速
INSIDE
THE SUMMER 2013 ISSUE
Leaving the Rat Race for the Fly Shop/ The Industry Gets a Facelift/Scuba Business Lessons/Retro Chic/Knockoffs/Carp Book/ Show Talk... and more. June 2013 AnglingTrade.com
CONTENTS
®
Features
Departments
Editor
30 Life After Corporate Death
6 Editor’s Column
Managing Editor
Moving from the Fortune 500 to the fly shop... What lessons/insights can be brought along the way to improve a retail business? By Will Rice
Opinions, Opinions. New show season,,, new venue... same situation? Have we finally turned the corner on the “big show” debate? Or can we accept that trade shows are like, um, opinions? By Kirk Deeter, Editor
8 Currents The latest people, product and issues news from the North American fly fishing industry, including previews of the trade shows, a new carp book we hope you’ll all sell, and discussion on the latest environment and access news.
Kirk Deeter kirk@anglingtrade.com
Tim Romano tim@anglingtrade.com Art Director
Tara Brouwer tara@shovelcreative.com shovelcreative.com Editor-at-Large
Geoff Mueller Copy Editors
Mabon Childs, Sarah Deeter Contributing Editors
Tom Bie Ben Romans Steven B. Schweitzer
38 Knock it Off...
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But you might not feel so if you develop a product, and someone duplicates it to sell at a lower price. Where are the boundaries (and pitfalls) for the retailer who wants to build his/her own brands? By Morgan Lyle
Contributors
Kirk Deeter, Morgan Lyle, Geoff Mueller, Will Rice, Tim Romano
28 Book Reviews
Fishing Stories. Everyman’s Pocket classics edited by Henry Hughes, may well be the finest little collection of fishing essays ever produced.
44 Bubbles, Wetsuits, and the Rocky Mountains
Why is it that some of the most successful retail scuba-diving shops are in the greater Denver area, literally hundreds of miles from the nearest salt water? Hint: It ain’t because of the coral reefs in local reservoirs and rivers. By Kirk Deeter
50 The Five-Year Facelift
By Geoff Mueller
Retro Refuel By Geoff Mueller
Angling Trade is published four times a year by Angling Trade, LLC. Author and photographic submissions should be sent electronically to editor@anglingtrade.com. Angling Trade is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and/ or photo submissions. We ask that contributors send formal queries in advance of submissions. For editorial guidelines and calendar, please contact the editor via E-mail. Printed in the U.S.A. Advertising Contact: Tim Romano Telephone: 303-495-3967 Fax: 303-495-2454 tim@anglingtrade.com Mail Address: PO Box 17487 Boulder, CO 80308 Street Address: 3055 24th Street Boulder, CO 80304 AnglingTrade.com
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AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
Is the fly fishing economy really turning around? Only for those who decided to double down during tough times, rather than pulling back and riding things out.
54 Backcast
Photos unless noted by Tim Romano
CONTRIBUTORS
www.anglersaccessories.com
Kirk Deeter is the editor for TROUT magazine and an editor-at-large for Field & Stream magazine in addition to his role with Angling Trade. He is the author of five books, including The Little Red Book of Fly Fishing and The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp, released in June 2013.
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Morgan Lyle is the assistant director of public relations at Long Island University/LIU Post, and the fly-fishing columnist for the Daily Gazette and New York Outdoor News. He is a frequent contributor to many fly-fishing magazines; this issue marks his first feature in Angling Trade.
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Geoff Mueller is Angling Trade’s editor-at large (and regular “Backcast” columnist, as well as the senior editor of The Drake. He is the author of the new book What a Trout Sees, and was recently married on the banks of the Bighorn River in Fort Smith, Montana.
Will Rice is a frequent contributor to Angling Trade, and a contributing editor for The Drake. His work has also appeared in Fly Rod & Reel, the Denver Post, and elsewhere. In this issue he talks about the bold leap he took from a “real job” with a major corporation to working with a fly shop.
Tim Romano is the managing editor of Angling Trade, meaning he makes this machine run. But when he’s not doing that, he’s an accomplished fine arts photographer. His work has appeared in a variety of publications and websites (including Field & Stream and TROUT), as well as numerous advertisements and catalogs.
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EDITOR’S COLUMN
Nothing Wrong with Opinions
Fortunately (and I mean that... well, usually I do) the online world has facilitated even faster, sometimes more candid, feedback. But what I like best, in the context of writing about fishing and making magazines related to fly fishing— business or otherwise—is going out on the water and rubbing shoulders with other anglers. Sure, I just plain like to go fishing. Yet I often learn more in a day on a drift boat or a flats skiff than I can by talking on the phone or trading emails. Anglers, as a group, are passionate people. It’s a tricky audience. Opinions range as wide as the waters we ply. What lights your candle, when it comes to fly fishing, might not necessarily light mine, and vice versa… but in the end, it’s all good.
One of the great aspects of being a magazine editor is that you get to hear opinions and ideas from a wide range of enthusiastic people. One of the great drawbacks of being a magazine editor is that you get to hear opinions and ideas from a wide range of enthusiastic people.
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
That is, of course, meant to be tongue in cheek, but I can’t close that thought without relaying a lesson my first boss, Jay Nagel, sports editor of the Intelligencer (a daily newspaper in Doylestown, Pennsylvania) shared with me on one of my first days on the job. He said that I should always remember: “Writing a letter to the editor is the first outward symptom of insanity.” That’s not to say, of course, that I don’t value feedback. I don’t think any editor could do his or her job without healthy, regular doses of it.
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As a real example, I’ll offer a recent conversation I had with a gifted fisherman. He had wanted to catch a permit his whole life. (I’m using permit as an example, though that’s not really the fish he was after... I’m doing so to protect a particular fishery/outfitter). He’d read about it. Tried on his own, and had no success. Found a guide, and had marginal success. Then decided to shell out the big bucks for a once-ina-lifetime trip. And indeed, on this trip, he caught more permit than he had imagined in his wildest dreams. Only to decide, after it was all done, that he wouldn’t come back, and probably wouldn’t permit fish anymore because it proved to be too “easy.” Maybe the resource was too plentiful. Maybe the guide was too sharp. That seemed odd to me, knowing how some anglers will pay top dollar to fish for giant, “easy”
stocked trout, even though they know in the backs of their minds that that is exactly what’s going on. Here’s the kicker, though. In the end, I couldn’t fault the guy. Fishing is what you make of it. If it’s all about numbers and pounds, if it’s a simple “pass-fail” test, then that’s a bit sad, at least in my mind, but that’s your prerogative. It’s the layers of opportunities, and the chance to plot your own course that make fly fishing as alluring as it really is for many of us, but nobody has to buy into that ideal. And I would say the same about the fly-fishing business, and specifically trade shows. Alas, once again we find ourselves on the cusp of the show season. Some of us are no doubt enthusiastic about the prospects of an IFTD show co-located in ICAST, or the Outdoor Retailer event to follow weeks later (or both). Will this be the “breakthrough” year, where we all get on the same page and revel in the success of our trade events? I doubt it. Sure, some will be thrilled, and some will complain. That’s fishing. And that’s business. That’s definitely the fly-fishing business. In the end, everyone is going to get exactly what they make out of their involvement, or lack thereof, wherever and however that takes place. As an angler, and as an editor, I’ve decided that that’s perfectly okay. But maybe writing a column that says so, for the record, is the second outward symptom of insanity. at
Kirk Deeter Editor
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Product News Redington Launches “Vapen”
Redington’s introduction of the Vapen Collection is touted (by the company) as a modern twist on technologies. The Vapen rods feature a proprietary graphite construction called X- Wrap. This construction method involves wrapping one layer of super-high density carbon ribbon inside the blank, and another counter-wrapped on the exterior surface. It is a departure from traditional graphite construction that apparently affords maximum vibration-dampening properties, along with a blank that is both stronger and lighter at the same time.
