Support Your Local Fly Shop

[Phil K]

Yes, we all love a bargain, and pretty much everything you could ever want is just a click away, but I want to encourage everyone to support their local fly shop. I was just talking with Dave who owns EWA in West Seattle, and dang; it’s a hard time to run a brick and mortar retail business.

Take for instance Puget Sound Fly Company; great shop, right? Excellent selection of gear and tying materials, deep local knowledge, and good people to hang with. Gone. This article cites property crime, attendant insurance cost increases, high rent, security upgrades, and the effects of Covid as various challenges they face. [EDIT: my bad, they are still in business]

Puget Sound Fly Company

If you can, please spread the love, and spend some $$$ with the local businesses. You‘ll be sorry when Amazon is the only game left in town.

 

[Evan B]

Yes, we all love a bargain, and pretty much everything you could ever want is just a click away, but I want to encourage everyone to support their local fly shop. I was just talking with Dave who owns EWA in West Seattle, and dang; it’s a hard time to run a brick and mortar retail business.

Remember Puget Sound Fly Company; great shop, right? Excellent selection of gear and tying materials, deep local knowledge, and good people to hang with. Gone. This article cites property crime, attendant insurance cost increases, high rent, security upgrades, and the effects of Covid as various nails in the coffin.

Puget Sound Fly Company closes

If you can, please spread the love, and spend some $$$ with the local businesses. You‘ll be sorry when Amazon is the only game left in town.

100% - this is one aspect I loved about working for ECHO / Rajeff Sports. They're one of the few companies left choosing to forego higher direct-to-consumer profit margins so they can help support fly shops. Even in the age of internet, I still think they're a priceless resource.

 

[NRC]

Yes, we all love a bargain, and pretty much everything you could ever want is just a click away, but I want to encourage everyone to support their local fly shop. I was just talking with Dave who owns EWA in West Seattle, and dang; it’s a hard time to run a brick and mortar retail business.

Remember Puget Sound Fly Company; great shop, right? Excellent selection of gear and tying materials, deep local knowledge, and good people to hang with. Gone. This article cites property crime, attendant insurance cost increases, high rent, security upgrades, and the effects of Covid as various nails in the coffin.

Puget Sound Fly Company closes

If you can, please spread the love, and spend some $$$ with the local businesses. You‘ll be sorry when Amazon is the only game left in town.

Puget Sound Fly Co changed hands but is NOT gone. If you’d be so kind, please edit your post to say so - wouldn’t want anyone to skip a trip having read only the top post in this thread!

I live about a mile from PSFC so I have a vested interest in keeping it open

 

[RCF]

If you can, please spread the love, and spend some $$$ with the local businesses. You‘ll be sorry when Amazon is the only game left in town.

For many of us, me included, trying out rods and reels, seeing and feeling materials, and comparing actual products side by side is a huge benefit of local fly shops. Try doing that with Amazon or other internet sales joints that do not have a brick and mortar presence.

 

[Phil K]

Puget Sound Fly Co changed hands but is NOT gone. If you’d be so kind, please edit your post to say so - wouldn’t want anyone to skip a trip having read only the top post in this thread!

I live about a mile from PSFC so I have a vested interest in keeping it open

Wow, color me ill-informed! Will do.

 

[NRC]

Wow, color me ill-informed! Will do.

Thanks for the edit!

I think news of the reopening has been slow to spread - it was closed for a while during the change of ownership, and the change of ownership plans were not publicized as far as I’ve seen in the news about the shop’s closure. So you can certainly be excused for not knowing.

And your larger point still stands! I should go buy some clouser eyes…

 

[Northern]

I was taking out at a popular lake the other day, and a guy asked me where I bought my fly rods. I told him some were second hand, but new ones were from fly shops.

Him: "Like Cabelas?"
Me: "No, from various, actual fly shops"
Him: "Do you ever get them at Sportsman's Warehouse?"
Me: "No, from local, independently owned fly shops - like Creekside" (naming the closest one I've purchased a rod from)
Him- looking perplexed and frowning: "Oh...uh...ok."

