On the Line

Booster Shot Time for Fly Fishing Industry  

By Mike Conner, editor-in-cheif

Looks to me like the Fly Fishing Industry needs a booster shot, again.

A lot of water has coursed down the stream since the movie, "A River Runs Through It," hit the big screen. The major booster shot that the movie provided, like it or not, prevented a flyfishing industry free-fall for some time, but right now, manufacturers are looking for the next big thing.

Fly fishing recruitment and promotion has proved difficult to say the least, though companies such as Orvis (through an aggressive and well-conceived fly fishing introductory program) and Temple Fork Outfitters (by way of reasonably priced, quality gear) are holding their own in a bleak economy.

It wasn't so long ago that the big guns in the rod and reel making business ran big full-page glossy ads that typically depicted dream-trip images. You know, those permit, tarpon, bonefish and billfish catches halfway across the globe that damn few fly anglers can afford to take. Sure, that marketing approach works for the small number of well-heeled fishermen among us, who tend gravitate to fly fishing eventually.

But what about growing the ranks? Fly fishing is by far the oldest type of sportfishing. It can be very basic, and low-key, and guess what? You can catch just about every species of gamefish and "food" fish on a fly, in fresh and salt water.

Why doesn't the fly tackle industry tap into the middle-class guys and gals who hit the water with spinning and baitcasting gear and who just may be open to adding fly fishing to their fishing?

That's the approach we will take at Fly & Light Tackle Angler. Mix it up. Fish with all genres of tackle. There is no downside. We do it. We live it.

When was the last time you saw a fly fishing ad with a picture of a fly fisher beaming over a nice seatrout, or a jack, Spanish mackerel or a largemouth bass? For me, never.

I did take a look at a few fly fishing print magazines this week, and of the very few ads in those books, the majority of the companies used closeup photos of their products rather than on those scene photos of anglers and world-class fish in world-class destinations.  Is this a change of attitude? 


Could be--reports from the recent International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) trade-only show in Reno, Nevada strongly suggest it. Trusted sources tell me the thing was a dud, and retailer attendance was lousy as was the case in 2011 in New Orleans. And the show organizers did not announce next year's show location, going against tradition. Rumors are that IFTD will happen under the "big top" with ICAST next year in Las Vegas.

Hmmm....expose fly fishing to a throng of media and sportfishing industry folks? The purists and elitists may cringe at the thought, but I suggest they roll up their sleeves and take the needle. Shots only sting for a second. And they can heal what ails you.