One of our dear friends purchased the Upqua Fly company a little over two years ago. Before that, his only contact to fishing was from me telling him fish stories over a martini or two. In fact when he announced that he just purchased it, he had no idea I had even heard of it.....and Metz, and Tiemco.....all companies that he now owns through Umqua. But do not get me wrong. Mr Hans Bosch is a genius, and has made successes out of all the companies he presently owns. Since the purchase, he has traveled to his Indian Chicken farms and Fly tying factories......learning all he can while fixing their distribution and sales department.
Anyway, I was speaking with him last night, and told him that I spoke with one of his managers who supplies me with tying materials, and he said that they dropped their line of Atlantic Salmon flies in 2002 due to poor sales. They presently have an extensive line of finished flies in all categories from trout, steelhead, pacific salmon, and inshore and offshore salt water patterns. NO ATLANIC SALMON FLIES.
His marketing manager told him that the lack of demand was either due to their assortment, or because Atlantic Salmon anglers are finicky, causing most to tie their own. Hey, I think most trout anglers are finicky yet the assortments of ready made flies in any fly shop is huge. And wouldn't the fact that the demographic of the Atlantic Salmon angler is one of a little higher income strata, which usually does not allow that person all the free time to tie and prepare for his 15,000 trip to the Kola or Iceland.
Anyway, any thoughts on the matter? Do you think the guys at Umqua are missing something? Looking at the over assortment of trout and saltwater flies in any one fly shop makes me believe that these shops could pear down their assortments and still be extremely efficient......making room for a category that perhaps is missing some supply......from what ever demand that does exist.
What are your thoughts? Oh, by the way, no one at Umpqua even knows of this site nor has asked me to post this. I am just curious, and think it is a good topic of discussion and information.......
Howie
Anyway, I was speaking with him last night, and told him that I spoke with one of his managers who supplies me with tying materials, and he said that they dropped their line of Atlantic Salmon flies in 2002 due to poor sales. They presently have an extensive line of finished flies in all categories from trout, steelhead, pacific salmon, and inshore and offshore salt water patterns. NO ATLANIC SALMON FLIES.
His marketing manager told him that the lack of demand was either due to their assortment, or because Atlantic Salmon anglers are finicky, causing most to tie their own. Hey, I think most trout anglers are finicky yet the assortments of ready made flies in any fly shop is huge. And wouldn't the fact that the demographic of the Atlantic Salmon angler is one of a little higher income strata, which usually does not allow that person all the free time to tie and prepare for his 15,000 trip to the Kola or Iceland.
Anyway, any thoughts on the matter? Do you think the guys at Umqua are missing something? Looking at the over assortment of trout and saltwater flies in any one fly shop makes me believe that these shops could pear down their assortments and still be extremely efficient......making room for a category that perhaps is missing some supply......from what ever demand that does exist.
What are your thoughts? Oh, by the way, no one at Umpqua even knows of this site nor has asked me to post this. I am just curious, and think it is a good topic of discussion and information.......
Howie