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flytire

local "fly shop"

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There's a Cabela's @ 1 hour from me, I think I've been there twice, and that was a few years ago before the merger.  I thought they had a decent selection tying stuff at the time.  The Bear's Den is really well stocked, but a 1.5 hours away, I rarely get there.  I try to avoid the eastern part of this state, frankly.  The best and closest to me is Cote's, which is only 30 minutes. Great guy and he's pretty well stocked, sells alot on the big auction site.  I used to stop in there whenever I had time, but with the Chinese disease, he went to appointment only, which is inconvenient so its been a few months since I've been.  Never been to the Evening Sun, which is also @ 1.5 hours, but have heard good things.  JT's Fly shop is @ an hour away, they're not too bad, but not someplace I would make a special trip for.  There's a bait/fly shop, Flaggs's, about 45 minutes away, what he lacks in tying material selection is made for in conversation and atmosphere.  I always spend a few minutes in there when in the area.  Then there's the Deerfield Fly Shop, also @ 45 minutes.  They're worth the stop.  I guess I have a few choices now that I think about it.  

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3 hours ago, flytire said:

i didnt have the pain when ilived in the denver area in the 1980's

anglers all, trout fisher, royal stevens, colorado angler etcv

 

norwich, ct isnt exactly a fly fishing mecca 😢

Cabelas here is terrible for tying supplies. Anglers All still rocks though Greg has retired. Charlies Fly box, Charlie Craven's shop has more candy than any other shop around. Anglers and Charlies are my go to shops. Great selection, great customer service and great people work there.

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I was spoiled. For many years my workplace was half way between Kaufmann's Streamborn and River City Fly Shop, about 1 mile from each. The two shops were very different. Kaufmann's had the Whiting Hackles, Sage rods, Hardy reels, guide and travel services... River City had none of that, but had the largest collection of odd tying materials anywhere. Both are closed now.

My closest "Fly Shop" now is an Orvis store. The fly fishing department is pretty well stocked and the guy who runs it is knowledgable. The problem is that he is usually the only employee working in the fly shop and the clothing employees are no help. One day I went in knowing exactly what I wanted but it took over an hour because there were several people ahead of me that needed reels filled, advice on flies and gear etc. and only one guy to do it. 

I am fortunate that there are a couple of other shops around if I want to drive a bit farther. 

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I visited an Orvis store which had very little in FFing stuff. I have a fly shop about 7 miles from me. Owner dropped out of college. Now he and his father have five businesses, all related to fishing.

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4 hours ago, eaglecreekcustom said:

Did you know Cabales started as a just fly shop?

 

Cabelas did start out selling mail order flies with which they included a mail order catalog for other sporting goods. To my knowledge, they never had a fly SHOP.

https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/how-dick-cabela-sold-the-great-outdoors

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/about-us

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabela's

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Correct. Mail order from his kitchen table after getting home from his day job. An American success story. Big reason why I don’t buy into the whole mom and pop shop vs big box store hooey. Doesn’t get anymore mom and pop than hardworking husband and wife forming a cutting edge business model employing thousands and enriching every area a store opened all from the kitchen table. 

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12 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

Correct. Mail order from his kitchen table after getting home from his day job. An American success story. Big reason why I don’t buy into the whole mom and pop shop vs big box store hooey. Doesn’t get anymore mom and pop than hardworking husband and wife forming a cutting edge business model employing thousands and enriching every area a store opened all from the kitchen table. 

I would agree with you that Cabela's started out as the quintessential "Mom & Pop" business -- I think the discontent with so-called big box stores comes from what tends to happen to Mom & Pops that grow into big boxes: in order to grow, they have to try and serve larger and larger clienteles with more diversified interests, leading to the selection becoming more generic (especially in niche areas like fly fishing and--ever more niche--fly tying). If they get REALLY big, they eventually go public, which means that now the shareholders' profits are always going to be more important than their customers' satisfaction, and it's a downhill slide from there. It would be hard to find a better example of this than what has happened to Cabela's since they merged with BPS. Too big, too generic, more concerned with maximizing profit than genuinely serving the needs of all their customers. Oldest story in the (capitalist) book. There's a "sweet spot" in there somewhere--a spot where the owners are making good money, but still providing high quality service and selection. The problem is, you're never going to get a businessman to recognize (much less stop growing at) "enough money". 

