The 2009 Fly Fishing Year

As the new year reveals itself on this historic day in Washington DC, we look forward with great anticipation to the new administration and the new government the electoral college has placed into power. That being said, we look forward to a new prosperity and also a new year of challenges, both on the economic and financial front and also on the fly fishing front! We are starting our new 2009 campaign at Fly Fishing Benefactors with the Sportsman's Out Door Show the 23rd, 24th and 25th of January at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly Virginia. Please come visit us at booth #721. We will have our wares available and you can also see the 2009 prototypes for the coming year's new products. Come meet our staff and examine the quality of our gear. You can also learn about our support programs and how we provide financial support to many fly fishing groups including: Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, Virginia Fly Fish, and 1% for the Planet. We look forward to seeing you there!

The economic down-turn

As most people know, when the economy takes a dive, our discretionary spending goes out the window. We eat out less, we don't buy the name-brand products and start buying the generics, and worst of all, we stop buying our "toys." I recently had a fellow write a wonderful testimonial on my Fly Fishing Benefactors website about "buying smart." Don't stop buying, buy smart. Look for bargains and try those name brands that are not the top of the line, you may be pleasantly surprised! There are many companies out there making quality fly fishing gear for a "not-so quality" price! You should at least try them out. I am happy to report that we build a quality line of equipment at Fly Fishing Benefactors and we have the testimonials and gear reviews to prove it. If you'd like to test or review our gear, please drop us a line.

What is your favorite Fly Fishing Organization?

I have been fly fishing for almost 40 years and I have been associated with many fly fishing organizations. Not only am I a Trout Unlimited "Life Member", I am also a Outfitters and Guides Member too. I am also a Federation of Fly Fishers Sponsor Member. I support Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing , and Virginia Fly Fish. Each of these organizations are on the web and you can join all of them as a member or a volunteer. Each one of the organizations has specific theme but all support fly fishing, through education, association, conservation, and other means. All are worthwhile programs to become involved with. The membership varies from Free to about $50/year and each provides local expertise and most provide a wonderful color publication that helps guide you through the wonders of fly fishing. I recommend you look into all of these programs as most offer regional help and expertise too. Sound off, let me know what you think of these and other great programs that support the sport of fly fishing!

The Truth about F.E.T. Taxes on Sporting Gear

Most people don't know that when you buy fishing (fly fishing too) gear, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) gets a percentage of the sales price of each item in that little know tax arena of Federal Excise Tax (F.E.T.). FET was created in the 1930's to "gather" some revenue from new technologies and capabilities that were growing in popularity. One you might be familiar with was the FET taxes on your telephone calls that were recently repealed. The truth is, the taxes on this gear are for a worthwhile cause and most manufacturers build the tax into their price structure. So, for those of you that are interested, any fly fishing tackle is taxed at 10% of the retail or wholesale price of the item. On fly rods, the tax is limited to $10.00 per item, so that $1,000 Sage is still only $10.00 in FET tax. Ha, doesn't seem fair to the lower end rod guys who still pay $10.00 in tax on their $100.00 fly rod. Fly boxes are 3% of the retail/wholesale price of the item. So, when you buy a $300 fly rod, a $149 reel, a line kit with line, backing, leaders and tippet for $50 and a $25 fly box with a $12 price on a dozen flies, the manufacturer (or importer) has to pay $10.00 for the rod, $14.90 for the reel, $5.00 for the line kit, only .75 cents on the fly box but $1.20 for the flies. Grand total? $31.85 in FET taxes. Where do these taxes go? They go to support federal wildlife programs and fisheries research and funding. I think we all understand the necessity of taxes for services but I don't think everyone knows about the FET taxes. Weigh in with your thoughts. Fair or Foul? You make the call.

Showing courtesy and conservation, even when no one is watching!

In today's society, we have come to a place very unfamiliar to me in my worldly travels. I don't know when it happened or how it happened but something definitely changed in our society. We started locking our doors, breaking our promises, not showing courtesy, showing disrespect, bad-mouthing, and whining about almost everything. I'm not saying we all do it but just take one day in your week and try and remember when someone did something nice for you. Did that last driver motion you in front of him in the grid-lock traffic or did he show you his middle finger? At the bank, did the person in front of you let you go ahead because they didn't have their deposit slip already prepared like you? Does the lady let you buy the loaf of bread and a gallon of milk you have in your hands before she empties two shopping carts onto the conveyor belt in front of you? When I go home (the south), I marvel at total strangers waving to me on back roads. I appreciate it when in a foreign country, the locals will try and help you when you look lost. When you lose something here, why even bother to look in the lost and found? In Japan, your lost item would be left right where you lost it! In plain view of hundreds, so you could return and reclaim it. Our society has changed and I am not sure why.

When I am fishing a stream, nothing spells inconsiderate better than finding beer cans and food wrappers strewn across the banks. Better still, you are fishing your favorite spot and someone else comes up and starts fishing close enough to concern you about your return lane while casting! The Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), Trout Unlimited (TU) and Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) not only teaches you about fly fishing but also encourages courtesy and manners in doing so. Fish are a natural resource and even though they replenish themselves (despite humans messing with their environment), they should be viewed as precious and we should strive to protect them and their environment.

I have done a few stream reclamation projects and have been amazed at what we will throw into the water without a second thought. I have also been more amazed at what the stream looks like and the fish population in them a few years later. If we all do our part, however small, it will help us to preserve these natural resources for our enjoyment, our children and their children's enjoyment. So, show your courtesy and conservation, even when there is no one watching.