Originally Posted by
jgrossing
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?