by Mike Wilson, April 01, 2004
The Frugal Fly Fishermen has a confession to make. I love low cost, high performance gear and own lots of it, but I also like to spoil myself on occasion and buy a really nice piece of gear. "So how can you do this and still consider yourself frugal?" you might ask? Well, it’s all about knowing where and when to find bargains.
In today’s article I am going to share with you some of my favorite money saving secrets that I use all season long so hang on to your waders!
Be Patient and Buy When The Bargains Are Good.
Nobody likes to be patient when we want something but I quickly discovered that the fly fishing market is just like any other retail market. Companies have closeouts and stores have clearance sales. If you save your pennies and know what you want, you can react when these bargains arise. For example, a friend sent me a link to a fly shop that was closing out some Redington reels. These reels retailed over $200 new just a month ago, but Redington had just discontinued these reels. They were now going out the door for $45-$75! These were machined; aluminum reels with high quality disc drag systems for under $100.00! Naturally they didn’t last long but for those who were waiting for a bargain, they got a steal.
On a related note, last week I walked into my local fly shop to talk to the owner about shipping my broken fly rod out for repairs. There on the table was a really nice selection of close out gear. Once again, a big name fly reel was being discontinued for about 75% off the original retail price. If there would have been a reel for a 6 wt. I would have been out the door with it in a minute.
Fly shop owners are in the retail business just like any other retailer we visit. When it is time to get rid of discontinued gear, they will cut prices radically to get it to move. The downside to this approach is, unlike the regular retail market, this usually doesn’t occur on a yearly basis. Companies will go with the same model of reel or rod for years before they discontinue it. The good news is that once they change models the shops usually drastically discount the gear. Keeping your ears open for these closeouts is the key to getting a great deal.
EBay. The Frugal Fly Fishermen’s Best Friend
Those of you who frequent EBay know that there are some tremendous values on fly fishing gear for those who know what they want. About 2 years ago a fly shop in Vermont was closing out some Sage blanks. I picked up a 3 wt. L.L series rod for $90.00. This blank sold for $225 the month before. I was able to build my dream fly rod for one third of what it cost off the shelf new!
EBay is also where I buy all of my fly lines. Top brand name lines cost over $50 new in a fly shop but I have bought 4 lines off of EBay and never paid more then $28.00. All of them were new in the box and performed flawlessly.
On any given day you can find hundreds of rods, blanks, fly reels and lines for sale on this website. I must caution you to be diligent though. Know everything you can about what you want to buy. Model numbers, standard features, retail price, and most importantly, street price are all must know information. Armed with these facts, you will be able to wade through what is a good deal vs. somebody who is trying to make a fast buck at your expense. Also make sure you check the feedback rating of the seller. Avoid those with several negative remarks because they usually signify trouble.
Build Your Own
I alluded to the cost savings associated with building your own fly rods in the section above. I honestly believe that there is no better way to save money on a high end fly rod then to build it yourself. I have built all of my high end rods and they were done at a fraction of the cost of a new rod. They both have hardware and reel seat upgrades, and best of all, the satisfaction you get from landing your first fish on a rod you built is really incredible. Besides, your rod is customized. Nobody else on the lake has a rod just like yours.
Check with your local fly shop or fly club(s). They usually offer rod building classes for very reasonable prices. I paid $50 to learn how to build rods and got 1 on 1 attention from a man whose work was featured on the cover of Fly Fishermen magazine. I definitely got my monies worth and now have a life long hobby to pursue.
Buying Second Hand.
If you are like me, you have bought something that you thought was perfect in the store only to discover it is all wrong for you when you got it home. Fly fishermen are notorious for buying lots of gear and on any given day, the newspapers are full of used gear for sale. Most of it looks brand new and will sell for 40-50% off of retail. This is a great way to find bargain gear and can be a lot of fun too! Again, I caution you to do a little research on model numbers and street prices so you don’t pay too much.
If you keep your eyes and ears open, excellent fly fishing bargains are not hard to find. This is a very competitive business and retailers have to move close out gear as quickly as they can. Know what you want and be familiar with the current brand names before you shop and you will make some super deals.
Until next time, be frugal!