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
The Vapen Red features two newto-market technologies, PowerGrip in conjunction with X-Wrap graphite. PowerGrip was created in collaboration with golf club grip company, Winn Grips, and is intended to amplify casting power. The advanced polymer won’t slip when wet, feels soft in the hand and reduces fatigue. It also cleans easily, and doesn’t chip. Vapen Rod: $299.95; Vapen Red Rod: $349.99. Smith Optics Earns Magazine Kudos Smith Optics received the coveted Editors Choice Award from Outdoor 8
Life magazine for the Chief Techlite Glass Sunglass (MSRP $179-$219). The Chiefs were tested and scored by Outdoor Life editor, Todd Kuhn, as well as two commercial fisherman based in Gulfport, Miss., who spend the majority of their lives on and around the water. Graded for durability, lens quality, comfort, hinge quality, fit and finish and impact resistance, the Chiefs were the only sunglasses to score all A’s in every category. RIO Products Introduces Perception Line, Adds Four Tippet Materials:
RIO products has introduced the much anticipated “Perception” fly line, which is designed for trout fishing, and billed to enhance control and feel. This is a floating line built with the company’s ConnectCore Technology, which features very limited stretch. The company says this enhances sensitivity, which benefits casting, mending, and detecting strikes.
This new line also involves the company’s SureFire tri-color system. Different colors on the line indicate specific distances to the angler, which helps with accuracy. Perception lines also feature MaxCast hydrophobic coating, MaxFloat Tip technology, and the AgentX slickening formula, all designed to keep the line riding high and lasting longer. Perception lines are available in WF3F through WF8F in green/camo/tan and camo/tan/gray color options, and suggested retail is $89.95. The new tippets include a Flouroflex Freshwater, Fluoroflex Saltwater, RIO Saltwater, and Steelhead/ Salmon variations. Simms Plans Strong Array Simms Fishing Products is planning what could arguably be described as it’s strongest across-the-board product launch in years. The company, which will have a presence at both ICAST and IFTD in July, is planning to introduce a redesign of its popular G3 Guide Stockingfoot waders, as well as two new footwear platforms— RiverTread and VaporTread. The latter is particularly interesting because the Vapor boot is designed for the angler who wants to hike distances, as well as wade in the river. Also of note, Simms plans to launch new series of outerwear (jackets and pants) as well as sportswear (hoodies, shirts, shorts, etc.). The company is also wading in with new packs (chest and slings), as well as a new line of American-made pliers and nippers, a new PFD, and Foam Fly Box. In all, Simms will be bringing more than 50 new products to market in 2014. continued on next page...
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Mega Retailer Grows Again: Fishwest, Inc. to merge with Grizzly Hackle Holdings, LLC Representatives from Grizzly Hackle Holdings, LLC (GHH) and Fishwest, Inc. (FWI) announced recently that the two companies merged on May, 17.
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Grizzly Hackle Holdings, LLC is expanding its brick-and-mortar retail sales footprint, with locations in Fullerton, CA (Bob Marriott’s Flyfishing Store), Sacramento, CA (Kiene’s Fly Shop) and Missoula, MT (Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop). Fishwest, Inc is a leader in global e-commerce and marketing fly fishing products on an international scale.
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Grizzly Hackle Holdings owns and operates an expanding network of world-class fly shops, presently serving greater Los Angeles, centralCalifornia, and western Montana. The network shops provide both experienced and novice anglers alike with extensive product inventories, continued on next page...
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full-time staff for its ecommerce operations that include customer service, social media and marketing, web development and shipping/ receiving personnel. Orvis Buys SA and Ross
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
expert advice, educational programs, local guiding, and global travel services. Steve Jensen, Managing Director of Grizzly Hackle Holdings, said “our brickand-mortar shops are dedicated to providing customers with an unsurpassed range of products and detailed practical advice in a hands-on retail buying experience. We are incredibly blessed to bring Dustin and his Fishwest team into our organization. In addition to adding another great store front to our pod of shops, Fishwest will
expand our network globally with its ecommerce operations and make us more efficient through its warehousing, customer service and shipping activities. There is an old saying that 1+1 doesn’t always equal 2, sometimes it equals 11. I believe that this is one of those situations.” Founded in 1999, Fishwest, Inc. has grown to be a leader in multichannel e-commerce sales. In addition to a brick-and-mortar retail location, Fishwest operates a warehousing facility for online order fulfillment. Fishwest has a dedicated
The Orvis Company, Inc. of Manchester, Vermont has acquired the Scientific Anglers and Ross Reels businesses from 3M (NYSE:MMM). Orvis plans to continue to operate the Midland, Michigan-based business independently under the Scientific Anglers brand. Ross Reels will also continue to operate independently under its brand name from its Montrose, Colorado headquarters. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Jim Lepage formerly vice president of Rod & Tackle of Orvis, will move to Midland and from there he will be dedicated to running both SA and Ross as president of those companies. Jeff Wieringa, who had managed the SA and Ross brands in recent years has announced his retirement. Both businesses will maintain their current operations, facilities, employees and independent sales representation. “There is no plan for Orvis to carry Scientific Anglers-brand fly lines continued on next page...
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April Vokey for Patagonia速 | Photo Jeremy Koreski
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annually drawing close to 10,000 representatives from the global sportfishing community. Trade Show Executive’s “Fastest 50” award is determined based on growth in attendance over a twoyear period of time (2010 – 2012).
Identify market share, learn what your customers really want and how much they’re willing to pay, track market trends, and more. Rob Southwick | rob@southwickassociates.com | (904) 277-9765 Exclusively in the fishing and outdoor business since 1990
in its catalog, stores or website, nor are there plans to more widely distribute Orvis products through SA’s established wholesale accounts. Each brand must remain focused on being the leading innovator in their respective product categories and distribution channels,” Lepage said. “Maintaining that clarity will be the key to our success.”
ICAST was ranked number nine on the list. The Trade Show News Network placed ICAST on its Top 25 Fastest-growing Shows by Attendance for 2012. Outdoor Retailer Launches Upgraded Website
Sport Fishing Worth as Much as Commercial Fishing
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
A report released recently by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) makes a powerful case that from an economic perspective, recreational fishing is just as important as commercial fishing, despite a much lower overall impact on the resource. According to the report, anglers landed just two percent of the total saltwater landings compared to ninety-eight percent caught by the commercial fishing industry. This first-of-its-kind analysis Comparing NOAA’s Recreational and Commercial Fishing Economic Data, May 2013 - provides an apples-to-apples comparison of recreational and commercial marine fishing from an economic perspective using NOAA’s National 14
Marine Fisheries Services (NOAA Fisheries) 2011 economic data. The report was produced for ASA by Southwick Associates. The full report and executive summary are available on ASA’s website. ICAST Among the FastestGrowing Trade Shows The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, has been recognized by Trade Show Executive and the Trade Show News Network as one of the fastestgrowing trade shows by attendance in the U.S. Produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), ICAST is the world’s largest sportfishing trade show
To make it easier for attendees and exhibitors to find information relevant to their individual needs and interests, Outdoor Retailer today announced they have launched a redesigned website at www.outdoorretailer.com. The new site features a more organic look and feel with intuitive and consistent navigation. For attendees, information about the continued on next page...
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show’s Zones - market-specific neutral territories highlighting the latest news, technologies and events taking place at the show -are separated into seven different categories for Summer Market under the “Show Info” tab. To help exhibitors and attendees pre-plan their trip, the site features ground transportation information with interactive maps of the Salt Lake City area and a complete shuttle schedule. During show time, it will also include time schedules for the TRAX light rail system that services the convention center and hotels. Intended to be a destination for exhibitors and attendees to find show and industry-specific
information, the Industry Resources section contains industry news, association and advocacy news and downloadable PDFs of past and present O.R. Dailies.
interactive online experience that allows visitors to join “groups,” add their own content and become a more active player in TU’s online community.
Show organizers switched to a new website platform with an easier-touse content management system allowing them to update and add new content as it becomes available.
What’s more, it gives TU’s communications team the ability to “elevate” content created by members—everything from blog posts, photos and even videos—to the front page of TU.org, and share it with the world.
