The expense of carbon

I recently visited a small Tackle shop local to me.
I got talking to the chap behind the counter and explained that I was a relative newcomer to fishing and would like to add a rod to my armoury that was capable of handling method work.

The chap as it happened didnt have anything that was suitable at the time.
He then started telling me that at times the price of carbon influenced the amount of Rods, poles etc that tackle manufacturers were willing to make, Thus it became hard for him to receive orders he had placed with them. Short supply.

Has anybody else experienced this kind of thing or was this chap pulling the wool over my eyes knowing that I was a newcomer to angling.
Did he not want to place a bulk order of rods that he might take an age to shift?

Hi Plumbit

About a year ago there were a few articles in the angling press about how the price of carbon was to increase - things have gone a bit quiet of late on the subject

Hi Plumbit,
I guess that it may be the case for a small retailer.Having re equipped over the past 8 months or so, rods were the one thing that none of the internet sites I dealt with were short of, but perhaps they are able to hold higher stocks than the small independents.
I?ve got most of what I need now, but shall use the local tackle shop for all future purchases, large or small, as on the whole, I was not impressed with the level of service from online shops, and in one case, it nearly sent me loopy, three months of promises and no order at the end of it! I hope you get sorted with a new rod, and if you decide to buy on line, confirm that the rod is in stock before pressing the button, it will save you many grey hairs!

The carbon in carbon fibre comes from various sources. One source is the flax plant.

Bad flax harvests can affect the cost.

I've never heard such a load of eyewash before.

There's plenty of rods on the market and many dealers are getting sick of agents and reps trying to offload them.

Go find another dealer. Buy Improve Your Coarse Fishing magazine and look up the adverts in there. Phone them and either buy one over the phone or find one more local and go see him.

Thanks for the replies folk.
Jeff > Had a hunch this fella might have been trying to fob me off. Dont think the shops been open too long and maybe he,s trying to balance the books at the moment.
Cant understand it cos he must know if he wont try to meet my needs I will just go spend elsewhere.
The selection of rods on show was rather limited and some secondhand.
Will try other shop or the net.

Go and talk to Matthew or Stuart at Westgate Anglers Lee. On-line prices and plenty of stock and I'm not on commission!

Cheers Sean, Will do.
Thanks for the info you sent us on the Aire and Ure by the way.
Will give it a try.

Carbon fibre has undergone a massive price rise in the past 12 months, to the point where there is a global shortage. This is due to the expansion of the Chinese economy, the building of the Airbus A380 and Boeing's 7E7 Dreamliner, top-secret US air force projects, and the proliferation of windfarms across Europe. Every windfarm blade of 50m or more is made of carbon fibre.

Mitsubishi Rayon of Tokyo, one of the world's leading suppliers of carbon fibres, said:

"The carbon fibre market has been growing in the sports/recreational applications and space and aviation applications as well as in a range of other industrial sectors. This growth has resulted in a steady increase in demand. Now there is concern about imbalance between demand and supply. On the verge of expanded applications for pressure vessels and wind power generation, with the emergence of a new automobile-related market, carbon fibre manufacturers are urged to establish their production systems to ensure future stable supply."

Price rises inevitably follow any materials shortages and carbon fibre bicycle frames, tennis rackets, golf shafts, fishing rods and other carbon fibre products, will start to cost more later this year as suppliers pass on some of the extra costs to consumers.

(Info lifted off the internet and in conversation with Steve Harrison of Harrisons Advanced Rods of Liverpool)

While its true the worldwide of carbon fibre has risen, the issue is more to do with buying power for the small retailer. Firstly he cannot hope to compete with the big mail order retailers, price wise, and secondly he cannot afford to have expensive stock lying around the shop awaiting sale. My local dealer says he can only afford to have a very small selection of poles /rods in stock because they dont move quickly. Experienced and discerning tackle buyers know to shop around for the best prices so the fear is being left with stock they cannot sell and eventually have to 'give it away' once it becomes a non current model.

I agree Peter, my comments about carbon fibre were merely to confirm that there is indeed a worldwide shortage.