in Northern California is off 20%, though I have no idea how that number was derived (20% fewer fly fishermen? Sales? Guide trips??):
Fishing: Saltwater fishing got killed by the salmon closure, but bay halibut fishing kept the industry alive. Trout plants provided viable hopes last spring, but the summer was dead, except at Los Vaqueros. Fly-fishing for trout in the north state was down 20 percent.
The real hurt? That becomes apparent when Stienstra delves into the fuel-intensive toys like RVs:
Winnebago, a flagship RV for 40 years, announced cutbacks and large layoffs. One report, from Northern California’s biggest RV dealer, Dan Gamel, said sales were down 82 percent earlier this summer, and he’s going out of business.
Boats were scarcely any better:
High prices, tight cash and low lakes are adding up to a disaster for boat dealers in Northern California. Design Concepts, a great boat made in Chico, went out of business. Prices of used boats have plummeted to a fraction of actual values, and they still don’t sell. Nationally, Mercury Marine, which makes boat motors, is letting go 18 percent of its work force. Bayliner, Lund, Sea Ray and Crestliner are all owned by one company, which is closing nearly 40 percent of their plants.
Apparently, fly fishermen are apparently still fueling the kayak craze:
Kayaking: Kayak sales are strong, said Ingrad Nichaus at Hobie Cat in Laguna Beach (Orange County), and the hands-free fishing kayaks are leading the way, reports Carl Haussman at Adventure Sports in Sacramento.
The good news? The human-powered crowd (bikers, hikers and campers) aren’t abandoning their hobbies (nor their industries: high-end bike sales remain good), though most seem to be staying closer to home.
Ted Fay Fly Shop
The local effect? We went to our only local source for fly fishing news: Bob Grace at the Ted Fay Fly Shop. He was blunt about the effects of the economy:
“I’m probably seeing a few less fly fishermen than prior years, and it seems to me they’re spending less. My value-brand items are outselling my high-end products; people are buying my value waders and value fly rods instead of the high-end gear.”
Time For Your Opinion
We’ve run two polls here on the Underground about the effects of high fuel prices on your fly fishing choices, and the results from the two (taken in early spring and early summer) were vastly different.
The first suggested not much of an effect; the second made it clear people were fishing closer to home.
Now we’re asking if the economy is limiting your fly fishing equipment purchases (including gear and travel). As always, take the poll, but feel free to elaborate in the comments section.
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I’m buying flies in size 20 or smaller to save money.
Loon(Quote)
Yes. And buying 1 weight rods instead of those pricey 5wt models…
Tom Chandler(Quote)
…and my fly tying materials are composed of my wife’s knitting yarns, the dog’s haircut trimmings and goose down from the pillows.
Of course, this crunch puts me in a position of making the most of the gas I use by planning to stay and fish for a longer period of time, when I do go. At least that’s what I tell my wife.
[More serious anecdote: I did visit with a guide in the Eastern Sierra (gets a lot of SoCal visitors traveling 300+ miles) and business was markedly off so far this year, even with more opportunities created by this year's opening of a handful of rivers to year ‘round fishing. When I was on Crowley Lake one great mid September Saturday, a good amount of boat traffic was noticeablely absent compared to last year and on the Upper Owens with a group, we had our stretch of the river to ourselves.]
Patrick(Quote)
If I fish any closer to home, it’ll be in my sink.
kbarton10(Quote)
Still buying bamboo and fishing,.However, I am fishing closer to home these day’s. Although the waters I call home, are pretty good.
John J. Zubeck Jr(Quote)
Patrick: If you’re like most other fly tyers, you’ve already squirreled away two lifetimes’ worth of fly tying materials…
kbarton: The water in your sink is safer than the stuff you fish in…
John: So why haven’t you bought my Maurer bamboo fly rod?
Tom Chandler(Quote)
At this point, the “yes, it’s affected me” is running 2:1 ahead of the “nothing’s changed” crowd, with the “totally screwed” folks occupying 15% of total Undergound Voting Demographic.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
I’ve got plenty in my backyard to keep me busy for years, and now feel quite fortunate that I grew up in Florida (where there were obviously zero trout).
As I’ve mentioned before (both here at T-Under and at my home page) the industry needs to adapt, and I’ve found some do. My two favorite local shops have been both quick to lean up as well as offer exceptional deals to loyal customers. I’ve recently picked up some gear as a result, and have referred plenty of friends too. The favors keep getting returned back and forth, and I believe those retailers with such foresight will weather the downturn and thrive in the next round (as there will certainly be fewer competitors).