The above are just a few examples of the changes to the site. To see more, go to www.outdoorretailer.com. TU Expands and Enhances Website In May, Trout Unlimited went into the technical launch phase of its brand-new website, a much more
“It’s an immersive experience,” says TU’s Director of Online Operations Amanda Thacker-Heidtke, who helped gather a team of consultants and technical experts to create and launch the site. “I think TU members and people who just love
to fish will find the site useful. In one place, they’ll learn everything they need to know about TU’s trout and salmon conservation efforts, and they’ll be able to connect with anglers all over the country and just talk fishing.” The new site, thanks to its “Go Fishing” feature, puts much more emphasis on angling and helping anglers interact with one another. For instance, one group on the new website is focused solely on the pursuit of big brown trout—its members converse via the group, and discuss locations, tactics and tips for chasing big browns on the fly. Other groups are region-specific, like the Greater Yellowstone group, continued on next page...
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years ago. “It took us a few years to get it right, but thanks to our web team and the dozens of volunteers who helped, we think we’re on the right track.”
whose members share information about fly fishing in and around Yellowstone National Park. “Our new website will provide a place for people who love to
fish to come together and share information, photos, video, stories, fly patterns and stories with other anglers,” says TU’s President and CEO Chris Wood, who came up with the idea for the site several
Not only does the new website—still located at TU.org—include new features that encourage interaction, it’s bolder, more colorful and more focused on the people who make TU work, whether it’s TU staffers or TU volunteers who are making a difference in their own communities. The site features great ways to connect with TU, be it through the organization’s blog, or through local chapters and state councils. continued on next page...
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People News TRCP Taps Perkins to Chair Board
Conservation Partnership elected David Perkins, vice chairman of The Orvis Company, to chair the TRCP board.
At its spring meeting, the board of directors of the Theodore Roosevelt
“As one of the only conservation groups to focus on federal policy
and funding that affects millions of acres to conserve habitat and access for hunter and anglers, the TRCP has the platform to make one of the biggest differences in preserving our natural heritage,” said Perkins. mtc at tp ad third quarter 13.pdf
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Perkins joined Orvis, the family business, in 1979 and has held numerous positions in the company. Besides his executive duties, Perkins oversees the Rod and Tackle Product Development Group and the Sporting Adventures Department. An avid fly fisherman and wing shooter, he sits on the board of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as well as the TRCP. He also is past chairman of the Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee, Fla.
C
“I am very proud to serve as chairman of the TRCP board,” Perkins continued. “I look forward to working with our very capable president and CEO, Whit Fosburgh, and our board to make TRCP the most valuable asset to all our conservation partners in changing policy and strengthening funding to benefit fish, wildlife, hunters and anglers.”
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AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
K
Perkins takes over as TRCP board chair from Katie Distler Eckman, a consultant who served as executive director of the Turner Foundation. “Dave’s unique experience in the outdoors industry, his leadership in continued on next page... 20
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the conservation community and his passion for hunting and angling make him an ideal leader for the TRCP board – and for America’s sportsmen,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh. “He knows the history of the TRCP and understands how to work effectively within the hunting, fishing and conservation community. Ultimately, his dedication to conservation, the outdoors and the TRCP mission is unequaled.” Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Hires Tawney Backcountry Hunters and Anglers has hired longtime Montana conservation leader Land Tawney to be the organization’s new executive director.
for Sportsmen’s Leadership for the National Wildlife Federation.
Environment News New Federal Fracking Rule a Step Forward on Public Lands An updated rule regulating hydraulic fracturing practices on federal public lands was welcomed by the Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development coalition, which commended the Bureau of Land Management for moving forward with regulations that will improve transparency and the management of all fluids in the drilling process.
The Department of the Interior’s Land lives in Missoula, Montana, rule establishes safety standards for and will open an office there. He is fracturing, or “fracking,” leaving his061113 post as senior1 manager auer Angling Trade Ad D_Layout 6/12/13 3:58 PM hydraulic Page 1
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and would update current regulations, which are more than 30 years old. The current regulations are outdated and do not address modern fracking activities, including their impacts on water quality and quantity. “New technologies for extracting oil and gas pose new challenges for conservation of other resources on our public lands,” said Kate Zimmerman, public lands policy director for the National Wildlife Federation. “Fracking fluid waste must be properly contained and water quality must be monitored to avoid negatively impacting fish and wildlife, as well as our water supplies.” The National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited continued on next page...
Four Reasons Why TROUT is the Best Buy in Fly… 1
It has the largest sustained print readership in the space.
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egacy of shable water. 4
Money spent in TROUT supports the organization that protects the resources that sustain fly fishing. If you haven’t checked out TROUT lately, make a point to do so. We don’t do how-to. But we’re also not strictly a conservation publication. TROUT is a lifestyle publication that covers the conscience of angling in America. And we’re growing... For advertising information: Tim Romano; tim@anglingtrade.com.
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are lead partners in the SFRED coalition. April Vokey Launches IF4 Ambassador Program Bird Marketing Group and Vantage Point Media House are pleased to announce that April Vokey of Fly Gal Ventures has joined the International Fly Fishing Film Festival as a member of the Festival’s newly formed Ambassador Program. The program has been implemented to facilitate some of the significant growth that the IF4 has experienced since inception and will play a key roll in its growth and promotion moving forward. The deal will also see Fly Gal Ventures included as an official sponsor of IF4 effective with the 2014 screening cycle. “April is a modern voice for the sport of fly fishing and brings with her a passion for the outdoors steeped in tradition.”,
says Bird Marketing Group President Chris Bird, “She possesses the rare ability to reach across a wide spectrum of demographics finding common ground with both young and old. April is a valued member of Fly Fusion’s editorial staff and we are excited to connect these dots and have her join the IF4 team as Lead Ambassador.” “I have closely followed IF4’s introduction and progress in the fly-fishing world over the past few years and never have I been so sure that I wanted to be part of such a great team”, says Fly Gal Ventures President April Vokey, “Integrity, professionalism, entertainment and ambition lace the festival and I am comfortable attending the films whether it be with a ten year old child or a fellow fishing bum; the festival is geared to entertain and inspire all ages, levels and viewpoints. Every year
this great event grows and there is no question that IF4 is sure to be a global leader. I am thrilled to be a part of this flourishing and inspiring team!” April Vokey operates Fly Gal Ventures and is an avid angler and steelhead, salmon and trout guide. She is passionate about Spey casting to wild steelhead, the environment and tying Atlantic Salmon flies. April is a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor, Fishing Ambassador with Patagonia, Field Editor for Fly Fusion Magazine and cast member with the popular television series Buccaneers & Bones. For additional information about Fly Gal Ventures and April Vokey: www.flygal.ca For additional information about the International Fly Fishing Film Festival: www.flyfilmfest.com continued on next page...
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Business Tip: Why You Should Use Google+ By Nick Hoover Last week, Google held its annual I/O conference and released a slew of new products. I thought it would
be a good excuse to review three reasons you should be on Google+ 1) Google+ is the second-largest social network in the World According to recent stats put out by GlobalWebIndex, Google is now the second-largest social
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network outpacing Twitter and trailing only Facebook. Google+ has more than 343m active users. This is surprising news in the social media realm as Google+ is often compared to a ghost town. But after introducing a slew of very impressive features at their annual I/O event the number of active Goolge+ users is sure to increase. More active users means more eyeballs looking at your social stream and potentially more customers. 2) Authorship rankings are coming? This has been a hot topic in the SEO world and signals are starting to emerge that you should at least pay attention to. In a great video posted by Google engineer Matt Cutts he describes several areas that Google is working on to refine their search algorithms. Around minute 4:40 Matt talks about new features that will identify an “authority” in a topic and rank their posts higher. You’ve probably already seen the connections between Google+ and search results. Have you noticed search results with headshots next to them? That’s Google+ displaying authorship. Now becoming an “authority” in a specific field will mean your posts will show up ahead of others. The only way you can get that is through your Google+ profile. Large brands should tread carefully here. Ask yourself if it’s acceptable for an employee to retain authorship/ authority for your brand. Google has not identified how it will deal with a transfer of authority should someone leave a brand.
