Finding Balance on the water.

Zen Tenkara/Zen Fly Fishing Gear

Troublesome Tariffs:

Troublesome might be too light of a word. Terrifying is probably more accurate. These are strange times indeed and our current tariff situation - which could change at any moment - has got the fly-fishing industry alarmed. I recently attended an American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) Confluence that took place in Boulder, Colorado. As you can image, the general vibe of the event was one of serious concern. A great deal of time was spent discussing tariffs, manufacturing and effects on retail. To put it mildly, the fishing industry in particular, will be hit hard by the latest round of tariffs. Very few fishing or fly-fishing products are made in the US and even those that are, still use components and material obtained from overseas. Those few companies that do manufacture stateside will still be impacted but to a lesser degree.
The confusion around whether or not these tariffs will remain also adds to the high-level anxiety that brands are feeling. Moving manufacturing stateside is an involved and lengthy process and frankly, there aren't a lot of companies that actually have the means and capabilities to produce many of these items. Those that do, are typically already functioning at full capacity and can't take on more work. Worse yet, is that there are some manufacturing techniques and competencies that we in the U.S. simply don't possess expertise in, and to develop them will take years.
As an example, some of you may remember a number of years back that we at Zen Tenkara were striving to produce a fully American made tenkara rod. Our goal, over 8 years ago, was to move full production to the United States. We dedicated four years of effort to try to make this happen, as well as money. We were working with a well-respected and highly knowledgeable rod builder with strong ties to the fly-fishing industry. In four years, they could not produce a satisfactory prototype tenkara rod, not even by copying and backwards engineering one of our existing tenkara rods. They could not do it. Finally, they were able to produce several samples, as terrible as they were (too heavy, sections fit clumsily, and they broke and lacked durability). But as the saying goes, at least now we were on the target, not just the wall. We were still way off of a true working prototype but close enough that we could run numbers. The cost came in way, way too high. There was no way anyone would ever pay that much for a tenkara rod. Well, maybe we'd sell one or two to a "collector". But we'd never recoup our investment let alone make any kind of profit. At that point, we abandoned the "American Rod Project".
In another instance, our All Purpose Tenkara Lines were originally manufactured in the U.S.A. Yep, right here in good old America. We were so proud of that. During Covid however, production capabilities slowed way down, and demand went way up. These companies that did custom manufacturing or OEM and ODM couldn't keep pace, so they stopped doing most of their custom work in order to focus and fulfill their own personal brand requirements within a scaled down operation. While Covid restrictions have ceased, these companies have not returned to their full OEM or ODM status. After several unsuccessful years of trying to find an American replacement manufacturer, we were forced to produce overseas. Not what we wanted, but what we had to do.
So here we are again. Faced with a dilemma of production, but now due to tariffs. Bottom line, we are talking to people. We are again, trying to look at manufacturing options in the United States. We are unsure if this is possible and if it is, what the cost will be. No doubt it will be more expensive. How much more is unknown. These are just the challenges with our lines. The rods are another story.
Rod manufacturers are unfamiliar with tenkara rod designs. Tenkara rods are hollow, they are made of multiple sections that have to fit precisely with each other, and they are rolled differently than regular fly rods since they have no spine or belly, flexing equally in all directions. The production process is very different than traditional fly rods or spin rods which is what we struggled with more than 8 years ago. American rod builders didn't have the knowledge or experience to produce what we needed and the tenkara market wasn't (and still really isn't) big enough or profitable enough, to make it worth their while to learn it. Research and development are expensive. Manufacturers may have the capability to learn how to produce something, but they want to get paid for their investment of time and resources. Keep in mind too, you might go through the R & D process only to find they can't produce what you want them to. There is no guarantee but there is still an invoice to be paid - which is what we went through more than 8 years ago.
And then, we could put all this effort into moving manufacturing, and money into research and development only to have the tariffs removed in a few months or even a few years. As a small company, heck, even as a big one, the conundrum stands, what to do? As an industry we are standing together and receiving updates on the latest information. Most of us are frozen and unsure of what will come next. Zen has rods and lines currently in production. They will be completed soon. We do not know what the impact of tariffs will be on these shipments or how things will play out. We are holding our breath. We do not want to increase prices but if our inventory costs increase by 125% - 145%, we will have no choice. We hope that you understand our predicament and will be patient with us as we navigate these new and unpredictable waters. ... See MoreSee Less