Umpqua Signature Fly Designer Program Insights

[Kimo 0]

For those of you interested in having some of your patterns picked
up by Umpqua Feather Merchants here is a podcast featuring Brian Schmidt, former

Fly Manager.

https://soundcloud.com/hookshots/brianschmidt

Kimo

[J-Kno 0]

Thanks for sharing Kimo!

[salmobytes 0]

I was a contract tier for a while. It didn't work out for me, not because of any fault with manufacturers. It was all on me.

 

Fly royalty contracts aren't worth much if the flies don't sell. To get that to happen you have to sell yourself. You have to go to conferences and tie flies, do slide shows and seminars. You have to write magazine articles, although those aren't as important as they once were. Do Facebook PodCasts. Have a YouTube channel. If you want YOUR flies to sell you have to become an industry sellebrity. That's how it works. Dave-Whitlock_2.0

 

It helps to schmooze with the salesmen too. Take them fishing when they're in town. Go golfing with them. Buy them dinner and a beer. Your flies can't sell if the salesmen don't put them into the fly bins.

 

Making good flies is almost irrelevant. You have to sell your flies and yourself to make it profitable. The company I worked with was and still is a great outfit. I'm just not a salesman. Never will be. Have no interest in it. I do my own thing, for an audience of me.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I've been lucky enough to be with Umpqua for quite a few years now. Just remember that from all the entries each year - they can only take a relatively few new patterns.... That said, go for it since, if one of your patterns is brought into their stable -it's a big leg up for anyone wanting to get noticed...

[FlatsRoamer 0]

Thanks for sharing! Have been working on some new patterns...

[chugbug27 0]

Listened to the podcast.... ick, was my reaction. I think those guys have their heads screwed on backwards, sorry.