3) It’s Google Google continues to dominate search engine land, with approximately 66% of all searches taking place on Google. If being found via search is important to your business model you should absolutely be on Google+. Goggle is the largest search engine in the world and pours tons of cash into Google+. The more they intertwine Google+ with search, the more imperative it will be for you to be a part of their community. Nick Hoover runs Niby Design Group, and consults with Angling Trade (and many others in the fly fishing industry) on issues related to websites and growing business online. See Nibydesigngroup.com
at
RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDEDREADING READING
Fishing Stories Edited by Henry Hughes
Everyman’s Pocket Classics, Alfred A. Knopf, $15
writing, like Thomas McGuane, Ted Leeson, Nick Lyons, and David James Duncan. There are also classic voices, like Ernest Hemingway, Zane Grey, and Roderick Haig-Brown. The excerpted section of Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It isn’t the part of that novella you might assume. Indeed, the choice shows far more precision and purpose than most editors might muster, and as such, should be rightfully appreciated. I carried this book as I travelled via 11 flights through 10 time zones to Russia and back home, picking and piecing—sometimes re-reading—as I went. And in the end, was left with the strong impression that fishing is a cultural art form that transcends time and geography. This book is a glorious work that rightfully belongs in any thinking angler’s permanent collection. -Kirk Deeter
I’ve never been a big fan of compilations. They’re like “greatest hits” albums. Sure, they’re perfectly useful and they offer great bang for the buck. But there comes a point when you wonder how many are made specifically for that purpose. Publishers can recycle and repackage tried and true material with little risk, and sometimes that lack of fresh sizzle shows in the finished product.
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
Fishing Stories, however, is a notable exception. It may, in fact be the most compelling collection of stories on fishing that I’ve ever read. It’s an outstanding mosaic of fishing literature, clearly, carefully selected by editor Henry Hughes, who is a professor of English at Western Oregon University. While the subjects range on all forms of fishing, from “The Dream Carp,” penned by Ueda Akinari in 1769 to tales from literary icons like Washington Irving, and Rudyard Kipling, fly fishing does indeed play a prominent role. The book rightfully includes masters of fly 28
The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp By Kirk Deeter
Stonefly Press, $22.95 Okay, so this isn’t a “review” so much
as it is a shameless plug, begging friends in the fly-fishing industry to sell my new book. Or at least read this book. I’m honest about that, if nothing else. So what compels the editor of TROUT magazine (and also Angling Trade) to write a book on carp fishing? Have I completely lost my mind? Don’t answer that. Let me simply explain that, for those of you who have read my opinions, in here, in Field & Stream, on the Fly Talk blog and elsewhere, I have been very consistent with my affection for the world’s most notorious “trash fish.” For two reasons: They are found almost everywhere, and you have to learn to be a good fly angler in order to catch them on the fly. This might seem a stretch to some, but I happen to think that fly fishing for carp can take angler pressure off of trout. I also think fly fishing for carp can help fly fishing retailers, particularly those that aren’t nestled on the bank of a blue ribbon trout stream, or adjacent to the saltwater flats. I believe that the more we as an industry embrace carp, the more opportunity we can offer to anglers, and the more we can improve their abilities. So I set out, with the help of Stonefly Press, and later, Orvis, to produce a new book on carp that covers the “why” of carp fishing, as well as the “how” as thoroughly as I could. Am I the most savvy carp angler in the country? Hell no. But I’m a decent writer, and I know who the best carp anglers in the country are… so I asked them about the nuances of carping in fine detail. I must say, I am proud of the finished product. I like how it looks. I am very grateful to the many people who helped pull this together. And I think it will be a win-win for those who sell it and read it. at
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stories about fly fishing on the side and fished... a lot. In a turn of events that I’ll put under the category of “being in the right place at the right time,” I was given the opportunity to leave my job in a comfortable way after my company was purchased by a competitor. I found myself out in the real world again. I hadn’t had a job interview in over 10 years, I wasn’t registered on LinkedIn, and the only copy of my resume I could find dated back to 2004. Was March 2012 scary? Hell yes. Change is scary.
Fly Life After
Corporate Death Written by Will Rice
“TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both..” - Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
In March of 2012, I stood at a crossroads. Go left, and continue down a corporate career path that had me feeling burned out. Go right... and, well, the right path looked like a dark and scary abyss. After 17 years and three different companies, most recently working for the third-largest telecommunication provider in the country, I was cooked. I had worked in a number of sales, sales support, product 30
marketing and business development roles, and I had hit a wall. I was good at what I did, but I had no passion for it anymore. My gut told me that I needed a change. Corporately speaking, I was a dead man walking. I never thought my first entry-level job after college would turn into a career, but it had. I was now a “technology guy” with other interests. I also wrote freelance
I could have applied for jobs in the technology field and found employment fairly easily, but that is not what I wanted. The thought of restarting my career at a similar company depressed me. I wanted something new. I wanted to apply what I had learned over the years in an environment I was fired up about. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of great things about working at a company with 40,000+ people. The company invested a significant amount of time and money in education, exposing their employees to other really, really smart business folks. I received training and consulting education from organizations like Miller Heiman, McKinsey&Company, Gartner and Accenture. There was no doubt, working at a company with 47,000+ employees had unique benefits and perks. The problem was, I wanted to get into the fly fishing business. The question at that point was, would what I learned from the corporate and technology world transfer into the fly-fishing business? How would selling wide area
networks, servers, online data storage in the cloud, and hosting space to companies like eBay, Amazon, Wells Fargo and Facebook translate to selling fly rods, reels, waders, and guided fly fishing trips in a local and global consumer market? Is it going to transfer at all or will I have to completely hit the restart button? I did have one thing going for me—a slew of new ideas. I had spent enough time in fly shops across the country, in drift boats, with local guide services here in Colorado and Wyoming and fishing lodges in Bozeman, the Bahamas and Belize to know what works and what doesn’t. Not too long after I left my corporate job, I began working few hours a week at Trouts Fly Fishing in Denver. I spent time creating, procuring, and
re-purposing content on their web site and social media applications. During my years in technology, I had traveled extensively at home and abroad and written magazine and newspaper stories, first for the Denver Post and The Drake magazine and others like Angling Trade and Fly Rod & Reel. I knew my way around creating content about fly fishing. Things progressed at Trouts and soon I was working on a number of different projects at Trouts including customer/demand generation events, collateral design, and revamping sections of their website.
I had an important lesson from my corporate experience: Being an individual contributor is great and valuable, but being on a cohesive and effective team gives a business leverage and power. One really helpful thing when I started was that Trouts already had a successful business infrastructure in operation. The team I joined was solid: everyone had unique skill sets, worked hard, and communicated effectively. There was a very solid foundation to build upon.
Eventually I was offered a fulltime position on the Trouts team by owner Tucker Ladd. At last, I had a full-time job in the fly fishing business.
I noticed four attributes over the years when I came across successful business leaders. These four things were a constant, almost like a law
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Still, I needed to build a marketing plan.
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that always proved true. Whether these business leaders were in direct sales, product development, product lifecycle management, product marketing, IT management or customer care, four distinct qualities always stood out. 1) They had a plan that was customer centric 2) They communicated their plan effectively with those around them (up the chain, down the chain, to customers) 3) They were focused and disciplined 4) They were willing to experiment with new ideas and take risks So I set off on a course to leverage what I had learned on a new playing field.
