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

[nighthawk]

This is not a political discussion. I have noticed that some of us have already been forced to change their plans for fly fishing trips this year due to the higher cost of gas, food, lodging and so on. We have even been forced to cancel our plans to go to Niagara Falls this year.

Yesterday I decided to go ahead and put my small car (ZX2) back on the road even though my 01 Sable gets decent mileage. When you drive as far as I do for work an extra 3 to 5 MPG adds up. Well I needed a battery so of I go to get one. When I checked the price of a battery for it three months back they were $64.99+tx. Last time I bought one about 5 years ago they were $34.99+tx. Yesterday the cheapest battery I could find was $84.99+tx!

So then it's off to the local meat market we go. Got a "deal" on a whole top sirloin at $3.29 per pound. That set us back about $45 bucks. Didn't like paying that much but I am tired of eating chicken and pork. Beat the heck out of paying $6.99 per pound for a single top sirloin steak! What happened to the days when mom and dad used to come home with the trunk, back seat, floors and front seat of the car filled with groceries then complain because between food and gas they almost spent $75 dollars? My dad made really good money back then too.

Well getting back to the point of all of this. I myself will not be taking any long range trips this year except I am holding out hope of a gathering with Grubb, Ohiotuber and whoever else wants to join us in Virginia later on. That is it. All other fishing probably will be limited to within 100 miles or so of home. I will use my new tent at some of the campgrounds so I can at least pretend I am in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee or some other place. Not that the local area here in Penns Woods is lacking for great fly fishing but part of the fun is in the voyage.

So how many of you will alter your plans due to the higher prices this summer?

[Bluegill222]

Yep. My Spring and Summer trips are all on hold as well. I'm using it as a chance to get reaquainted with some of the local water I've been neglecting. My fall trip with my wife is set in stone. At this point it would cost almost as much to cancel as to go so we're going, but that may be the only one this year.

[Panman]

For the last several years I have been restricted due to my wife's medical problems. This summer I plan on going where I want, when I want and not worry about the extra cost of gas.

Tim

[harleybob87]

The only thing restricting me is time off. My kids are scattered all over so I have to take vacation to see them and the grand kids. The good lord has blessed me with a job and I am getting some of my retirement from previous jobs so I have paid off over $500 in payments per month. I basicly have no vacation left so my trips will be short 2 day trips locally. I am jonesing to get up to Montana. A few places up there I want to try but alas that will be next year. We raise our own pork and beef and have a big garden so that helps. I am blessed to live in the great state of Idaho and I can go downtown after work and get some excellent fishing in if I want. I think work around the house is cramping my fishing more then anything else.

[BigA]

I won't change things too much. The last year, I have fished locally with friends more to save on gas, as my local trips often involve drives of over an hour each way. I will still do the drive by myself, but less often. I will be less likely to do longer day trips or weekend trips by myself.

I have a trip planned to Yellowstone in August, and most of that is already paid for, so that trip is still on. Travel involving air fare is getting expensive, so I plan on taking a day off of work and driving 500 miles to visit my family on Thanksgiving this year instead of flying. I prefer to use my days off for fishing.

[anglerdave]

My wife and I are planning (airline tickets purchased) back to Florida in October. But locally due to the price of gas, I will most likely limit my trips ( 4 hours one way) to the trout waters and fish warm water closer to home.

[modocdan]

Not me...... I work for a living (still) and my time off is at a premium...... I will go do whatever I get a chance to, whenever I get a chance to..... I can't do a dang thing about the price of gas, so I ain't gonna fret on it. It adds maybe $$15 to the cost of a weekend so I don't care.... Happy fishin' everybody !!!!! ..........ModocDan

[MikieFinn]

I'm going to skip fishing on rainy days I think.

[jszymczyk]

because of duty and work, I've never been able to take a real fishing trip. Ever. 2009 I started a new job and shortly after had to use up a lot of advance leave/sick due to injuries. I'm just starting to build up some time and that will be eaten up this summer on a non-fishing family trip. Some time, before I die, I will take a week long trip somewhere to just do nothing but fish and camp. It won't be this year, that's for sure. What fishing I do will be close to home with all the other 12 million morons in the area, perhaps within an hour or two drive if I ever get a full day to do it. A boat sure would make things nice, but that doesn't appear to be in the plans either.

[Bamboozle]

I do a couple multi day trips each season with friends to places that aren't too far away but aren't exactly in my backyard. I do a lot of the cooking & shopping so I keep track of our expenses every year. This year I have already spent considerably more on food over years past. The grocery sales I always coincidentally found when shopping for our trips seem to be nonexistent this year or are scaled down, coffee has doubled, the BOGO price on bacon has doubled, bread and dairy are up and eggs are going through the roof again along with many other staples of our trip. Did I mention beer is up!

For some odd reason lodging has stayed the same although with the cost of propane skyrocketing and reservations down, I doubt that will be the case for the remainder of the year. Obviously my gas expense will increase at least 20%, probably more.

I was angry in 2008 when gas hit $4 over Memorial Day so I'm sure I'll be furious when it gets close to $5 this year, especially when I read about our oil drilling operations being stalled, blocked or delayed while Cuba, Venezuela, China and Brazil carry on. Despite being able to suck up the added cost, I feel for those that can't and I get angry at those that don't seem to care. Where, when and with what does it stop? Do I just accept it as inevitable and follow blindly along or do I make a statement by cutting back? I'm leaning towards the latter!

Every year after Memorial Day when I get back home I realize that I've driven more than 500+ miles for fishing that honestly isn't as good as what I have 10 to 50 miles away. I'm lucky I live where I do and lucky I can afford to go further away but if things don't get back to close to where they were, I'll be staying closer to home next year.

Not because I have to, not because I want to, but because I'm mad as hell and I don't want to take it anymore.

EOR