While the mortgage and (now) looming credit crisis is driving most slackers Undergrounders to the edge of the bankruptcy abyss, it seems sales of bamboo fly rods remain strong – at least for top builders.
Bamboo fly rods seem to be defying the economy.
The Boston Globe published a story about Per Branden where the writer – who was clearly not familiar with fly fishing at all – noted Branden no longer accepts orders for his hollowbuilt bamboo fly rods.
My favorite interview moment? When the interviewer repeatedly refers to Branden’s “bamboo fly poles.” (Where’s the super slo-mo of Branden’s face when you really need it?)
Also on the “not accepting orders list” is Colorado’s Mike Clark (the oft-mentioned builder in Gierach’s essays), who has frozen his list at five years, and though he’s still building, he wants to clear away some of the orders before taking more.
Wondering if I was seeing a trend, or merely a statistical fluke, I started calling some builders.
Hollowbuilding maestro James Reams (his rod profiled on the Underground here) – suggested he’s also turning over the idea of a freeze on rod orders (though his waiting list is at three years and for now, he’s still taking orders).
Even one-time Reams protege and hollowbuilder Chris Raine is only beginning to dig out from under a pile of rod orders which backed up when he suffered a few health issues.
“People are calling and asking about hollowbuilt bamboo fly rods because they’re traditional bamboo rods, but they cast and fish better” said Raine.
Rodbuilding legend AJ Thramer has also not seen a dip in orders: “Everything I build, I sell, so I’ve stopped worrying about the order book. Literally as fast as I can make them, they’re gone. The dealers keep saying “I need more, I need more.”
Interestingly, the fraction of AJ’s orders for his more-expensive hollowbuilt rods continues to climb – he now estimates that as many as 70% of his rod orders are hollowbuilts.
He’s also received requests for a higher-end Thramer rod: “I think it’s mostly collectors” he said.
Arizona bamboo rod builder Mike Shays has seen a recent upsurge in rod orders, and said “I really do think people are looking for high-end rods. I think people are afraid of buying cheap rods.”
Shay’s waiting list is also about three years.
Sure, the statistical sample is small, but the evidence seems clear; bamboo rods – at least those from top builders – are looking pretty recession proof.
Sure, the long-term sales cycle might be helping in this case, but if anything, the rodmakers report receiving more orders this year than last.
Still, lest you think these guys are raking in oil-company level profits, do the math in your head, and you’ll see it’s possible to make a living, but almost no one’s getting rich building bamboo fly rods.
Thramer summed it up beautifully when he said “Rod building is an honest poverty – hopefully you leave behind a trail of smiling people.”
I’m traveling to the Fly Fishing Retailer show in Denver next week; anyone want to take odds I hear a different story from most of the non bamboo-related fly fishing industry?
See you cutting bamboo stalks, Tom Chandler.
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