Developing a Plan The first thing I did was create a business-wide marketing plan. The plan had goals. It had strategies, and very specific tactics on how to attain the goals. Most importantly, it focused on our customers. The marketing plan had to align directly with the overall plan of the business. To understand all the goals of the business, I worked closely with the other stakeholders (namely, the business owner) to understand those goals. In our case, the goals were pretty simple: grow in-store revenue, grow the online store business, and grow our guiding and outfitting business. All of this depended on having a strong focus on our customers and their overall
satisfaction with the products we sold and the services we delivered. The marketing plan was aligned around these three efforts and from there, we made sure everyone on our team understood the plan. Communication One downfall I had seen in larger companies was poor communication. It was the Achilles heel of some really smart and talented people. When I use the word “communication� I’m really talking about how people convey their thoughts, ideas, intents, and actions with both customers and sometimes more importantly, the people they work with. After I built my plan, I met with everyone on the team to make sure they understood the continued on next page...
From the editors of Angling Trade‌
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Focus
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
I wanted to avoid a trap that I’ve seen individual contributors, managers, and C levels fall into: a lack of discipline and focus. I have seen people and teams operate in environments where no one kept score of anything and there was no way to tell if progress was being made or ground was being lost. Each day would begin as a series of reactions to different situations. Without focus and discipline a business can start to feel like a bad version of Groundhog Day.
plan and how they could align to it. Effective communication is most beneficial when it is bi-directional. This meant I had to listen. We talked about different roles and responsibilities. I wanted to be clear about what I was going to do, how I was going to do it, and what the goals were. Everyone on the team needed to know what was expected of them. It was also important for everyone to be included. I made sure to listen to everyone’s feedback. I tweaked the plan accordingly where it made sense. If we came up with and interesting idea but couldn’t map it clearly back to one of the three business goals, out the window it went.
The second focus-related issue I’ve seen is what I’ll call “focus du jour.” It is the inverse of the first situation yet just about as ineffective. Sales are down? Focus on getting new customers through the door. Revenue from existing customers is a problem? Figure out a retention plan. Average sales per customer is going down? Come up with a program focused on up-selling. It is ineffective to put short-term plans or BandAids on a problem. Granted, it feels good to react to bad situations or alarming data and take action, but if you don’t give programs time to work and create discipline in the entire business to see things through, you are most likely going to spin your wheels.
• Do you look at your business from a brick and mortar perspective as well an online business? • Do you have different customers with different buying habits and needs based on whether they are buying from you directly vs. online? • What type of content will be valuable to your customers? • What types of events will your customers want to join? • Do you create ways or forums for your customers to communicate with you or other customers? • What type of information about your products or services will your customers find compelling? • Are you a subject matter in a certain facet or niche product? Do your customers fully understand your level of expertise? • Do you have a standard dashboard of metrics that you can update easily and review and analyze on a weekly/monthly basis? There are a LOT of things you can look at to gauge the effectiveness of activities in addition to a monthly sales report.
Our team talked about the metrics we were going to focus on. These metrics would be driven directly by the tactics and programs we agreed upon... and if the plan worked, it would all tie back to accomplishing our original business goals.
• Are you looking at month-overmonth metrics as well as yearover-year monthly comparisons?
What are the important metrics to focus on? Until you lay out the overall goals of your business, business unit, product or sales plan, it is hard to say. I recommend
• Do you have a process or forum for your employees to discuss new ideas?
continued on next page... 34
Here are questions to think about when it comes to building a cohesive marketing plan, communicating with your team, and focusing on metrics and results:
• Are there industry metrics from similar businesses that you can use as a benchmark to see how your programs or activities compare?
• Are you willing to take risks... and possibly fail?
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investing considerable thought into deciding on the specific metrics you are going to focus on and then creating the discipline within your business to follow those metrics diligently. Then pay attention to what those metrics tell you. Risk You also need to create a culture where risks can be taken. You are not going to change your business or significantly grow sales, revenue or your customer base unless you are willing to take calculated risks, of which - some will succeed - and some will fail. The important thing is to come up with a forum of discussion where new ideas can be discussed openly, and then be efficiently implemented or kicked to the curb. New ideas and approaches to business usually have upsides and downsides.
The first thing you need to ask when evaluating an idea - does it map back to the original plan and the goals that we all agree are the most paramount for the health of our business? If yes, what is the upside if the idea is wildly successful? What is the downside risk if it is a complete failure? Are we going to lose time that could be spent on more effective programs? Are we going to piss off customers? Are we going to damage our brand? Lose money? Go out of business? Are those downside risks worth the upside potential? The important thing is to have an open system within your business so these questions can be asked and you have a team that is willing to go through the exercise. Without taking risks you are never going to evolve - and if your business doesn’t evolve... it will most likely die.
One year after taking the road less traveled, I’m happy to say that although those first steps toward the dark abyss were a bit scary, they were well worth it. I’m even more fired up about fly fishing and getting other people excited about the sport then when I first started - that’s hard for even me to believe. Have there been bumps along the road on the way? Of course. I’ve learned new things, evolved professionally and changed. All those things are scary but it feels good to say that there is the possibility of making a radical career change and applying skill sets learned in seemingly different businesses - and seeing positive results. And as Robert Frost put it so eloquently back almost 100 years ago... “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” at
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Daniel Galhardo with his “Ito” Rod.
Knock It Off ! (Or Not) When Does Imitation Exceed Flattery and Fair Business?
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
Written by Morgan Lyle
It’s not hard to have fly rods manufactured in Asia, or at least not nearly as hard as it used to be. If you’re interested in becoming a rod-maker, whether as a startup brand or a fly shop looking to market your own private label rods, you have ready access to rods that are comparable to those being sold by your competitors. In fact, it’s possible to get too comparable. So thinks Daniel Galhardo, founder and owner of Tenkara USA, who singlehandedly introduced Japanese-style telescoping, fixed-line fly rods to the west in April 2009. 38
As tenkara has caught on, many small competitors have sprung up, all Internet-based. Galhardo says he’s had to issue a couple of cease-and-desist letters a month to tenkara rod companies, in the U.S. and Europe, mostly for appropriating his marketing copy or photos. But when he saw the following ad for the Denver Fly Shop, Galhardo called his lawyer, and the matter is now in U.S. District Court. “We looked at all the Tenkara rods on the market and did some research and found one particular rod that outsells continued on next page...
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every other Tenkara rod combined and had our own version made by the same manufacturer as the leading Tenkara company,” Denver Fly Shop told customers in its e-newsletter. “Getting this rod without the use of a distributor is allowing us to sell this rod at far less than half the market price.” The rod, which looks and works an awful lot like a Tenkara USA Ito, was advertised for $100. The real Ito goes for $235.95. Galhardo sued, alleging trade dress and trademark infringement, dilution, unfair competition, false description and false advertising. Galhardo says it’s not true that the Denver Fly Shop rod is made by the same manufacturer that makes the Tenkara USA Ito. The shop is also mistaken in suggesting the Ito is the top-selling rod, he said; that honor goes to the company’s Iwana model. And he notes that a lot of work and investment went into developing the Ito – long trips to Japan to study tenkara
rods and consult with veteran tenkara anglers, more trips to China to find the right manufacturer, and eventually buying into the ownership of the rod factory. No wonder the fly shop can charge less, he said. “This was one of the first that was a clear attempt to copy a rod, and a rod that I spent a long time designing—and it was right here in my neighborhood,” said Galhardo, who moved Tenkara USA from San Francisco to Boulder, Colo., last year. “In my mind, that really diminished the value of our product. Essentially (the fly shop) was saying that our rods weren’t worth as much as they are.” (Denver Fly Shop did not respond to requests for an interview.) Established brands have watched a steady parade of new rod companies and fly-shop brands enter the market in the past decade, practically all of them taking advantage of the low manufacturing costs (and rapidly improving quality) in Asian factories. There’s a vast amount of
manufacturing capacity in China and South Korea. The city in China where Galhardo’s rods are made is home to 300 factories that make fishing rods, he said. These original equipment manufacturers aren’t shy about approaching American brands, or would be brands, and offering to provide rods for far less than the wholesale cost of well-known American brands. “I think the first trend was the outsourcing of U.S. brands to Asia,” said Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Rods, which makes its own products in Montrose, Colorado. “The second trend I saw was the explosion of new rod brands that don’t make anything. I’m shocked that there are four new rods brands that have come out in the past year. Black’s Fly Fishing has something like 98 brands now. “Now, retailers are saying, ‘I can buy a rod from Asia for half of what I pay wholesale, and I can sell my own product and make twice the margin,’” he said. “What’s happened, of course, is a lot of these Asian factories
sort of reverse-engineer Scott and Sage and G. Loomis products, and they have a portfolio of rods. The retailer can pick the blanks they want and have them finished according to their component and cosmetic specifications.” Years ago, selling your own brand of fly rod would require laying out big money for a domestic factory, and building a distribution network, one fly shop at a time. Even outsourcing to Asia used to be difficult; one had to be in the know, and there was a lot of travel involved. Today, the Asian OEMs roam the halls at the IFTD show, handing out business cards. But a start-up brand or private-label-minded retailer need not even go to the show to find a factory. It’s as easy as logging onto alibaba.com and scrolling down the list of manufacturers. Not every private-label brand of fly rod is bought off the rack. A larger fly shop with the cash and the customers to continued on next page...