Incidentally, I then proceeded to stop by Creekside to see if they had any tricks to unstick a very stuck ferrule on the very rod I bought from them a couple years ago. They did!
I bought some materials and thanked them profusely.
Yay for actual fly shops!!

 

[Phil K]

Thanks for the edit!

I think news of the reopening has been slow to spread - it was closed for a while during the change of ownership, and the change of ownership plans were not publicized as far as I’ve seen in the news about the shop’s closure. So you can certainly be excused for not knowing.

And your larger point still stands! I should go buy some clouser eyes…

And maybe a nice Simms rain jacket!

Actually, every little bit helps. I tend to feel guilty for being such a small spender, popping in to buy another $17.50 in tying supplies (to add to the stuff I already have too much of), but they really appreciate the business.

 

[Yard Sale]

This is why MSRP is key. If waders cost the same online as they do in store then you are a fool to not help your local shop. Or any shop!

As little margin as they make on tying materials, its always better to buy them in person than online. I'm totally that dork who pulls all the bags off the peg and picks out the best one of the bunch. Guinea being the one that matters the most.

 

[mcswny]

I really wish a local shop had some whiting red label hen saddle in a barred dark ginger

 

[DimeBrite]

Agree. It is nice to have our remaining Seattle area fly shops open. Avid Angler and Pacific Fly Fishers have great inventories, locations, and service. I'm sure EWA is great too, but I don't make it over to west Seattle often.

 

[SurfnFish]

Loytalty to a fly shop starts and ends with the customer experience.
Been in some that made you feel like you've been welcomed to a club, been in others where you could have been a customer in a supermarket.
Glad to make significant purchases in the former, only stop in for the minimal in the latter.

 

[Stonedfish]

I’ll just add a dirtbag angle to this.
We also have some great local gear shops that sell stuff like camping gear, ropes, crab pots etc that are used in conjunction with some folks fishing. Namely Sportco and Outdoor Emporium, both of which put Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas to shame in my opinion.
Its nice to be able to touch and get hands on at both these shops as well as the local fly shops.
SF

 

[Brute]

When I first got into fly fishing, I bought my first rod, reel, line, waders, boots, tippet, flies from Creekside in Issy...I still go there all the time, and have bought most of my rods & reels from them.

 

[WWKimba1]

If you want the BEST, most UP TO DATE in for on any fishing waters in your area, where do you go? If your locally owned fly shop is NOT 2 out of you top 3 answers then you are slighting yourself. I live in central NY, born and bred there and will probably die here. I do a lot of tying for the Casting for Recovery fishing sites around the country (donated 500 flies last year alone). I like to contact any local fly shops in those areas so I can tie the most effective patterns for these women to fish with and THEY ARE THE BEST SOURCE for this information, hands down!

While I'm on my soapbox, I would encourage all of you to donate flies to this or any other group that uses fly fishing as part of their recovery programs. The two best known national organizations are Casting for Recovery (woman with breast cancer) and/or Project Healing Waters (wounded Military service members). There are other local and regional organizations as well. You don't have to tie 500 flies, tie a dozen or so and send them in - I guarantee your Thank You note will be as big as mine and just as appreciated. BTW-each of the national sites have a map so you can begin this help at/near home.

Thanks for listening and the next speaker is welcome to the box!

Kim

BTW, I'm retired, been tying for over 50 years, LOVE it, and am trying to stay busy enough to keep my picture off the post office walls!

 

[Leland Miyawaki]

I really wish a local shop had some whiting red label hen saddle in a barred dark ginger

Ask them to order some for you

 

[mcswny]

Ask them to order some for you

My problem is I’m picky and I’d hate for them to go through the ordeal and then me still not like it

 

[Tom Butler]

Actually got to visit a shop today. Very nice. Stopped by Worley Bugger and filled my list, even found a grouse pelt.

 

[Bob N]

Actually got to visit a shop today. Very nice. Stopped by Worley Bugger and filled my list, even found a grouse pelt.

Grouse is my favorite “soft hackle”.

 

[Tom Butler]

Popped in to Avid Angler before the Husky game. Really fun to hit have visited a couple places. You folks with shops in town are really lucky. Picked up some reading material. Also found a nice hen hackle and a bunch of other stuff.