I stalk eBay often and look for new lines like Rio grands,gold,SA gpx's and trout lines.I guess they will hold up being stored in cool dry places.I have a SA trout in willow that I just picked up new for 32.00 shipped.
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I stalk eBay often and look for new lines like Rio grands,gold,SA gpx's and trout lines.I guess they will hold up being stored in cool dry places.I have a SA trout in willow that I just picked up new for 32.00 shipped.
I buy from Global Dorber. LIke the lines and they are $14 or $!6 each. Can't remember which.
Rick
I will buy up my preferred brand if on sale and store them in the gun safe. For me that is Shark Skin or SA gpx but also a lot of different weights and sink rate sinking lines from Orvis.
Yes. For example, Sierra Trading Post had Airflow Ridge Supple Tactical floating lines for about $22.00, so I bought 4 of them. Similarly, an online shop had SA Mastery Series GPX DT lines (I do prefer DT lines) for about $42.00, so again, I bought 4 of them. I just can't see paying $80 for a fly line. The markup on them must be phenomenal, as I doubt it costs more than $10 to manufacture a fly line.
Absolutely Sierra Trading Post, I stocked up on the Sage Bass line.
Yep, me too.
Absolutely. Store them in a cool dark closet.
Being a newbie to fly fishing myself I buy low cost fly lines, they are often called mill end lines and usually a quarter the cost of some of the branded lines. It helps to keep costs down a bit when starting out in this sport.
i guess i'm one of the few who don't. it has been my experience that at least once a year, last years models lines can be found on the cheap. i frequent the clearance special pages at mrfc.com, especially at the end and beginning of the year. really great deals on there most of the time. if all else fails, there are always the classified forums here and numerous other sites. seems like if a absolutely need a line, i can always find one somewhere.
Does anyone have an informed opinion of the actual costs of manufacturing a fly line??? Seems to me that it can't be more than $10. Am I wrong??
I can't speak to the cost to manufacture, but here's some information I got from a dealer who sells very reasonably priced fly lines...Quote:
Originally Posted by jgrossing
For the lines there are only 3 manufactures in the world...Why they cost some much, it's like when you can start buying a generic drug. The developer of the medicine spends lots of money researching, developing, testing and advertising. The medicine may get "made" at a contracted factory that may or may not be owned by the developer. All those costs to introduce that new medicine need to be paid for so the cost is jacked way up. Later the patents expire and the market is opened up. The generic manufactures only have to mix the ingredients and distribute.
The same thing happens with fly line. Since there are so few manufactures all the development, tools, equipment and materials are paid off. The line I'm selling is not the latest technology, but I don't think many people need to cast 120 feet or need a special texture.
As for me, I only buy fly lines when I need one, and that ain't very often any more. I still have the first line I ever bought and it still seems to be working fine.
Since I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry, let me comment on your analogy of fly line research and pharmaceutical research and development.
Pharmaceutical research is driven by a desire to make NEW medicines, and the major costs are the clinical trials which are very expensive, since the FDA asks for proof (on a very large scale) that the new medicines are safe and effective. The costs of this research are astronomical, but the drug companies not only recoup their development costs, but also make handsome profits during the patent life of the drug. While it is true that the generic drug companies do not incur the same development costs, it is also true that when a medicine goes generic, the profit margins fall dramatically.
In contrast, fly lines are not NEW products in the sense that the companies have to start from scratch. Rather, they start with an established design and make minor changes to the shape or coating. The research underlying these modest, incremental changes is not expensive, and many of the changes are trivial and are based on marketing rather than performance. The manufacturers don't need to recoup huge development costs, so most of the price of a fly line is profit for the manufacturer. I don't believe that fly line research and development drives the price of fly lines.
However, I like your concept of generic fly lines, and I wonder why these are not more commonly available? By generic lines, are you referring to the house brands that are sold by companies such as Hook and Hackle, or Cabelas? Do you have any generic fly lines that you like and consider bargains?