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do so can design a custom line of rods that competes with the large and growing marketplace of lowand mid-priced rods. “From a business perspective, I felt driven to make the leap and the investment into that market in order to compete with saturation of the ‘less expensive’ fly rod category, respond to the difficult economy, and to deal with the fact that California has a sales tax that has driven the consumer to out-of-state purchases for their big ticket items,” said Mike Michalak, owner of The Fly Shop in Reading, California. The Fly Shop sells its own line of rods alongside the Sages, Scotts, Winstons, Hardys and Echos— at the shop and from the store’s website. Michalak may have been forced into the “less expensive” category, but he proudly defends the quality of The Fly Shop-brand rods. “Our rods often took nearly a year in design, depending on the model, and are unique,” he said. “They’d get a lot more attention if there was anyone else out there with the same product because folks would quickly recognize them for more than the obvious cost-benefit advantage. The Fly Shop’s rods are unique and excellent fishing tools. Period.”
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
Of course, The Fly Shop itself is a brand in itself – one of the country’s biggest and best-established fly shops. It has the wherewithal to take on the development of a private label. Not every retailer does, Michalak said. “The long-term commitment is huge, the inventory investment is beyond the reach of most shops, and to just slap a label on one more Asian knock-off offers no benefit to the customer beyond price, and is a difficult sell to what is a very 42
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sophisticated clientele,” he said. “Most shops are better advised to invest in established brands that allow more reasonable minimums and don’t tie up so much working capital.” Indeed, Bartschi said he’s seen retailers get in over their heads with private labeling. “What I’ve seen at a number of retailers that have gone private label is they’ve started at $350 rods and they’re on sale for $125 now, because they’re desperate to get their cash back out of it,” he said. “I think some of the retailers are realizing that they don’t know anything about manufacturing. Just like we don’t want to retail our products, we want specialty retailers to do that for us. When you meet one of these OEM guys and he’s showing you a great product at a ridiculously low price, I think once people actually get into the realities of it, their viewpoint’s changing a little bit. There’s a lot more to it.”
to five that could make decent rods and three that could make very good rods, and would work on them and refine them and get the idea. There was a lot of ground to cover before I found the company I wanted to work with. And it’s also easy to not do that work.” Galhardo has a tentative plan to put an end to worries about knockoffs of Tenkara USA rods, and to the headaches of long-distance rod designing. “I’m looking at opening a factory here in the U.S. now,” he said. “It might be two, five years off, who knows. But I’m very interested in opening a factory here in Boulder. It’s very challenging – I’ve got to start selling more rods. But I like the idea of doing it here. It’s a good way to innovate and keep control of it. Part of the reason I moved to Boulder, besides the fishing, is its home to one of the largest concentrations of outdoor businesses, and there’s a huge manufacturing base here.”
And then there’s the risk that your research and development will end up in a rod bearing someone else’s logo.
He knows it will cost more, “but I think we could get pretty close.” And he likes the idea of tinkering with rod designs in his own factory.
“It’s incredibly easy to get a rod or any product copied in China,” Galhardo said. “I went through about 30 manufacturers, to narrow it down
“It will be fun to play around with it,” he said. “I think it would be quite boring, to be honest, just to keep the same thing going.” at
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An A-1 Operation… How is it that one of the most successful scuba diving retail stores in America is found in Littleton, Colorado… literally thousands of miles from the nearest coral reef ? Written by Kirk Deeter
Scuba diving is worthy of comparison to fly fishing. The total number of certified divers in the United States is estimated between 1.5 and 2.5 million, which falls in line with the most realistic estimates of serious fly anglers in America. Divers, like anglers, are a motivated demographic: They travel, spend money on quality gear, and tend to be well educated.
Sea turtle encounter off Maui, photo by Paul Deeter
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
I have long said that the fly shop that truly lives up to that “fly shop” moniker (meaning it is located near a popular river or lake, and fly sales comprise the foundation of its revenue) is almost bulletproof, even in a slowed economy. So long as there’s water, and fish that live in that water, and anglers who want to catch those fish (and, of course, some savvy behind the cash register) things tend to work out. But when we look at the fly shop attrition that’s happened over the past decade, a significant number of those that have closed their doors were “lifestyle” shops that catered to anglers in more urban and suburban settings, farther away from the trout water. Some were eaten up by big boxes. Some lost ground to Internet retailers. 44
Some shops, on the other hand, have clearly figured out a formula for success, which often includes a healthy Internet presence of their own, and/ or a strong travel support program. Others, however, are still searching for answers. Angling Trade decided to look outside the fly-fishing world for an example of an outdoor retail business that is prospering despite being physically located far away from the best natural resources that support the sport its customers are interested in enjoying. And we had to look no further than in our own backyard—in Littleton, Colorado, where A-1 Scuba & Travel Aquatics Center is found. A-1 has been in business for 53 years and now occupies an impressive 11,000-square-foot facility.
There are some notable differences, however. Scuba diving requires certification, and fly fishing doesn’t (which stands to reason, since you can kill yourself if you don’t dive properly, while, unless you wade in over your head, the downside risk of fly fishing is failure to catch fish). There are credible governing bodies that handle certification of divers, perhaps most notably the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), which is headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and includes 130,000 certified diving professionals. Still, on the whole, fly fishing enjoys the benefit of far more premier natural resources worthy of exploring within the United States. Diving, while it can be enjoyed in lakes and reservoirs, etc., is best experienced in warm, clear, coral reef-laden waters, and there are scant few of those in America (Florida and Hawaii). California diving is cold and “kelpy.” Great Lakes diving is even colder, and more devoid of natural flora and fauna. continued on next page...
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And Colorado diving is nothing to write home about—even if you do spend time watching trout from below the surface in an effort to figure out what you’re doing wrong when casting at those fish from above the surface. Yet, oddly enough, there are more certified divers in the greater Denver area than any other “non-coastal” location in America. What gives?
One cannot help but be impressed when they walk into the A-1 facility. It’s bright. It’s exciting. And most importantly, it has absolutely everything to service the interests of any diver—from the learner newbie to the advanced veteran—all under one roof.
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Part of it has to do with the “outdoorsy” culture in Colorado. People who live here love to explore nature, and they are predisposed, perhaps, to pick up scuba diving as another adventure sports interest. Part of it has to do with the fact that Denver has a great international airport and within a few hours of flying you can find yourself in the Yucatan or diving Cozumel, or reef diving in Cabo Pulmo in Baja, Mexico. But another big part of it is that the Denver area is home to some incredibly savvy retail stores. (On a recent dive trip to the Bahamas, for example, the dive master, after learning that I was from Denver, gushed about A-1 Scuba as one of the best stores in the country). We sat down with A-1 owner Scott Taylor to find out what makes the operation tick. And he said it boils down to three things:
46
1.) One-Stop Shopping (and training… and service…)
That may, quite literally start with the training facilities. Diver certification is understandably a lot more complex than fly fishing 101, with good reason—to be a diver, the first thing you must do is learn how not to severely injure or kill yourself. A-1 covers the gamut in that regard. The facility has classrooms and its own pool—basically everything needed to get a noob ready for their final certification dives—right on premises. The retail showroom has all the latest gear and gadgets, from wetsuits and buoyancy control devices, to sophisticated dive computers, masks, fins, snorkels, and underwater cameras (there is a special GoPro display). Scuba diving may indeed be one of the few sports that eclipses fly fishing in terms of “gizmo-ology,” but then again, personal safety, as well as performance, is a driving factor that prompt divers to invest in quality gear. (Interestingly, scuba manufacturers have instituted minimum pricing
There’s a full service center on premises, with expert technicians who can fix any dive gear.
