Will the higher cost of living impact your fly fishing plans this summer?

[nighthawk]

I want to thank you all for your responses. I am holding out hope that things improve for all of us soon.

Since I have a long commute to work (long for our area) I am considering a more economic work vehicle for the warm weather season. I have a friend who recently rode a Can-Am Spyder Roadster. He loved it.

http://en-us.spyder.brp.com/home.asp...erRoadster2011

With my bad back there is no way I am going to be able to get back on a two wheeler. Not that I can't ride a motorcycle but it would be very uncomfortable and the big thing is being able to pick it up when it falls over. He told me that the Spyder is very, very comfortable and just a blast to ride. My friend was life flighted away from his last motorcycle wreck a few years ago. If his battered body felt comfy on it then I know I would be just fine with it.

It has a nice little trunk in front but I would have to find a way to strap some rods to it. No problem because where there is a will there is a way! Need to go test ride one. By the way I live in Harley manufacturing country but the only two wheeler I would consider right now is a Victory. Just saying.

[Uncle Jesse]

I am extreme fortunate I have several good fishing opportunities within 30 miles, more than half are within 15 miles. If I can get the park commission to think clearly I will have access to a 50 acre public lake within 3 1/2 miles.

From the Wall Street Journal online Friday, December 12, 2008 A quote for our current Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu: "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122904040307499791.html The federal government makes more off a gallon of gasoline than the oil companies.

The price of food is also rising, an increase in the price of coffee was announced last week, and that is the elixir of life.

[EdD]

I agree with Uncle Jessee that coffee is the elixir of life.
As far as the cost of gas keeping from the streams, not excaping my cubicle is doing far more than the price of gas to keep me from fishing. I have great hopes for June.

Ed

[fishdog54]

EdD,

The price of gas IS what is keeping a lot of folks IN their cubicles!! But I do see your point as it applies to you! MMMV! (my mileage may vary!) LOL!!

Best regards, Dave S.

[ScottP]

It'll cut down on side trips I take when I'm in MT this summer; no more day trips to the NE end of YNP if I'm basing outside W-Yell. Also going to tent camp out of an econo-box instead of truck/cap.

Regards,
Scott

[lastchance]

The gas prices have already affected my fishing. The streams I fish are one way, 45, 40, 72, 100, 120, and 15 miles. I usually average nearly 2 days of fishing each week, but it won't happen this year. My Subara Forester all-wheel drive gets 23 MPG so the trips get pretty expensive. The shortest trip of 15 miles is to a pretty limestone stream that only has fishable water in it until the end of June. Maybe with all the rain I'll be able to squeeze fishing it into July this year.

[Silver Creek]

I remember the first oil shortage during the Jimmy Carter years. We had to get used to $1 a gallon gasoline. My SUV got 15 mpg on the road and 9 mpg in town. There were lines at the stations that had gas because some stations ran out. Everyone topped off their tanks when they were down to 3/4 of a tank.

Independent gasoline stations went out of business because they could no get any gasoline to sell. The company owned stations had gas.

When gasoline went above a buck a gallon, they had to change the readout on the pumps so that it would show more than 99.9 cents a gallon. Or they taped a $1 in front of the price until they could get them changed out.

We got used to a buck a gallon, then 2 bucks a gallon, then 3 bucks a gallon. We'll get used to 4 and 5 and 6. You young guys will look back at 4 bucks a gallon with fondness. At least you can buy gasoline. Back then, gasoline was expensive and there were shortages.

It can get worse.

[Bamboozle]

Gas jumped $.06 cents a gallon since yesterday where I normally get mine. That puts us a nickel away from $4 a gallon and right where we were on May 26th, 2008.

I figure we'll EASILY hit $4.50 or higher by this Memorial Day and most likely $5 by July 4th.

Great news for our economy!

[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

We got used to a buck a gallon, then 2 bucks a gallon, then 3 bucks a gallon. We'll get used to 4 and 5 and 6. You young guys will look back at 4 bucks a gallon with fondness.

There's a big difference between the way it was back then and the way it is right now. Gas now has went up 40% in less than a couple months, back then it was a more progressive increase over a longer time, not just an overnight jump of 40-50% and staying there. When gas jumps 50% and yet your pay stays the same, there is no getting use to it because it is a matter of simply not being able to afford it.

[Bamboozle]

Gas consumption in the US was down in March and I'm sure it will be down in April as well.

While that may sound like good news for those that believe the ultimate solution to our energy and financial woes is to drive or use less; I wonder where government will go to get back the gasoline tax revenue they will lose IF we drive or use less? To get an idea, one only needs to look as far as all of the NEW taxes/fees/fines being proposed and implemented by state & local governments to make up for budget shortfalls because of the real estate bust.

It's just like tobacco; they claim they want folks to stop smoking yet they relish the cash cow that is the tax on cigarettes!!

Hold on to your wallet folks!