I only use four lines,a Rio grand and gold.A SA trout or gpx so when I search I have a small search.I see most sales esp. on eBay in the fall when
line companies change boxing so forth.
I didn't make it up, I just passed it on :D. Last year I aquired a sweet little 2wt rod. Since I don't expect to enter any casting distance contests with it (and since I didn't feel like popping another 80 -100 bucks for a line), I decided to see what else might be out there. The author of the blurb I posted is on this board I believe; if he wants to make himself known he certainly can do so. I would have bought a line from him, but he does not offer a 2wt. I looked on ebay, and bought one from a seller in Canada for around $12 shipped. I've been very pleased; it floats just fine, it casts as well as I would hope to cast a 2wt line, it puts the fly where I want it (or at least as close as I am able) and it catches fish. The next time I need a line I will definitely be contacting the dealer I've referenced. I expect there are other dealers out there offering similar product, and other fishermen who have tuned into this concept. I'm petty sure I've bought my last high dollar fly line.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgrossing
I posted about this at the time, and I caught a little guff from some $80-100 line devotees, which is fine; someone has to keep that end of the economy viable I suppose. If you would like to know the dealer who wrote the blurb I posted and who sells lines in that price range, PM me; I'm more than happy to share.
This is the only avenue for purchase of fly lines for me.
I have been doing this for years now and have stockpiled many of my favorite lines at an approx. average 60% of their original costs.
I try to buy fly lines on sale or closeout and I have a stash of them stored in a cool, dry place. I have paid full price a few times for specialty lines, such as RIO Clouser lines (no longer available), when I needed them and I could not find them on closeout. Sometimes fly lines last a long time, and sometimes they don't.
PrairieschoonerQuote:
Originally Posted by Prairieschooner
Thanks so much for providing the contact information for your source of generic fly lines. I visited the site and bought a line to try. I will report back on my impressions after I have had a chance to cast the line.
The price of $12.50 (including shipping) offers some support for my assertion that it must not cost more than $10.00 to manufacture a fly line.
Again, thanks for the contact information.
Well I am waiting to receive my name brand SA trout wf4w in willow I won on eBay shipped for 32.00.I won't scolf at that price!
Yeah; that's a number I can at least recognize :D!Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas
My pleasure :D! Looking forward to your critique of the line.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgrossing
I received my generic fly line yesterday. It is bright green ("fruit green") and is 100 feet in length. It has welded loops on both ends. The finish on the line is smooth and without defects. The line casts well.
This is quite a bargain. Of course, I cannot comment on durability at this point, but I'm eager to see how it holds up to use. My first impression is positive.
Northern Sport of Ontario produces lines for private brand resale. That's what the Global Dorber lines that RickZ mentioned are.
I have one of their lines on a reel right here on my desk that I bought sometime back in 1981-82. I don't use it anymore, but I could. No cracks.
I get mine from a shop in Denver ... $9.50. They say that the lines are factory seconds but I've never seen anything to justify that.
I've got 7 or 8 of 'em... no issues.
Just browsed the Global Dorber and am curious as to the length of their sink tips. Nothing in the description and no e-mail addy. Anyone have one?
I'm not sure if there are only 4 manufacturers of fly line or not. I suspect there may be some in the US and a bunch in China, Korea, etc.
I know that a number of top rod companies have their rods built by manufacturers overseas.
The thing is this: even if they are actually made overseas, the company provides the design for the materials and the design of the line itself - taper, weight, etc. As with most products we buy, fly lines are built with varying qualities of material and quality of manufacture.
I would guess that a very popular fly line, built by or to the specs of a long-time builder of fly lines could command a higher price for their product.
If you read the George Anderson fly rod shootouts, he prefers a particular, and expensive fly line to be used in rod comparisons. I would venture to guess he knows a bit about fly lines and their quality.
Now, that may only matter to a small percentage of the fishing public, but I think it supports price differentiation amongst fly lines.
The sinking tip section is 12 feet. Total length, 90 feetQuote:
Originally Posted by chewydog