Fly tying Nirvana

[vtflyhack 0]

What do you people think. Is there a be all to end all super duper mega well stocked fly tying store? That one could vist IN PERSON.I am so disenchanted with the two tying stores that I have access to, I am going to scream (ahhh much better) . Generically stocked or hit and miss, both staffed with ZERO people skills(one of them has a person who is cool). Marked up prices because they can and they know they have you by the step children(balls). When you leave they open the register door to smell the fresh catch. Can Tying Nirvana be?? I was wondering if such a place exists? I have been to a sportsman wharehouse in AZ. That was well stocked.Many different brands in Harmony . The sales person I delt with was very friendly knowledgable, and belive it or not, went way out of his way to show me local products that local tiers use, and the flies that they tie. I was close to Nirvana. THIS was a box store(chain). I have NEVER-ok ok ok rarely experienced this at a small shop be it local or anywhere else. I would like to see a selection of materials aisles and aisles and aisles of tying goods, rather than one conner and about 10sq ft of pegboard. Served up just the right amount of Knowledgeable, friendly service, and prices not marked by pirates. I not looking for someone to hold my hand!!!!! and pay nothing(that would be nice in my dream world) Fair prices. They put out I shell out.

vtfyhack

[Kenneth K 0]

i totally agree. i was down in Columbia, SC about 3 weeks ago and went to the new Sportsman's Warehouse there. the tying supplies were awesome. i ended up stocking up on quite a bit of stuff.

 

it would be pretty cool to have a shop where you could go in and guys would hang out. ok, we'll let the girls come too maybe have some coffee and sit around a talk fishing. i could see a store that has fresh coffee, sodas, and some snacks and a communal tying table. somewhere you could go in and tie flies together and learn from each other.

 

so who wants to open a store?

 

..k

[maddog48 0]

I guess I'm lucky. There's a nice little shop about 5 minutes from where I live. They keep a fresh thermos of coffee at all times and there's a great selection of clothing and waders. If they don't have it .. special orders are no problem. They have a good selections of rods and reels, lines and gadgets, tying supplies and a good selection of patterns. We can grab a rod off the rack and go out into the yard to practice cast. It's a neat place and if I'm not home or fishing .. that's where I hang out at.

 

 

Mike

[Cutthroat 0]

There use to be a great fly fishing shop 5 mimutes from my house. It was a place you could sit and chat with other customers, tie or whatever. They went out of business. I suspect because they were an Orvis store and priced out of this world. Living in the Denver area, I have several good stores 20 minutes away in Boulder. They are excellent stores but only one has any tying materials to speak of. However, if I want to drive for 10 more minutes, I have one of the best fly fishing/tying stores in the region. Charlie's Flybox. Charlie Craven is a great guy and master tyer. If he doesn't have it, he'll get it for you. Customer service is #1 at the Flybox. I've always felt welcome there. I agree that Sportsman's warehouse has a good selection of tying materials, prices are good and customer service isn't bad. But, it's not set up for people to relax and talk. If it was, I'd be in trouble.

[vtflyhack 0]

Great thinking Kenneth K. Icing on the cake. MMMM a place to maybe try out those new materials that came in stock. Cutthroat I think I am headed to Co. this summer I will need to check out the fly box. Orvis takes any joy out of there stores they are small, pretty sterile, and limited to the old stand bys of marked UP tying materials. They just want to pimp out there cloths and other over priced home swage.

vtflyhack

[Guest]

vtflyhack,

 

Being right up the road from you in Northfield, I know for sure one of the shops you're talking about the one in Stowe, not sure if the other one is in Burlington or Johnson.

 

I usually buy my hackle from Denny Conrad of Conranch Hackle, but if I really need a color I'll stop by the Shop in Stowe, I know Bob but prices are up there, but the Classic in Burlington is even worse!!!

 

Never been to the one in Johnson although I have talked to him by email on an old pattern I found in a book and he gave me the guys contact number.

 

Alot of my feathers I trade for. For alot of my hair patchs I buy through a guy on Ebay by the user code of bronze3, he's got good stuff and I've never been disappointed. He's got real big packs like 100 square inches (good price and I use some for trading material) or if you don't want that much he has packs of 5 different types of hair. You should check it out way cheaper than the fly shops, plus be sure to check his ebay store where he has more.

 

Fatman

[flytyingscotsman 0]

I used to frequent a shop that had a very good selection of 'applicable' materials.

What I mean by that is the items stocked would pretty much cover any fly that

you would tie and fish in the local area (little space wasted on salt for example,

given the sea is quite far away).

 

The extremely knowledgeable guy who ran the shop was only too happy to order

in any product he didn't have in stock - this set him aside from the competition.

 

Unfortunately, he went belly-up, killed off by the big box (Cabelas) and online shops.

 

The closest I have left to your walk-in 'Nirvana' is Cabelas and I never go there, because

I always leave having filled only 80% of my list. None of the staff there seemed that

interested and they seem to have stock problems - no egg hooks or egg yarn before

during and after a steelhead season ? What's up with that ?

 

Take J. Stockard and run with it - that's what I say ! (they ALWAYS fill 100% of my list !)

 

Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a decent local fly shop, then support them

by getting all of your stuff there - ask them to order what you're looking for !

[Twofingerz 0]

i think a store environment is more a reflection of the owner/staff than the brand name it is affiliated with. i say this because the nearest store to me is an Orvis store and i go there every saturday and hang out for at least an hour and chat for last 3 months since i started tying my own. Clothing is downstairs and fishing/tying supplies upstairs. The owner and staff are avid flyfising people. i suppose if they werent, it would be more about the clothes, but fortunatley for me they are. i learn alot from them.

