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Shopping local

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This year I'm committing to shopping locally. Figured I'd start out at my local fly shop. I'm not a support your local shop zealot and still believe a business should compete or close up but I'm doing very well and want to support the local economy. Ended up leaving my local shop  with a steal, I think, a #2 Metz medium dun full saddle for 29 bucks! 

Next up I'm going out to dinner to all the restaurants that are defying our governors orders and are remaining open regardless of the threats coming from the governors office. 

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I agree.   $29 is a good price.     I just took a leap and bought a #2 Metz saddle (black) from JStockard.   I've written before about how the Metz #2 saddles from the late 80's and 90's were the absolute pinnacle of palmering hackle for wets (woolly buggers,  woolly worms, other wets applications) and I still have some of it.    I received the saddle and it is, simply, not the same.   It's good hackle, but  "it ain't what it used to be"... 

Our (G)overnor and his girlfriend "Rachel" are a comedy show.    at the same time,  the reported covid numbers are worse than what they were in the spring.  More testing, better testing ??   I'm not smart enough to know.    All I know is I just closed on a new house which is less than a mile from the Letort Spring Run,  I got a killer interest rate because I'm not a total moron, and I need to learn to catch little wild browns which have apparently spent more years in school than I have.  Screw it, I'll continue to work, which I've done for my entire life uninterrupted, continue to pay my taxes, and continue to try to go fishing.    Try being the operative word.    

 

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My "local fly tying" shop is either Bass Pro Shop or Orlando Outfitters.  Bass pro is closer to my route home ... Orlando Outfitters has an online presence so I can order online and still support locally.

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2 hours ago, JSzymczyk said:

I agree.   $29 is a good price.     I just took a leap and bought a #2 Metz saddle (black) from JStockard.   I've written before about how the Metz #2 saddles from the late 80's and 90's were the absolute pinnacle of palmering hackle for wets (woolly buggers,  woolly worms, other wets applications) and I still have some of it.    I received the saddle and it is, simply, not the same.   It's good hackle, but  "it ain't what it used to be"... 

Our (G)overnor and his girlfriend "Rachel" are a comedy show.    at the same time,  the reported covid numbers are worse than what they were in the spring.  More testing, better testing ??   I'm not smart enough to know.    All I know is I just closed on a new house which is less than a mile from the Letort Spring Run,  I got a killer interest rate because I'm not a total moron, and I need to learn to catch little wild browns which have apparently spent more years in school than I have.  Screw it, I'll continue to work, which I've done for my entire life uninterrupted, continue to pay my taxes, and continue to try to go fishing.    Try being the operative word.    

 

I'm not that discerning of a tier. I'll use it for buggers, drys, wets, sand eels pretty much anything and everything.

ive been out in the York, Carlisle and chambersburg area numerous times the past few months for work.  Each time I went out I found myself saying, I got to fish this and that. Nice area, good luck with the home.

1 hour ago, mikechell said:

My "local fly tying" shop is either Bass Pro Shop or Orlando Outfitters.  Bass pro is closer to my route home ... Orlando Outfitters has an online presence so I can order online and still support locally.

My local shop is family owned and operated by the same family for 50 years. It's the only one left and frankly the other shops I didn't care  if they closed because the owners were jerks. This one I stop in every pay day because they are good people going through tough times. I also hit the closest cabelas a couple times a year where I usually teach my wallet a lesson on indulgence. 

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We only have a couple of real fly shops in the area.  One closed this summer.  I try to order on line from the local guys or fly fishing only businesses like J Stockard of Feathercraft.

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I have two fly shops over an hour from me, in areas that I don't travel to on any regular or even semi-regular basis.  The few times I was in one of them when I was a relatively new tyer, they were not very helpful, to say the least, so I don't miss going to there. 

Also have two fly shops within 1/2 hour from me that I do pass by frequently.  One has very limited hours and inventory, but I do drop in whenever I'm in the area and they're open and will pick up a few things.  The other also has limited hours, limited even more since the Chinese disease, BUT - he also sells on the big auction site and keeps a great inventory.  So I can call him up, order, and do a curbside pickup when I know I'll be in the area. He's a great guy to, likes to shoot the sh.. for  a few minutes when you're in there.  I miss that, and not being able to hand pick certain things, though.  

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If I go north it is about 75 miles to a Bass Pro shop where I was ignored for 20 minutes that last time I was in.  Going south Cabela's is about 145 miles away. 

I have been working on using up what materials I have, probably 2 lifetimes worth.

If I order it is online. 

 

Rick 

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The closest fly shop to me is about two hours away.  We get that way a bit, so I almost always stop in and drop a few coins.  Other than that it's hit what's near you, for us.

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One fly shop about 6 miles away. Other alternatives are Walmart (don't go there unless desperate for an item no one else has in stock),  Dunham's who has very little in fishing tackle.  Nothing for FFing. That leaves Academy, Bass Pro/Cabela's and Dick's (never go there) which are at least 35 miles away.

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The fly shop I frequented for over 30 years, The Sporting Gentleman, has apparently gone under.    That leaves two shops, and Orvis shop in the Plymouth Meeting Mall and the TCO fly shop in Haverford.  Both are about 30 minutes away from me.  The Orvis shop has a minimum of fly tying materials, but the TCO shop is well stocked and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful.  I try and buy locally as much as possible, in fact, I have two gift certificates for the TCO shop to use.  I would say it's a 50-50 split between local and on-line.

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Not just fly shops, every kind of shop. I bought my wife a ring from a jewelry store right in town. I bought children's toys at a small toy store right next door that's been there for 20 years and I never went in. It's time for me to share the wealth with my neighbors. 

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