Further, manufacturers now have such broad lines of above-par equipment, the result of trying to cater to broadening levels of experience in the sport. They’ve done a fine job on the lower end, which may be coming back to bite them. I’ve recently cast $225 rods that feel almost as good as $700 ones. And reels are a foregone conclusion – plenty of $200 reels around that meet or exceed the performance expectations of a $400 model.
I wonder how much of the production dilemma is the result of ever falling costs of increasingly high tech materials; let’s face it – less than a decade ago, making things out of carbon fiber and titanium was NASA play – now it’s everywhere and has lost its ‘exclusivity’ appeal.
Michael(Quote)
Hey Tom,
Hasn’t affected my travel, as I have no choice but to travel for work, and that’s when I fit my fishing in. But if the year were a bit stronger, I’d be picking up your Sweetwater on principal alone- it’s a hell of a deal.
John should probably cast it. Then he’d want it.
Rick
Rick(Quote)
where’s the bought more, fish more option?
when you’re already at the bottom of the barrel a tight economy doesn’t affect you…
Jean-Paul Lipton(Quote)
Jean-Paul is about right for me too. Where I live, I can’t drive very far since there is so much trout water within an two hour drive. So my traveling has been affected zero, the gear is down, but I tend to be a low-ender anyhow. On another note, I am feeling really smart in turning down a job last year and buying a house in an expensive market at inflated house prices. But the fishing in western MT has been more than outstanding this year of cool temps and plenty of water. Here’s to another big winter.
Taku(Quote)
TC,
I have had a drop off of some clients that just can’t make it this year, but have had a few more that, instead of going to Alaska or Montana are making a trip to Oregon, so I guess it evened out. I really think its more that the fish counts are down here. Those that travel to fish and use guides are still doing it. As for gear I am still picking up a rod or reel, sometimes trading for it. If I don’t have a trip or flys to tie, and can go fishing.
Now call me I have one hellava report that you will want to hear. (good news of and old fishing hole of ours)
David
David Roberts(Quote)
I voted that I’m not changing my buying habits. I usually only spend about $5 or $10 every few months. I’m dirt poor, and purchase accordingly. Someday, I’m going to be rich though, and buy this Trout Underground!!! Ahh….the innocent dreams of a child!
oatka(Quote)
As a fly fisher who has a young child, 3 cats, 2 dogs, a fish tank and a wife to house and feed, little has changed for me in the last several years. Add to this the fact that my wife quit working three years ago to go back to college and get her degree, so I have been the sole income of the household. Guess that I have been practicing frugality in my obsession since BEFORE any of this economic craziness hit. I still have to travel for work and that is still putting me in great places to fish. I am still buying most of my fly fishing equipment either on closeout, or used, so those habits are the same. Guess that I do not know what it is like to have the dough to travel and purchase new equipment, so I feel as if nothing is different than before.
Freedog96150(Quote)
The short term issue here in the Carolina’s is the lack of fuel. No fishing for me as long as I can’t be certain that I’ll have enough fuel to get to work. I’m not even comfortable driving to the lake to launch the kyak much less driving 1.5 hours to find a trout stream.
Murdock(Quote)
Tom:
While I have experienced an increase in my guide service this year , I’ve noticed most folks are planning trips with much less lead time. In previous year’s most trips were scheduled about two months in advance, this season many folks are calling to schedule two weeks in advance.
A number of my regulars are calling for fishing reports to plan a personal trip rather than scheduling a guide date, but this seems to be offset by those who are scheduling trips closer to home here in Northern Cal. It is comforting to know that time on the stream remains important enough to friends and fellow fly fishers that they take the time and make the effort to visit.
I hope to see you on the stream soon.
Craig Nielsen(Quote)
Well when our wifes let Steve and I go fishing we always will buy flys at a local shop whether we need some or not. Kinda our way to help small local shops. When we went through Dunsmuir in Aug we stopped at Chris Raine ( dunmsuir bamboo rod co) & Ted Fays. The pmds at Chris’s worked great that night and he said they were local tied. So that’s our way of helping.
John Mewha(Quote)
Based on the Underground’s irrefutably scientific poll, it looks like better than 2:1 have experienced a downturn in fly fishing spending due to the economy.
The question I didn’t ask – but probably should have – was “Or do you simply already have two lifetimes worth of fly fishing gear in the closet?”
Tom Chandler(Quote)