Patience, Grasshopper

Feels like summer once again around here…other than the freezing cold nights and the changes in the leaves that I sometimes notice on my drive to work. I'm surprised at how busy things continue to be this late into the season. TU has a national meeting here the next few days and that has brought a ton of folks into the area. Things should get quiet next week along with the arrival of another blast of fall conditions.
Me? I'm wrapping up my responsibilities as a human being before heading to the Amazon on Sunday. Got the big dragon slayed yesterday (2015 taxes), and now it's time to move on to some stuff that's actually kind of fun…new gear and orders for 2017.
The fly fishing industry, bless it's soul, is based around pre-season orders. This means that manufacturers ask retailers to place the majority of their stocking orders for the next season, around now. As the industry is rather small, this lead time gives everyone the time to schedule production, do some QC, and get the products to the retailers when the customers want them. Sooner or later though, someone savvy is going to come along and be willing to supply the masses on a JIT basis which will break the mold.
The downside to pre-season ordering is the volatility that naturally happens given that businesses like our are so dependent on thing alike weather, water, and the overall economy.
The upside is that preseason orders are generally fulfilled at a much higher rate, larger discounts are given, and retailers can develop merchandising/marketing plans around the anticipated inventory demands of the next season.
Whatever, blah, blah, blah…sorry!
I have a bunch of pre-season orders to place in the next few weeks because that's how it works.
I'm very excited about the Jungle Trip. One week at Rio Marie, where I went last year for Peacock Bass. An exploratory week to Ecolodge da Barra in the southern Amazon for some diversity of species and a new part of the world for me.
It has been a busy and stressful 2016 when it comes to work, so I am looking forward to checking out for a spell.
I'd say I'm going to do some recharging, but we all know that I don't need to recharge - I'm always on. I think its more in line with Luke Skywalker's journey to Dagobah to complete his Jedi training.