Most commercial ties are tied in 3rd world countries by low wage labor. Not too surprising, eh?

I was considering creating a relationship with a fair trade fly wholesaler that pays his employees a decent wage and setting up a retail online fly site. Prices would be pretty competitive but not necessarily the absolute cheapest. Fair trade after all.

Any thoughts?

Mark Waldin
Flycatcher Inc
http://www.flycatcherinc.com

I think this is what Fulling Mill already does.

Thoughts? I'd say start by finding out if an "unfair trade" situation really does exist.

Your post uses some vague and emotive phrases like "low wage" and "decent wage". I'd say you should look at the wage to determine the fairness of worker's situation. Obviously, by UK standards, a fly tier in Kenya being paid a low wage. But that's irrelevant because they're not living in the UK and paying UK costs of living. So is their wage really low compared to similar work in other trades? I suggest you use data rather than emotion to find out if the situation you think exists, actually does.

In the case of fair trade models for agricultural commodities, you can make a case for the need because the growers were being taken advantage of by distribution and transport middle men and their options to sell their crops were limited or the had no options at all. Since fly production is not tied to one location, I'd think that if the wages were not competitive no one would take the work. So again, is the market being manipulated to keep the price paid low?

Personally, I think it's a solution looking for a problem.

Grouse

and Umpqua feather merchants.

Sod 'Fairtrade'.

If they're cheap, excellent quality, catch fish and last for ever then who cares if they're made by a one legged Lithuanian lesbian from Kualalumpa.

__________________
Sometimes you dream, and sometimes it seems, that there's nothing there at all.
You just grow older than yesterday and you wait for tomorrow to call

I've nothing against foreign sourced flies per se but I'd rather pay my money to guys who are fly fishermen themselves, who use top quality materials and understand fully the purpose for which they are intended. Just me, but Fair trade for me means respecting the skill of the tyers in this country by paying a proper price for their skill and experience.

It's a laudable idea, but I Fulling Mill do indeed do this already.

__________________
"A homeward tramp thro' mist wrapped night,
With heart and creel in common light,
Complete content, the day has brought it,
They fished for pleasure - and they caught it"

P F Morgan
taken from the catch record book at Llanthony Hotel, Honddu Valley, Aug 1942

www.monnowlogue.com
www.monnow.org.uk

A mate of mine is one of the largest commercial fly suppliers in the UK and his Kenyan tyers are already paid well above the average, pretty fair trade already I would say.

Thing is, he doesn't play on that fact, their quality does the talking.

Tightlines!

The Pirate.

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates - No pressure, just pleasure! Pip pip!

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/trade-cla...e-bonanza.html

http://www.soniksports.com/

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-lines...unkistbob.html

I know when fulling mill moved a factory recently, I'm pretty sure every single employee took the option of moving with them and keeping their job, so they're treating they're employees pretty well I think.

__________________
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http://www.aapgai.co.uk

Not Iain Barr and his booby blobbies?

No mate, his brother Craig in fact.

The Pirate.

__________________
Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates - No pressure, just pleasure! Pip pip!

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/trade-cla...e-bonanza.html

http://www.soniksports.com/

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-lines...unkistbob.html