Hair Extensions are Stealing all of our Feathers
- This topic has 34 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated Jun 9, 2011 at 11:31 am by
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Interesting! I met with a new client a couple weeks ago that had hackle feathers tied in her hair. I had never seen such a thing before. It looked like she had a clouser half and half hidden in her hair.
bd
Simple, if a customer looks like a fisherman they buy hackles at regular price. If they look like a hairdresser they pay a premium.
This would be discriminatory and unfair to the guys who worry about cleaning their cork grips and boots and ironing their fishing shirts, because they will wind up paying the higher price.
bd
Simple, if a customer looks like a fisherman they buy hackles at regular price. If they look like a hairdresser they pay a premium.
This would be discriminatory and unfair to the guys who worry about cleaning their cork grips and boots and ironing their fishing shirts, because they will wind up paying the higher price.
bd
OK, maybe just have everyone buying hackle make a few casts
Just to put this fad into perspective – I was in Homer Alaska two weeks ago. Homer is about as off the beaten path as one could possibly drive in the United States of America. The hostess at the restaurant had a hackle feather in her hair. It ain’t just hitting the mob wives of NJ.
About a month ago in PA a guide and shop manager told me the only people making money in the fly fishing industry right now are the hackle providers. At least someone is…
Kb
KBilcher –
Believe it or not, both Simms and Scott have told me 2010 was one of their best years on record.
I experienced this fad myself in full this afternoon. I went down to the bass pro to pick up some saddle hackle since the local fly shop is closed on Sunday and bass pro is just down the road.
Well I got in there and made my way through all the tourist on their way to Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Pensacola, etc. and made my way to the fly shop in the back. Cool, normally it is a ghost town back there even though there is a pretty good supply of good tying supplies back there. Today however was different.
I got back there and there were a group of 30-40 year old women and their daughters back there and they were buying up all the hackle. Sad part was they did not even know what kind to buy! They were buying saddle hackle.
One woman asked me if I fly fished, when I told her that i did she remarked, “I bet you’re mad about us buying all your feathers aren’t you”.
I told her I really didn’t care and looked at her and said, “but it would be nice if you were smart enough to buy the right hackle for your hair.”
She just looked at me dumb founded and asked how I knew what the right kind of “feathers” were. I told her that it is easy enough just to look at what she has tied in her hair and look at what she had in her hand and see that they were different hackle.
They went ahead and purchased about $250 in hackle but asked the guy behind the counter if they would able to return them if they “didn’t work out”.
I walked out with the last pack of white saddle hackle in the store and shook my head at how stupid people can be, especially when they are just trying to keep up with a crowd.
I have to say they were also after krystal flash to tie in.
Either way, this too shall pass. It will be a trend for the rest of the summer then peter out to next to nothing.
Hopefully.
I think we should all be happy that our fly shops are selling a ton of ANY of their merchandise, and we should be glad they’re doing well.
If you have daughters, watch out.
In all seriousness, however, I did see a lady wearing a feather here in Charlotte.
I am certainly not an industry insider but I can’t fathom a fly fishing company boasting about 2010 – The Movie won an academy award in 1993 and money was blowing down the streets. It’s astounding that 2010 would be better than any year 1992 – 1996. That’s generally when local shops seemed to be profiting.
My impression is that perhaps Scotts loyal base has demonstrated their commitment and Simms going big box has paid off. Interesting.
Kb
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