“People come to use our pool for different reasons—like swimming lessons, or triathlon training, and of course diving training. Many of them aren’t even divers, but they get exposed to the diving and many inevitably grow interested, and eventually learn to be divers.”
There’s a bona fide travel agency onsite, with agents who can sit down with you and explain, for example, which of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) is best for you. (For the record, the best bonefish-dive combo option may be Curacao, as that island has good flats, though the beach diving is best on Bonaire). A-1 hosts destination trips on a monthly basis, reaching all the world’s best dive locales, from the Red Sea to the Philippines. “What we want to do—and have to do—is be able to service the needs and interests of anyone who walks through our door,” explained Taylor. “If you’re a complete newcomer, and want to learn how to dive, of course, we can help you get started. If you are an experienced diver, and you want to travel to find adventure, we can do that too. And we can help you keep your gear functioning properly. In other words, there’s no reason to go different places to find different things. You can find it all here.” Near Denver. 2) A Family Focus… With “Crossover” Appeal
This naturally creates a family focus for A-1. In fact, Taylor estimates that 90 percent of his customers fall into some sort of a “family” category. Diving is known for its “buddy system” (you never dive alone, you always have someone watching your back, and you are always looking out for your continued on next page...
2014 DENVER, CO JANUARY 3, 4 & 5 MARLBOROUGH, MA JANUARY 17, 18 & 19
PHOTO BY BARRY AND CATHY BECK
standards which help brick-and-mortar retail operations compete with online retailers that seek to promote discounted—usually older model—products.)
SOMERSET, NJ JANUARY 24, 25 & 26 WINSTON-SALEM, NC FEBRUARY 7 & 8 LYNNWOOD, WA FEBRUARY 15 & 16 PLEASANTON, CA FEBRUARY 21, 22 & 23 LANCASTER, PA MARCH 1 & 2
You’ll notice that the business has a rather lengthy and descriptive name: A-1 Scuba & Travel Aquatics Center. “The ‘Aquatics Center’ part is a relatively new addition, but it really relates an important part of our business,” explained Ryan O’Connor, assistant retail manager.
Fly Fishing is NOT part of the show
IT IS THE SHOW!
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partner), and that also apparently translates to dry land. People learn to dive, then travel and dive, as teammates—fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, sisters, boyfriends and girlfriends, and so forth. Imagine the fly shop in this context. What percentage of your business do you estimate to be “family-driven” and what percentage (honestly) is the solo-shopping, white male, age 40 and above? How many fly-fishing classes are family classes? How much effort is invested in teaching anglers to teach others, rather than the straightforward one-on-one? People like to learn together, and A-1 has on-site classrooms with certification courses of all levels to foster divers along. O’Connor related an interesting story that captures the family appeal of diving.
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
“We have one family that travels together to dive, but the dad does not swim,” said O’Connor. “He still goes on the trip, but he sits in the boat. The funny thing is, he’s now come into our shop to take swimming lessons, and he hasn’t told anyone about it. He’s planning on going on the next trip and just jumping out of the boat and surprising everyone.” The pool also serves as a magnet to grab the attention of outdoor aficionados who make good scuba candidates. For example, a triathlete might come to A-1 to train in the “endless pool” (the pool has a propulsion system/flume that allows athletes to swim in place… an aquatic treadmill of sorts), or to purchase a wetsuit for training (and who can offer a better array of wetsuits than a scuba diving store?), and they are inevitably exposed to diving so much, they inevitably convert, almost by osmosis. 48
3) Partnerships The unique selling proposition—the ability to offer customers something unique—is powerful for any business. A-1 is able to offer an experience unlike any other—the ability to dive with sharks and other tropical, saltwater fish in a reef environment… in the Mile High City. This is made possible through a partnership with the Downtown Aquarium. It’s actually a win-win. Who’s more enthusiastic about visiting and supporting an aquarium than the dive demographic? And if you’re diving in Denver, would you rather do so in a chilly, cloudy reservoir, or spend a few bucks and enjoy a realistic simulation of a reef environment? “Our partnership with the Aquarium is really important to us, and it’s been key in attracting customers,” said Taylor. “People go to the aquarium and all the sudden they see divers mixing in with the fish, and they wonder how they can do that. We can put them there.” Still other partnerships are more altruistic in foundation, but no less
important for building and sustaining a customer base. For example, as with fly fishing, the scuba community is heavily involved in supporting disabled veterans. A-1 hosts regular programs for wounded warriors, and through another partnership with Craig Hospital (which specializes in severe brain and spinal cord injuries), helps many disabled people discover and enjoy diving. Taylor was formerly a physical therapist before he and his wife Lynn acquired the business from her father over 20 years ago. He now offers Handicapped Scuba Association Instructor training—again taking the extra step to teach others to help others. It all ultimately folds into the familyfocused, comprehensive resource thinking that makes A-1 more than a scuba diving business. It is a community resource that happens to be based on scuba diving. And there’s no doubt that this type of thinking has worked well where it has been applied in the fly-fishing world. The real question is, how deep can all this go? at
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Stop by and see us at booth #5049/5051 at the ICAST/IFTD show
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Fly Fishing’s Five-Year Facelift Seeking blue skies beyond the economic collapse Written by Geoff Mueller
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
In the fall of 2008, major financial markets spiraled off the cliff. Spurred by mortgage and credit crisis and followed by bank collapse and government bailout, businesses across the board prepared for apocalyptic outcomes. Casualties abounded, while the flyfishing industry took a beating under an inclement economic climate. Five years later the dark clouds have dissipated some. Talk of downturn is being replaced with uptick optimism, while farsighted businesses evolve the blueprint to maintain relevancy and spur growth amid fierce
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competition. One such company on the leading edge of the post-collapse evolution is Orvis. Having made significant investments in the rebranding department over the past several years, its flyfishing facelift presents an entirely new animal. “We knew we needed to brand ourselves more inline with who we are in flyfishing. Most of our product developers, shop managers, and guides are young,” says company marketing czar, Tom Rosenbauer. “I’m the oldest one here by probably 10 years. The changes are really more about who we actually
are than the image we projected in the past.” The transition has been a long time coming for a brand that’s been in the game for more than 150 years. Orvis’ new look began its metamorphosis in the form of enlivened ad messaging—both online and in print—targeting a demographic more focused on fun and adventure than nostalgia and graying hairs. Similarly, the company stepped up its involvement and investment in film, catering to a new breed of anglers on the move. continued on next page...
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For those who took in the Fly Fishing Film Tour 2013, Orvis, although not a headline sponsor, managed to impregnate the big screen with savvy product placement and individual film support throughout. Taking a cue from Coca-Cola and Doritos, Steve Hemkens, the current head of Orvis’ Rod & Tackle department, has been instrumental in getting the brand seen and in the hands of new audiences. Simon Perkins, heir to the company throne and a talented filmmaker in his own right, has also helped ramp up company energy. The returns, thus far, are mostly anecdotal. But Rosenbauer says the buzz has been loud.
