I’ve been involved in both the fly fishing industry and the winter resort industry for about 40 years.
One thing I’ve noticed is that, unlike the ski and snowboard world, the fly fishing industry has never really developed a true demo rental program. In ski and snowboard shops, it’s very common to rent equipment by the day, by the week, or even for the season. Many shops also offer demo rentals for top models, allowing customers to try the latest gear on snow. If they like it and decide to purchase from the same shop, the rental fee is often applied toward the new purchase.
I haven’t really seen that kind of system in fly fishing.
That’s why I created a demo rental program for my Honryu and Keiryu rods. It’s a simple idea, but I think it makes a lot of sense.
Since I run my business online and don’t have a physical storefront, I’ve built round-trip UPS shipping into the program to make it easy for customers to try the rods.
If you decide to purchase a new rod after the demo, I will apply the demo rental fee as a credit toward your purchase. In other words, the money you paid for the demo will not be wasted if you decide to move forward with a new rod.
My goal is to make it easier for anglers to actually fish these rods before making a decision. Honryu and Keiryu rods are specialized tools, and I believe the best way to understand them is to experience them on the water.
