Fly Prices to Rise

[foambug 0]

The prices go up - we re budget , an still buy - I try to buy trout( size 18+) flies from my fly shop ( anglers addiction-) an tie the rest - an yes all stuff is going up , do I love this sport ? yes , an willing to change my budget for this - as for the 3rd world countries well they will still tie the flies for the big box -

[SilverCreek 0]

I did not expect my post to go down this path.........

 

Allow me to say that a better measure of the work/wage/cost formula is the standard of living which has risen constantly over many decades and centuries. Sometimes, temporarily, the standard of living goes sideways or declines a bit during recessions. Recently it has done that, but let us not forget that the recent economic turmoil of the housing bust has been the greatest economic danger since the great depression. The fact that the SOL has declined only minimally is actually a great sign of the robustness of the US economy.

 

So whether there is greed or not, whether economic storm or not, whether there is poverty or not, over time our economy has allowed us to live better and longer and with more creature comforts.

 

It is natural to look at one part of a situation and blow it out of proportion. Allow me to say that this is what has happened here. 150 years ago, the lower middle class would have been living in one room if they had a room. Now they have a multiple TVs, a cell phone and a car.

 

Look at this life expectancy table:

 

In 1850 a newborn male would be expected to live 38.3 years, a female 40.5. In 2011 it was 76.3 and 81.1 respectively. We now live twice as long and have an easier time doing it. Who wants to go back to 1850 because modern "greed" is making life so hard????

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005140.html

 

I happen to be a physician and I find that non health professionals do NOT have a clue why medicine is so expensive. 50% of the increase in cost is due to increases in the cost of technology. The rest is due to an aging population, cost shifting (charging paying pts more to cover pts that can't or won't pay), over utilization, waste, fraud, etc. Get rid of the over utilization, waste, etc and you still have the pace of technology, and an aging population.

 

The most expensive thing a doctor can do is to save the life of a dying patient. The reason is that patient will go throughout a second, third or even a fourth episode of near death and dying that will consume even more medical resources.

 

You want to save money on what health care costs us? The next time your family member is near death, tell the doctors you don't want them saved.

 

I hear all the time that smokers, alcoholics and fat people are increasing the cost of medicine. All of these are unhealthy practices that kill people before their time. Because they die earlier than "healthy" people, these unhealthy people actually spend less in medical care over their lifetimes. Numerous studies have proven this fact.

 

Surprising but true. So if you want to save the USA medical cost over your life, smoke, drink and over eat!

 

"Vanderbilt University economist Kip Viscusi studied the net costs of smoking-related spending and savings and found that for every pack of cigarettes smoked, the country reaps a net cost savings of 32 cents."

 

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-08-fda-tobacco-costs_N.htm

 

"It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars."

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05iht-obese.1.9748884.html?_r=0

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/03/22/alcohol-obesity-and-smoking-do-not-cost-health-care-systems-money/

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18254654

 

Getting off my soapbox now. Modern medicine save lives and that is why costs are increasing. I took care of patients whether I got paid or not. It is because we save the life of your loved one, regardless of their ability to pay, that medical spending is going up.

[RCFetter 0]

As noted the referenced thread, minimum wage in Thailand has doubled so I searched for minimum wage in China and found a report from March talking about increases in minimum wage in China.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-increases-minimum-wage-rates/

[JSzymczyk 0]

I've bought exactly ONE fly (not even really a fly, a Gaines popper) in my 45 years on this green earth.

 

Anyone checked their grocery bill lately?

 

If I was ever able to tally the amount of money I've spent on fly tying supplies, I have no doubt it would far exceed the cost of if I had bought all the flies I've used.

 

If there is anything I care LESS about than the cost of asian flies, I can't think of what it is. Maybe the British royal family... although princess Kate is worth giving a second or third look...

 

Greed? BS. The wonks are trying like hell to destroy it, but our Founders spelled it right out-- life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness. NOT life liberty and HAPPINESS.... you want comfort and security? GO GET IT. The sky's the limit. Get it while you can, because before long, the misery will be spread evenly, not the happiness.

 

This $15 minimum wage BS I hear about? Come on man... there are so many people working their asses off for $15 an hour. Give everyone $15 and where is the incentive to better yourself? I know a lot of guys working very hard with a lot of skill for $15... pay them $15 to put french fries in a bag and why would they suffer? It does NOTHING to increase other wages, and even if it did, it would drive up costs of everything even more PERIOD. All it would do is drive everyone's standard of living DOWN, not up!