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
“It’s one of those areas where you know it’s the right thing to do. There’s no question about it. We hear it and feel it,” he says. “The fly fishing industry is small enough that we’ve found this kind of evidence to be relevant. And when you start to see things a few times it’s a trend.” In addition to film popularity and tapping into younger audiences one of the biggest movements Orvis has encountered since the collapse has been the falling off of the barely hanging on. In a shark-eat-shark battle for survival, businesses that strived during the past five years did so by capitalizing on the misfortunes of less-savvy coampetitors, especially in the retail and travel ends of the spectrum. Jim Klug at Bozeman-based Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, for instance, says the downturn hit his travel-bookings business hard, but it also provided opportunity. “My business partner, Ian Davis, and I saw a lot of our competi-
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tion pulling back and burying their heads in the sand. They were pulling advertising, quit doing consumer shows, and eliminating catalogs—Kaufmann’s is a good example,” Klug says. “Everybody pulled back thinking they would ride this out and rest on the laurels they’d created up to this point. It was a dangerous gamble and many companies that chose that path really hurt themselves.” With a healthy cash reserve and limited overhead, Yellow Dog did the opposite and doubled down. The company increased advertising and marketing budgets, ramped up consumer show appearances from 10 to 15 annually, expanded its catalog print run, sponsored more events, and took advantage of the downturn to seize market share. Those aggressive moves have paid off. According to Klug, Yellow Dog began to rebound in 2010 after 12 to 18 months marked by a more than 30 percent drop in business. The following year, in 2011, the company recorded its best numbers ever, only to trump them once again in 2012. To say the travel industry is booming at this point, however, would be an exaggeration. “I think our success is a direct result of doing what we did,” Klug says, “not necessarily a skyrocketing travel industry. We took a huge gamble that frankly, if things had not improved, would have killed us.” Although the size of the travel pie has not grown exponentially, it’s an area that’s rebounded faster than others. People are booking flyfishing trips at a healthy rate. They’re traveling to new, exotic destinations that 15 years ago didn’t have the in-
frastructure and services to support a clientele. And, oftentimes, they’re taking their families in tow, whether domestically to Alaska or Montana or abroad to South America mainstays such as Chile and Argentina. As the founder of Confluence Films, alongside filmmaker Chris Patterson, film, Klug says, has been a leading factor in inspiring anglers to experience fishing beyond the backyard. “For us it’s really opened up a whole world of these exotic destinations, crazy species, a lot of these flyfishing possibilities that people have never really considered before. And it’s been phenomenal for travel.” In the end, whether it’s promoting far-flung destinations, marketing new fly rods, or ramping up retail sales, quality service and customer satisfaction remain key links in the chain. But today it’s really about going above and beyond. Businesses that have retained relevancy while weathering potential wreckage have done so by tweaking the mold and catering to a smarter, cagier consumer base. In Livingston, Montana, the gateway to some of the best trout escapes in the West, retail competition has always been cutthroat. And while the downturn could have delivered a nail-in-the-coffin scenario for several flyfishing businesses, George Anderson’s Yellowstone Angler fly shop has forged ahead by bucking the status quo. “Five years after the collapse ‘normal’ business practices of maintaining great customer service and having the best guides are no longer enough,” says shop manager, James
Anderson. “We’ve become more involved with the community, we donate several guide trips a year, as well as tackle to other organizations. We’ve improved our online fishing reports and worked hard to update current photos in order to keep people coming back to the site, and we’re always trying to improve our Internet catalog.” Flies remain the shop’s most consistent sellers, alongside terminal tackle. And in addition to a recent uptick in travel bookings, rod sales continue to progress due to the shop’s popular online gear shootouts. The brilliant and sometimes controversial concept of providing in-depth comparisons of similar products like rods, tippets, or waders has helped change the game, providing honest, expert opinions—good and bad—on new products entering the fold each season. Yellowstone Angler hopes to grow the industry in a healthy direction, helping people save time by narrowing down options on something they’re looking for. Ultimately the goal is to sell more gear to a wizened consumer with very specific wants and needs. It’s a formula that sets the shop apart from competitors. And being recognizably different these days is a powerful trait.
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“I think our biggest advantage is the fact that we do what we love and love what we do. Being passionate about our jobs enables us to put in twice as much effort as the next guy,” Anderson says. “I think the less ‘die-hard’ shops won’t have the patience or drive to overcome the mountain of challenges and hard work ahead of us all.” at
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105 Pollywog Lane Belgrade, MT 59714 phone: 800-462-4474 fax: 800-420-2468 info@drslick.com www.drslick.com
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barrage of sorry stories and sights: Disease is on the rise. Tornado season is especially deadly. The economy is the shits. So are the politicians and celebrities. And the 1950s, unencumbered and freewheeling down the interstate in a gas-guzzling hunk of American-made steel never felt so freeing.
Retro Gets Active
The rebirth of simplicity on the river Written by Geoff Mueller
AnglingTrade.com / June 2013
Minus the copious cigs, lunch-break booze hounding, and chauvinistic tendencies, Don Draper of the 50s-/60’s-era TV franchise Mad Men would feel at home in 2013. Sparked in part by the show, the rebirth of retro-modern has sunk its kitschy home decor, starched linens, and sex appeal into the consumer mainstream. And the fly-fishing industry is no longer immune to the madness. Perhaps it’s something in the water—Canadian Club, straight. Or maybe it’s the innocence of a generation that took its vices much less literally than we do today. But there’s no denying that vintage is fast becoming a preferred vantage. Today’s technological wizardry keeps the deluge of texts, emails, and news coming, while getting away from it all becomes more and more difficult. The media is filled with a constant 54
One reason we’re drawn to the era is because it represents a time of relative prosperity. During its span the economy grew by more than 30 percent. And at the end of the decade, the median American family had greatly increased its purchasing power. Inflation was minimal and except for a couple recessions unemployment remained low, bottoming at less than 4.5 percent mid-decade. In addition, wages for skilled labor were relatively high and inexpensive oil from domestic wells helped keep the wheels in motion. From a consumer standpoint there was cash to burn, which spurred healthy economic growth. Looking out the window more than 50 years later, a general lack of consumer spending remains a key factor in businesses going bust. So we travel back in time to an era where things just seemed a little simpler. Fly fishing, as a means of catching fish, embodies this back-to-square-one notion well. “Lures” still stem from feathers. Basic necessities include beer and water. And the recent resurgence in Spey, as well as slower graphite, glass, and cane rods from modern manufacturers are aiming toward an easier-going gait on the water. This endeavor also remains about the getaway, forgoing the breakneck pace of our 9-to-5s—at least for a few days here and there. We revel in campfires, dories and rafts propelled by river
gradient and human sweat, and we covet the open road. We are, let’s face it, a little crusty. Over the winter I picked up a rickety, old-as-dirt camper and have been busy dusting off the rust for the upcoming season. It’s 1950s vintage, featuring cannedham construction and 50 years of original wood rot that’s been replaced with a couple of sheets of Home Depot plywood. Furnishings are basic and clean and true to the era. It holds a Coleman heater that one hopes won’t poison anyone with carbon monoxide, a hand pump-operated sink, and the old-school convenience of a roof overhead. And last, but not least, potential. The restoration work has been worth it. It’s meant less time with keyboard calluses and more with hands dirty plotting old-school escapes to not-so-far-off places. Its retro-modern maiden voyage this summer will mark a return to places such as Yellowstone National Park. Wyoming, Idaho, Montana. Destinations and rivers that never grow old. Consider it vintage insulation against the turmoil of today. If Don Draper were to Airstream it from Madison Ave. to the American West it’s a tough call what rod he might choose to throw. His penchant for Lucky Strikes could send bamboo up in flames. And the fast times of Manhattan ad execs might be too quick for noodle-like fiberglass action. Several manufacturers are successfully rebranding slow as cool with moderately paced graphite. They’re smooth like top-dollar booze, track straight, and for someone as sideways as Draper, a perfect fit. at
Introducing the CIRCA. Born of Konnetic technology, its radically narrow blank gives it a hypnotically smooth slow-action tempo that’s still delightfully crisp and accurate (so you know it’s a Sage). Add greater dry fly proficiency to your arsenal by daring to go slow. What happens next will surely be a blur. sageflyfish.com