 

long story shortrened:

A few weeks ago i wanted a 9wt. and it was topic of conversation between me and staff member. the rod they had in stock was out of my price range so we flipped through the catalog and i decided on the next step down and they were going to order it for me. the owner was downstairs and heard the conversation. He came upstairs, said "youve been here every saturday for last couple months and have been a good customer. i'll take $150 off the rod on the rack"

i did not turn away his generosity.i was more than greatful and my hands were shaking a bit i was so excited.

 

They have also recommended another fly shop for me to go stop by because they have "alot of neat stuff" for me to check out.

 

A big thank you to Panorama Outfitters where the people make my experince enjoyable and not the name on the door

[sulfernut 0]

That's a great story Twofingerz!! I used to get that kind of treatment at the shops that used to be in my area. It would seem to me,that running a fly shop must at least in some part,be it's own reward. You have to WANT to help people out,and do it at the risk of realizing little,or no financial gain from time to time. Of course,you have to be in the correct financial circumstances in the first place,in order to allow such practices! This topic has been bandied about on this forum quite a bit in the past several months,and I am beginning to see,that it is not just relegated to my home area,but is becoming rather widespread. Without going into a protracted discussion about the whole thing,I beleive that it's just becoming too difficult to eke out an existance (even a meager one) by running a fly-shop,"mom & pop" style. My wife has mentioned it now and again,but she is the dreamer in our relationship...I am the pragmatist!! I think..."yeah...I could run a fly-shop",and in the next breath.."what is to separate me from the 7 or 8 guys in the area that folded up their tent in the past 10 years?? Very scary at this time of my life!! So.....anyone want to open a shop!!!????

[Cutthroat 0]

That is a great story Twofingerz. That type of service is what sets even mom and pop fly shops apart from the rest. I also suspect that the downfall of mom and pop stores isn't just the big box or the internet, but lack of not just good, but great customer service, ie; An owner that recognizes a good customer with a deep discount. No matter how much I spend at Cabelas or Sportsman's warehouse, no one knows me when I walk in let alone give me a discount.

 

vtflyhack: Give me a holler when you head out this way.

 

By the way, a local fly shop in a neighboring city is about to go belly up. I've been thinking of trying to buy it because there isn't a local shop around if this guy leaves.

[vtflyhack 0]

Two fingers Great story. I have been to the two shops around me alot. The one the farest mostly. I know there names But they have given little effort in knowing who there customers are, which is a bummer,also a little customer kick back now and again not a lot but some, would be cool. I think the "be all end all" store would be well lit, homey camp feel, ton of old outdoor& fishing related stuff as decor. A large antique table with the best vices mounted. Hot beverages, aisles upon aisles of every maker of thread up to every breader of hackle,Every make of tying tools. I want selection, selection and customer apperiation incentives Program. To be able to walk in with a list of materials I am seeking, walk out with it covered. It would be way cool to take everyone responses to this and build the perfect store. I agree this is something people have been bring up in this form. Every tier deserves a slice of tying heaven in there corner.

vtflyhack

[Hardyhead 0]

 

The Sportsman's Wearhouse has a strict policy about what they carry in the store, so chances are if your Sportsman's Wearhouse has a fly tying section, then all of you are looking at the same stuff in your aisles.

 

 

I am lucky enough to have a real actual fly shop, that happens to be right across the highway from the Sportsman's Wearhouse. They have a room with every color of strung chinese, saddle, bucktail, chenille, duck and goose quill that the fly feather wearhouses sell. Nearly everything by WAPSI, all the Whiting stuff, and many others are carried complete, and special orders on feathers is always an option. It's nice to be able to see what you want to purchase, and be able to take it out of the package to inspect before you buy.

 

The last time I talked to the owner about it, the estimate was about $100,000 worth of inventory between clothing, books, rods, reels, and fly tying gear. There are weeks when it's a lot more (before Christmas, the weeks before the early catch and release trout season). Having a real shop is a great resource, and for those of you who don't have one, I feel bad for you. Our local shop has been in business around 6 years now, and they are busier each year. I know that his business loan is paid in full, so now he's operating successfully, but they found their niche in catering to all the avid tyers, spring creek fisherman, and smallmouth bass junkies in Wisconsin. Orvis tried to open a shop about 2 miles away, I think they lasted 2 months against him, I was very happy to see them go, the owner of the Orvis shop claimed he was going to put our owner out of business to his customers, but he had next to zero stuff in stock.

 

Anyway, I hope you folks find what your looking for, and if your ever in Wisconsin, look up fishing in the Green Bay phone book and stop by the fly shop.

 

-R

[flytyingscotsman 0]

.. they found their niche in catering to all the avid tyers, spring creek fisherman, and smallmouth bass junkies in Wisconsin. Orvis tried to open a shop about 2 miles away, I think they lasted 2 months against him, I was very happy to see them go, the owner of the Orvis shop claimed he was going to put our owner out of business to his customers, but he had next to zero stuff in stock.

 

Nice story. Glad to hear these guys won out. It's a tough enough climate without hostile and

predatory statements like 'I'm going to put him out of business'.

 

All too often the francise guys get a little too big for their waders.

 

 

[beaverfsu 0]

Great story twofingerz--I would love to give ONE place all my business, usually do try to stay local, it can be a chore sometimes.....

 

PS I am glad that your local guy survived Orvis.