[ditz2 0]

I don't see the increase of flies or anything else as a major problem. I see the loss of the middle class as the problem. I have no statistics to prove my concern but for anyone that does not believe that the middle class has not been reduced just watch the NASCAR race this weekend and take a good look in the stands. The seats are less than half filled and 5 years ago you could not get tickets to many of the venues. The promoters have even greatly reduced the ticket prices of many of the seats and still can not sell them. Very few families can afford to go to a race when the tickets are $100 a head. ........The sad part is who cares if NASCAR dies....IRL and NASCAR have both become class racing. Formula 1 has grown because of this class racing. 3 cheers for F-1.....

[JayWirth 0]

ditz2 I would agree that this shrinking of the middle class is a big concern - I would include this as a factor along with some examples from my original post.

[TSPAngler 0]

There's a lot of interesting, if only tangentially-related perspectives being expressed in this thread.

 

I can't honestly claim to know enough about economics to make the kinds of definitive proclamations I'm seeing here, but I will add that I don't think happiness is ever found in just getting more of the stuff you want, it's found in wanting less. Most major religions generally renounce materialism. And most of us have more crap than we need.

 

I've always believed that deep down, fly fishing is about the beauty of simplicity. And finding simplicity in fly fishing is only ever achieved through hard won skill. No amount of money can put that fly you tied down perfectly in front of that fish. Only you can, after you've put in the time to become good enough at what you're attempting to do. A king can do no more.

 

Fish more, buy less.

[Kudu 0]

TSP that is some deep sh...t! I like the zen aspect of what your expressing.

[BuzFly 0]

I know that I am not going to make to may friends with my view on prices of FW flies.

I am a commercial SW fly tier that specializes in NE SW Flies. At the 15-20 shows I do a year I always see discount fly vendors selling FW flies for very cheep. People line up a purchase them by the dozen. Good for them but are you getting what you pay for? Do they last? Are they tied properly?

 

I think FW Flies have been way under-pricesd for a long time and have been forcing out the hard working US tiers more and more very year.

 

Every year I get people from Kenya and other third world countries trying to get me to by their flies. I won't because I would not stand behind them because I don't know how they are tied, how they will perform, what hook they were tied on, what they will look like when and if they show up(you can't return them once you get them). I would rather get flies made by fly fishermen that use the flies I would buy and that are made in the US. How can I compete with Kenya when they offer to sell me a dozen say Crease Flies for less than my materials cost to tie a dozen. I purposely do not try to compete.

 

I don't know why more people don't insist on trying to support US tiers. We don't make a lot of money per hour given increasing hook prices (Gamakatsu goes up 3% Every Year like clockwork) and materials. Also, we have to pay our 10% Federal Excise Tax (yes 10% right off the top), Sales Tax, State and Federal Taxes, overhead (yes you have to pay for your computer, phone, electric, internet, shipping (oddly one of the biggest costs) to name a few.

 

Please try to supper the US Tiers, we are a dying bread, or tie your own.

[JSzymczyk 0]

buzfly, at the prices people get african/asian flies, they do not CARE whether they last. From what I have seen, there are two fairly established camps, with little overlap: those of us who take it seriously and tie our own flies, and those who find it to be just a hobby and could care less where their tackle comes from.

 

It sucks, because as a fisherman who also extensively uses spinning tackle, most plugs and other lures are made in asia...

[jkdurden 0]

Preach it! :-) I'm with you. Economics 101 learned as a 4th grader. I wasn't happy when has rose to .76/gal. Cut into my profits as Chief Lawn Engineer. :-)

 

I remember gas being 75 cents a gallon! Everything goes up in price eventually I guess!

[Mechanical Advantage 0]

I won't get into politics here, but I see this as a great opportunity to help support the local market. If imported flies are going to cost more anyway, why not buy American made?

[shoebop 0]

There's a lot of interesting, if only tangentially-related perspectives being expressed in this thread.

 

I can't honestly claim to know enough about economics to make the kinds of definitive proclamations I'm seeing here, but I will add that I don't think happiness is ever found in just getting more of the stuff you want, it's found in wanting less. Most major religions generally renounce materialism. And most of us have more crap than we need.

 

I've always believed that deep down, fly fishing is about the beauty of simplicity. And finding simplicity in fly fishing is only ever achieved through hard won skill. No amount of money can put that fly you tied down perfectly in front of that fish. Only you can, after you've put in the time to become good enough at what you're attempting to do. A king can do no more.

 

Fish more, buy less.

Well stated!

[mikechell 0]

... I don't think happiness is ever found in just getting more of the stuff you want, it's found in wanting less.

Money can't buy you happiness ... but it can pay to get a hit put out on a lot of people who make you unhappy.

[JSzymczyk 0]

 

... I don't think happiness is ever found in just getting more of the stuff you want, it's found in wanting less.

Money can't buy you happiness ... but it can pay to get a hit put out on a lot of people who make you unhappy.

 

 

Money can't buy you happiness, but can buy you TIME, and time is happiness!