Topher2,
First, thank you for your service. And welcome to the forum, this odd corner of the fly fishing world where the very latest in fishing technology is, well, not considered that important.
If your point about the price of new Orvis rods is that they seem very high, I do not disagree with you. In fact, many of us feel that some of the very best bargains out there in bamboo rods are the older Orvis rods, made in the era when the company was still cranking out cane by the truckload, not so many years ago. An Orvis bamboo rod made in the 1940s to 1970s can be had for a fraction of the price of new Orvis bamboo, and will fish just as well and not go down in value unless you break it, in which case Orvis will fix it for a fairly decent price. And even then, you will not have spent as much as you would on the new Orvis offerings.
Still -- I have said, and will say again, that Orvis is to be commended for staying in the bamboo business. For whatever reason, the company has decided that it will keep this tiny niche of its business in operation, even though the bulk of its customers - assuming they even fly fish -- want fast graphite rods and reels that look like the turbines on jet engines. Orvis can make and sell only small numbers of bamboo rods these days, and because of economies of scale, those rods must command a pretty stiff price to justify the bamboo operation. On the other hand, the prices are not out of line when compared with those of the other mainline rod companies that still produce bamboo, like Winston or Thomas and Thomas, not to mention individual craftsmen who are able to get high prices for bamboo rods because they have achieved recognition as masters whose rods are highly coveted by collectors, fishermen who save up for the best, or people with considerable economic means who want the rods either as status symbols or because they want to fish with the very finest tools available.
Your point about the need to think outside the "tackle box" and attract younger people to the sport is absolutely correct. Fortunately, there are a great many rodmakers, many of them on this forum, who are making some of the very best bamboo rods ever made, and at prices competitive with graphite. Some of them will probably crack the ceiling and in a few years their prices will also seem out of reach to newcomers or blue-collar fishermen. Many more of them will not achieve fame, and some of those rodmakers won't care so much about that, which is also fine, and will ensure that affordable, well-made bamboo rods will continue to be available to people entering this wacky little fishing world we inhabit.
Good luck in your search, and thanks for caring.
Lon Teter
Topher2 wrote:
Morning All,
I have been looking around for a rod and just happened to come upon a new Orvis Bamboo Rod -Made in the Good Ole' USA-it's a plus---, but the dang thing is $2900.00....Thinking that I had seen a mirage, I looked it up again, nope still $2900.00. No reel, line, just the rod. Guess I can call the bank and get a second mortgage or check the status of my left kidney, fly to India, sell it and then buy that shtick. I personally think they have lost their minds.
I can understand that amount or more for a true classic, a piece of our artistic past to be treasured and handed down to the grand-kids, but for a new rod--coming to my point now. This last weekend I took out my middle class fly stuff and caught a few, scared many, and had a good few days. What I noticed-not a soul was fishing within 5 miles of me. Trout season closes for the live bait crowd too here in Western NC on March 1st. for a month. You would think that would have folks out to get their line caught in the bushes before that, but no.
My friends, the industry is in real trouble, kids today are distracted and young adults too. We need more interest and it better start quick. Wildlife dollars are allocated and spent with that interest in mind. We need to start thinking outside the tackle box and find some answers. While I'm sure that rod is magical, I don't expect to see Bill Gates or Snoop Dog on my next trip to the creek. Just my opinion.
Statistics: Posted by teter — 03/04/17 01:19