W&M Press Release
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 12:00AM From the inbox (unedited):
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wright & McGill Battles Whistling Gophers
Whistling Gophers. That’s right….Whistling Gophers.
Poke your head around any fly shop, retail store or consumer show in the fly industry the last few years, and that’s what you will see….Whistling Gophers.
The scene usually looks like this: Fly guy is admiring a nice new fly rod featuring the latest technology and gadgets. Fly guy asks the associate, “How much this Go-Pher?” Associate responds with an exorbitant and ridiculous dollar figure high into the hundreds. Fly guy whistles, gingerly and embarrassingly placing the rod back in the rack, then quickly turning and exiting the awkward situation: Whistling Gophers.
It’s all to frustrating that rod manufacturers these days seem to be missing the boat and completely misreading the pulse of their consumers. As debt-ceilings, bailouts and increasingly insane national-debt figures continue to emerge on a daily basis, rod manufacturers are hell-bent on breaking the $1,000.00 barrier. Meanwhile, the average fisherman is desperately trying to keep the gas and water on, contemplating whether he should take a 2nd mortgage out on his house to get a sweet new stick from one of the haute couture rod brands.
Fortunately, there is one rod company that clearly identifies with today’s conventional consumer and the reality that they live in. The Wright & McGill Co., in an effort to break barrier’s on the opposite end of the spectrum, have introduced three new series of fly rods that achieve the highest levels of performance, power, weight reduction and most importantly…value.
Everyone knows that Nano-resin is newest and hottest manufacturing trend in the industry and everyone also knows that it is the real deal. The weight-reduction and increase in strength offered by this state-of-the-art resin are truly impressive and have further helped grow and advance the rod industry. Here is a dirty little secret though: You don’t have to pay out the nose for it!
The Wright & McGill Generation II fly rods, new Fly Girl series and the Blair Wiggins Signature Series saltwater rods all feature Carbon Nanotube resin and proprietary S-Curve technology. And most of them do all of this for $99, with the Blair Wiggins saltwater fly-rods retailing for a nominal $149. Finally, someone gets it. “Breaking the $100 barrier, while providing the utmost of quality was our goal,” said Chris Russell, Marketing Director of Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle. “The components and technology on these rods is literally the very best available, they are certainly the most technologically advanced rods we have every manufactured, and they have the most incredible price we have ever offered too!”
The Carbon Nanotube resin used in the construction of the Wright & McGill S-Curve rods is filled with millions of minuscule carbon particles that act as a buffer between the layers of 1K high-density woven graphite cloth. The addition of this resin during the manufacturing process helps to improve the strength and durability of the rod, while simultaneously adding a degree of sensitivity that has yet to been achieved in the industry. Overall, CNT has increased the strength of these rods by 20% and reduced their weight by 20%.
One of the coolest new additions to these rods isn’t even on the performance side. The finishes presented on the Generation II, Fly Girl and Blair Wiggins Signature Series are astonishing, distinctive and refreshingly bold in a category full of dark and drab graphite colors.
The Gen II rods come in a Copperhead finish, as does the free rod tube that seems to emulate the organic and arid plains of the west. Fly Girl series rods are no less impressive, as the rod and free tube make a bold statement with a swirling purple bouillabaisse of color dubbed Purple Rain.
Of course the Mogan Man, Blair Wiggins, is not to be outdone, as his signature series of rods and free rod tubes are finished in a Flats Blue that is emblematic of the wavy blue flats and translucent shallows that he haunts year-round. “After the new blanks were created, I asked the designers at W&M to bring me a rod that would not spook fish in clear, skinny water and they brought me the Flats Blue,” said Blair Wiggins, adding that “when held up to the sky, they become almost invisible so you won’t spook fish when you wave a rod over their heads.”
These 4-piece rods continue to impress, as merely picking one up is a true pleasure. The newly designed and engineered high-density rubber handle is noticeably different and conspicuously more comfortable than its cork predecessors. After a full day of casting, the soft and supple handle is a welcomed addition to an already original and useful rod. The high-density rubber resists odor, improves the main point of contact the angler has with the fly rod and is not slippery when wet, offering vast improvements over conventional cork handles.
From tip to butt, the three new series of rods introduced by Wright & McGill are very impressive. Distinctive for their finish, notable for their quality and durability, and remarkable for their use of today’s cutting-edge technology at affordable prices, these rods are quickly finding there way into domestic fishing arsenals across the country, all while staving off a 2nd mortgage.
Now, for all those who are listening, that conspicuous silence you hear is the absence of any Whistling Gophers, as the Wright & McGill S-Curve rods with Carbon Nanotube resin have cemented themselves as the single most innovative rod to hit the industry in years…one the consumer can afford!
The Wright & McGill Co. is one of the most recognizable companies in the fishing industry. They have been in business for over 85 years manufacturing Eagle Claw, Lazer Sharp and Lazer TroKar hooks in Denver, CO and their own brand of rods and reels, as well as other big game tackle. Their line of Wright & McGill fly fishing gear and accessories has become one of the most sought after brands in the world today, and the fishing rod home of some of the most elite anglers, guides and TV personalities in the world.
For more information about Wright & McGill Co. products, contact us at 720-941-8700 or visit the web site at www.wright-mcgill.com
###
As always, Chum Nation is welcome to comment freely....
marketing help over here! in Gear, Media, News
Reader Comments (8)
uhh, blair wiggins? says it all..........
"Whistling Gophers" was quite amusing.
The following wall of words was not.
I get the whole whistling gopher thing, but are the rods made in America and who in the hell is Blair Wiggins?
Ah yea Holmes, Denver is in China...
"The Wright & McGill Co. is one of the most recognizable companies in the fishing industry. They have been in business for over 85 years manufacturing Eagle Claw, Lazer Sharp and Lazer TroKar hooks in Denver, CO"
Says it all....GARBAGE!!!! Those are all bait dunking products!
I've never seen a good Eagle claw rod. Is the Wright and McGill rod going to be sold at KMART because that's Eagle Claws biggest vendor. I like Redington for a cheap rod.
I've cast the rod side by side with the Hardy Sintrix and the G Loomis NRX, the other two rods using nano technology, and the performance is very similar. The only difference is that the W & M rod is a little heavier but still has the same great action and superior strength to weight ratio.
The whole industry is concerned about the declining numbers of new fishermen getting into the sport due to the perceived high start up costs to enter the sport. We should welcome products that allow people to break into the sport at a lower cost as these people will surely appreciate the sport and start upgrading their tackle once they are in love with this great sport.
For those of you who judge a rod on the price tag, keep hating...
I'm with you Steve Knopp, I actually walked away from fly fishing after wanting to get into the sport while in my late 30's. Wife, kids, mortgage etc. simply could not spring for the haute couture gear. Thankfully companies like Redington have changed all that and I'm back. Let me ask some of you what would you do if you wanted to get yourself and 3 boys (late teen, early 20's) into fly fishing on a middle class income? Don't want to buy Chinese, but can't afford $400 rods + $300 waders + + you get it.