We’ve been a fan of Keith Barton’s diatribes over at Singlebarbed for some time now, even if we’re not smart enough to understand what the hell he’s talking about much of the time.
On good authority we’ve learned over the years that KB is, particularly by today’s educational standards, a profoundly well read and intelligent guy with a satyrical streak that is occasionally unleashed with unfettered fury.
KB posted yesterday what no doubt many of us have pondered over the years but lacked the conviction / confidence / outright balls to write – a well deserved poke at the relationship between speciality fly fishing manufacturers and the hallowed venue of fly fishing retail – the local fly fishing shop.
Commentary in the latest issue of Angling Trade appears to have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back given his opening paragraphs….
The latest issue of Angling Trade brings together a number of articles related to the growing gulf between anglers, fly shops, and manufacturers, given that each is struggling to evolve and survive in the face of a double dip recession.
It’s probably their best issue yet, but after digesting it from cover to cover I’m unsettled by some of the commentary.
Maybe we should all wake up and smell the coffee. It isn’t about hair salons, or Costco, or even big box stores and direct sales over the Internet. It’s about who really cares about fly shops, and who backs words with action. Any action. Think on that, and you already know who has your back, and who doesn’t. (From Angling Trade.)
Naturally I’ve got my own ideas about how all this is supposed to work, and knowing that us taxpayers share an increasing frustration over posturing politicians, CEO’s, and those that nearly bankrupted the economy, yet I’m still a little surprised that someone would think we owe anything to anyone that wasn’t earned the old fashioned way.
Why does someone in this industry think I owe an underfunded childhood fantasy a decent living?
There’s little to fear in a good Darwin-esque pruning of fly shops, and with the economy teetering on the brink of another possible swoon, my responsibility is to look out for me and mine.
He goes on to pose the key question of the whole shebang –
While each of the Angling Trade articles speak to a separate niche within the overall industry, the common thread uniting all of them appears to be the question, “when is it okay to break the traditional specialty business relationship between manufacturer and shop to save your own arse?”
KB then proceeds to (rightly so) skewer the recent actions of several of the big gear manufacturers’ attempt to control the supply chain from factory to end purchaser and prop up weak fly shops at the expense of the average Joe fly fisher in doing so.
When rods were fiberglass and the Pfleuger Medalist was king, we were out the door for about a hundred dollars, and a full outfit with waders, vest and shoes, was about a hundred more.
Now, we’ve got $800 rods, $400 reels, $200 boots, $700 waders, and a full ensemble is the better part of $3000.
I’d say during that same period, the quality and breadth of most shops has eroded. A couple of movie-based surges in interest, more fish considered fly-worthy, an increase in tackle and the accessories commensurate, and the slow demise of quality staff, as the best of the best opt for guiding where the money is better than tending counter.
What cost only a couple of days pay is now a full month’s paycheck, without a corresponding increase in shop service level. All this in an uncertain economy, where 20% of my neighbors are underwater on their house, whose child just graduated college at wants to move back in, just as they were about to mail their house keys to the bank …
….No, Bigtime tackle manufacturer, if you want to break with tradition and eliminate the middleman, you’d better be certain of your clever new business plan, because I’m not going to keep your shops afloat, I don’t owe you or them a farthing….
…But I don’t owe the three shops in my area a damned thing, given the only thing distinguishing them is their parking.
Read Keith’s full post here, and the commentary as of this morning has been all cross the board as you’d expect.
Living in what must be one of the most fly shop dense areas in the country (Bozeman) for years has given us a similar perspective on loyalty to the local fly shop.
Bozeman has five major independent shops (Troutfitters, Bozeman Angler, Rivers Edge, Fins and Feathers, Greater Yellowstone Fly Fishers) and two box stores with fairly busy fly fishing departments (yep, go ahead and poke fun, but they’re both busy enough) to service just over 37,000 residents and a fair number of touristas.
During a shopping binge a few years ago to replace a rod destroyed on the river, I was never spoken to in three of the five shops despite handling rods and playing the interested shopper in all of them. One shop owner never asked a word about my fishing interests or experience as I inspected the wraps on a $700 Sage and turned on her heel and drifted to the back room after I asked about the availability of blanks to build my own.
Of the five there was one shop that consistently provided (they’re still in business but now owned unfortunately by an out of state owner in Texas of all places) superlative service. Even ended up buying of the ‘chinese’ rods KB praises at the suggestion of the shop team and have been nothing but pleased with the rod’s performance and saving a few hard earned bucks.
We still shop there or in West Yellowstone at Blue Ribbon because service – genuine customer service with fair, honest input on gear, conditions and local mojo – still rules the day.
Carrying KB’s rod focused theme – the recent rise of several ‘value oriented’ rod and gear manufacturers no doubt signals a change in the wind for the market. Those winds bode well for we consumers and bode ill for the Simm’s and Sage’s of the world.
Who knows what that wind will truly bring for the local fly shop.
It’s a tough retail world out there. Let’s face it, much of the retail day spent behind the counter sucks, and retailers who survived the past couple of years are staring right down the barrel of rocky (understatement of the day) conditions for consumers. Margins, never great to begin with, are being squeezed to breaking point.
[We who blog here are all small business folk – our main business model has changed from top to bottom since 2007. We understand the issues that underlie making a business work – it’s anything but easy today. Buying and selling things forms the cornerstone of our operations too, and while it’s not fly shop stock, the principles are very much the same.]
Our pitch is that the local fly shop who truly wants to play the game (provide good products and great service) deserves undying support.
The shops run by arrogant rascals who are waiting for the sports dripping cash to roll in, buy $3000 worth of gear apiece and book a week of guide floats deserve to die the death of a thousand debits.
The folks with their feet to the fire these days should be, and will be more and more, the manufacturers who feel the need to control the fly fishing game from factory inputs to consumer purchase.
You’ve had your day, but the game is a-changin’.
