dezza
Well-known member
Is not what you think it is.
A few words on what happens in the manufacture, marketing and sale of fishing tackle might help a few of you understand why it is one of the most difficult businesses to be involved with.
First of all, most of the anglers in this country are extremely lucky that this huge industry actually bothers with us. Take rods as an example.
The most popular type of fishing rod in the world is a 6 foot spinning rod, the sort of rod that is used to catch American bass on lures. The market for this type of rod is probably in the vicinity of 20 million units a year, the USA providing the main requirement. Compared with that, how many 13 foot float fishing rods, one of the most popular type, are purchased every year. My local tackle shop sold only 24 rods of this type during the whole of 2010! Do some basic maths and you will see that to the big manufacturers, our requirements are a pain in the neck!
Did you know that a bog standard 9 foot 6 weight fly rod is also one of the most popular rods in the world?
It's the same with reels. A fairly cheap fixed spool (spinning) reel capable of holding 200 yards of 10 lb line is the most popular. UK coarse anglers can press such reels easily into service for match and feeder fishing. They even call such reels: "feeder reels", but this is not the first reason why a particular reel is made.
It's the same with "bait runner" (a term patented by Shimano) reels. For example, many UK carp anglers might think that the free spool system was designed by carp anglers. Was it heck! This concept was designed for salt water beach casting in the USA.
As regards Far East manufacturing. A lot of anglers think that the Chinese or other Far East manufacturers of fishing tackle only make cheap and nasty stuff. The truth is that the Chinese for example can make anything you want, from real cheap and nasty to the sort of quality that will satisfy the top brand names in the world, and I don't have to mention them here, we all know them.
There are a few items of tackle that are not made in the Far East, although I could be wrong in this assertion. Fly lines are one, and I do believe that other than Japan, monofilament lines can also be included.
During my working life I did a survey of who made what in the field of extruded plastic products, filtration of molten polymers being an important part of the process. I found out that there were but a handfull of monofilament extruders in the whole world, and fishing line suppliers were right at the bottom of their important customer list, the manufacture of tooth brushes being at the top. It is true that in the majority of cases, many different lines come out of the same factory and from the same machine.
I have kept away from braided lines at this stage of the game as this could open up a can of worms that might make your eyes sore.
It's all worth thinking about though, isn't it?
A few words on what happens in the manufacture, marketing and sale of fishing tackle might help a few of you understand why it is one of the most difficult businesses to be involved with.
First of all, most of the anglers in this country are extremely lucky that this huge industry actually bothers with us. Take rods as an example.
The most popular type of fishing rod in the world is a 6 foot spinning rod, the sort of rod that is used to catch American bass on lures. The market for this type of rod is probably in the vicinity of 20 million units a year, the USA providing the main requirement. Compared with that, how many 13 foot float fishing rods, one of the most popular type, are purchased every year. My local tackle shop sold only 24 rods of this type during the whole of 2010! Do some basic maths and you will see that to the big manufacturers, our requirements are a pain in the neck!
Did you know that a bog standard 9 foot 6 weight fly rod is also one of the most popular rods in the world?
It's the same with reels. A fairly cheap fixed spool (spinning) reel capable of holding 200 yards of 10 lb line is the most popular. UK coarse anglers can press such reels easily into service for match and feeder fishing. They even call such reels: "feeder reels", but this is not the first reason why a particular reel is made.
It's the same with "bait runner" (a term patented by Shimano) reels. For example, many UK carp anglers might think that the free spool system was designed by carp anglers. Was it heck! This concept was designed for salt water beach casting in the USA.
As regards Far East manufacturing. A lot of anglers think that the Chinese or other Far East manufacturers of fishing tackle only make cheap and nasty stuff. The truth is that the Chinese for example can make anything you want, from real cheap and nasty to the sort of quality that will satisfy the top brand names in the world, and I don't have to mention them here, we all know them.
There are a few items of tackle that are not made in the Far East, although I could be wrong in this assertion. Fly lines are one, and I do believe that other than Japan, monofilament lines can also be included.
During my working life I did a survey of who made what in the field of extruded plastic products, filtration of molten polymers being an important part of the process. I found out that there were but a handfull of monofilament extruders in the whole world, and fishing line suppliers were right at the bottom of their important customer list, the manufacture of tooth brushes being at the top. It is true that in the majority of cases, many different lines come out of the same factory and from the same machine.
I have kept away from braided lines at this stage of the game as this could open up a can of worms that might make your eyes sore.
It's all worth thinking about though, isn't it?
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