And before you light into me for dissing capitalism, "the American Way" and all that, hear me when I say that I know other socio-economic systems have signal failings, as well. All I'm saying is, with Capitalism, what I've described above seems to be the nature of the beast. 

 

 

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Fly fishing and fly tying is a micro sport. There are not enough fly fisher persons to support a fly shop unless it is in a fly fishing destination. That is why there are 5 fly shops in West Yellowstone, MT. and none in my city.

 

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17 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

Correct. Mail order from his kitchen table after getting home from his day job. An American success story. Big reason why I don’t buy into the whole mom and pop shop vs big box store hooey. Doesn’t get anymore mom and pop than hardworking husband and wife forming a cutting edge business model employing thousands and enriching every area a store opened all from the kitchen table. 

 

4 hours ago, Bryon Anderson said:

I would agree with you that Cabela's started out as the quintessential "Mom & Pop" business -- I think the discontent with so-called big box stores comes from what tends to happen to Mom & Pops that grow into big boxes: in order to grow, they have to try and serve larger and larger clienteles with more diversified interests, leading to the selection becoming more generic (especially in niche areas like fly fishing and--ever more niche--fly tying). If they get REALLY big, they eventually go public, which means that now the shareholders' profits are always going to be more important than their customers' satisfaction, and it's a downhill slide from there. It would be hard to find a better example of this than what has happened to Cabela's since they merged with BPS. Too big, too generic, more concerned with maximizing profit than genuinely serving the needs of all their customers. Oldest story in the (capitalist) book. There's a "sweet spot" in there somewhere--a spot where the owners are making good money, but still providing high quality service and selection. The problem is, you're never going to get a businessman to recognize (much less stop growing at) "enough money". 

And before you light into me for dissing capitalism, "the American Way" and all that, hear me when I say that I know other socio-economic systems have signal failings, as well. All I'm saying is, with Capitalism, what I've described above seems to be the nature of the beast. 

 

 

I agree generally with what both of you are saying except for the somewhat negative geste.

I'm not big by any means, but the more people that demand my attention, the less time I have to give each individual his or her own attention.

I don't see it as evil or greed, we all strive to do better, what ever that is in our own minds. I have had a few opportunities to go bigger like licensing my patents, selling my designs or going to China for manufacturing. I have chosen not to but if someone does, in my opinion, it doesn't made them bad. It's very hard to survive building one thing at a time and serving one person at a time.

When other people go big, it leaves an opening for another Mom and Pop if the market can support one. Those things are kind of self regulating. When there's a market, someone will fill it. If there isn't a market, people have to find something else to do. It's tough for Mom and Pops, we're adjusting all the time.

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1 hour ago, Mark Knapp said:

I hear you, Mark, and I agree with what you're saying as well. I certainly don't begrudge anyone trying to make an honest living, and taking opportunities to make more money when they come. Even with regard to "big box" stores and similar corporations, I'm not saying it's good or bad -- just that it tends to follow a predictable path to a predictable end. Nature of the beast. 

I agree generally with what both of you are saying except for the somewhat negative geste.

I'm not big by any means, but the more people that demand my attention, the less time I have to give each individual his or her own attention.

I don't see it as evil or greed, we all strive to do better, what ever that is in our own minds. I have had a few opportunities to go bigger like licensing my patents, selling my designs or going to China for manufacturing. I have chosen not to but if someone does, in my opinion, it doesn't made them bad. It's very hard to survive building one thing at a time and serving one person at a time.

When other people go big, it leaves an opening for another Mom and Pop if the market can support one. Those things are kind of self regulating. When there's a market, someone will fill it. If there isn't a market, people have to find something else to do. It's tough for Mom and Pops, we're adjusting all the time.

 

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6 hours ago, SilverCreek said:

Fly fishing and fly tying is a micro sport. There are not enough fly fisher persons to support a fly shop unless it is in a fly fishing destination. That is why there are 5 fly shops in West Yellowstone, MT. and none in my city.

 

Only 5?😉

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15 minutes ago, SilverCreek said:

You know of more than 5?

Arrick's Fly Shop, Inc.

Blue Ribbon Flies

Big sky Anglers

Madison River Outfitters

Bob Jacklin's

Jim's Fly Company

It seems like there are more when you walk the streets though. 

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