According to information released by Idylwilde owner and founder, Zach Mertens, a disagreement between Idylwilde's Philippines production facility and Mertens is causing delays and possible cancellations of 2013 fly orders.
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In a post by Mertens on the Idylwilde blog, he stated "our manufacturer notified us last week that it is refusing to ship us any further product at this time. The Company is holding our April fly order, which includes the bulk of our pre-season product for 2013. We believe Idylwilde has met every obligation under our agreement, and the sudden and unilateral actions by the manufacturer are improper and a breach of our agreement. For the first time in our 15 years of business, Idylwilde is being forced to ship out pre-season orders with embarrassing fill rates." Mertens added that Idylwilde was "doing everything [its] power to get ... fly orders released."
A more recent update by Mertens makes the likelihood of a resolution seem less likely. Mertens described disagreements and betrayals by Idlywilde "senior staff" during a lengthy leave of absence by Mertens during much of 2012, when Mertens indicates his "inability to function at full capacity was used to turn the factory I built against me".
A number of fly fishing industry companies, including Korkers and Idlywilde competitor Montana Fly Company have voiced their support for Mertens and Idylwilde, touting Mertens' and Idlywilde's creativity, honesty and integrity.
The status of outstanding and future orders remains uncertain. Idlywilde has indicated that their staff will be contacting customers with updates on existing orders and will be working hard to see the orders fulfilled, including expressing their willingness to pursue legal action. Customers looking to place new orders should contact Idlywilde for more information.
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