There may never be a better time to tie your own flies than right now.
That’s because Trump tariffs are taking effect, and as a result, imported fly-fishing product prices are going up. The shock effect is really being noticed when it comes to flies, and the first to take notice have been fly shops making their preseason orders.
The thing is, because the fly manufacturers source their flies from different countries (all flies are tied by people, not machines, and the vast majority are imported from countries where labor costs are quite low) the tariff rates vary. On top of that, different companies are approaching the tariffs differently—some are eating more of the cost while others are passing them through to customers (shops).
Angling Trade has heard from a number of pissed-off dealers, and most of the finger pointing is aimed at Umpqua Feather Merchants. Umpqua says it is subject to a 20% tariff and is passing along 12% (60% of the incurred expense) of that via price hikes. Another company that sources from the same country is passing through 8% (40% of the new expense). Fly manufacturers that source from other countries may be subject to lower tariff rates, thus a company that passes along 50% of a 10% tariff ends up hiking prices by significantly less.
The net result is that dealers are being asked to pay what sometimes amounts to dollars per dozen more for certain brands of flies, and that’s sending shockwaves through the fly retail world. Certain shops are dropping longstanding relationships with suppliers, while newer, less proven companies are sweeping in to fill these voids.
For the record, Umpqua contends that its price hikes are needed for the company to stay profitable. It also points to its reputation for product quality, its history of investing in innovative fly patterns that have become staples in many anglers boxes (see Copper John, Juju Baetis, etc.), and the fact that it actually honors its commitment to paying royalties to fly developers while other companies will brazenly rip off their patterns. Umpqua is banking on those things to maintain some relationships and create new ones.
“The fly category is seeing a lot of movement right now,” said Russ Miller, director of sales and marketing at Umpqua.
“Some retailers are expanding their assortments, diving deeper into fly offerings, and making serious investments in their fly bins. Others are tightening their mix to stay agile and responsive in the current market.
“In my opinion, 2026 will be the year for fly shops to truly lean into being fly shops—doubling down on flies and making sure they’re maximizing profitability while doing it. We’re committed to supporting our specialty retailers and working closely with them to help drive their success.”
The real questions now…
Will dealers be willing to essentially lose money on flies? Highly doubful, since they’re called “fly shops” for a reason, with many garnering upwards of 30% or more of total sales from the fly bins.
Will they switch suppliers? They’re going to carve up the pie differently, that’s for sure.
Will they hike prices consumers pay for flies? Probably. But then you have to ask if Joe Angler will pop for common trout flies that cost $4 or $5 per?
Will there be an influx of lower cost/lower quality flies that fall apart more easily? After all the average angler who fishing a couple times per year is more apt to hang those flies in bushes or break them off under rocks than catch multiple fish with them… who’s going to notice?
Can new suppliers keep up with demands, or will we see empty bins everywhere? Will this all come back down to earth if the tariffs go away?
Who knows?
You’re probably going to see a little bit of all that take shape by next spring. For sure, a number of fly bins at some of the most popular fly shops in the country are going to look a heckuva lot different in the near future. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is going to depend on where you are, and how much you value the quality of a store-bought fly.
Or if you’re pretty good at tying flies yourself.
-K. Deeter
