Favorite Fly Shops

Stonedfish said:
Miss the Morning Hatch.
Anil and Puget Sound Fly Co has done a great job in their place.
I really like Ryan and his crew at The Avid Angler.
Wish Waters West and Spawn Fly Fish were closer as they have great selections. Just prefer a hands on approach when buying materials if possible, but not always.
SF
Click to expand...
I loved the Morning Hatch! Gary (the owner Gary) taught me how to tie the swirl knot and was always so nice to me. The other Gary actually repaired my waders for me when i brought them in. Except for my boots, I bought all of my stuff there when i started out.

Why isn’t spawnflyfish here? I met him, along with Bruce Baker and salmo-g a couple of years ago when he was teaching young kids how to fly fish and my husband and unloaded all of our fly tying stuff. He was so nice! @Long_Rod_Silvers , i love that you mentioned that he writes handwritten notes with orders.
 
Last edited:
Here’s a shout out to Pacific City Fly Fishing - operated solely by Jack Harrell out of his converted garage in Pacific City (on the Oregon Coast). Jack has a wealth of knowledge on the local tidewater and ocean fisheries and a decent selection of supplies at bargain prices. If he doesn’t have something, he’ll usually find it for you.
 
Last edited:
I don't regularly go into fly shops, because I buy things so infrequently. When I do though, here are ones that I've enjoyed supporting.

Avid Angler, north of Seattle WA - I haven't been there in person. During the pandemic I've ordered from them, and have had a great experience. They ship fast and most things I need.

Emerald Water Anglers, West Seattle WA - Been there a few times, and the folks there have been really nice. Dave's really easy to talk to and super personable.

Blue Ribbon Flies, West Yellowstone MT - Good selection and after a few jokes, the shop folks were a lot easier to chat with (I suspect this because of the amount of tourists around). A few of folks were tying in the middle of the shop.

Slide Inn, Cameron MT - I think they're super knowledgeable, and the folks there are passionate and nice. Last time I went, Kelly had one of those red political hats hanging up, and it's a :rolleyes: .

The Fly Shop at Campfire Lodge, West Yellowstone MT - Smaller selection, but conveniently located. The pancakes there are 🔥 🔥

Special shoutout and RIP Orvis Bellevue
 
Avid Angler has always been my go to. My folks and my girlfriend’s folks live nearby. Nice to step out and swing by the shop.

More recently living near Patrick’s has been great. Nice guys. Always willing to chat a bit.

Some of my favorite Montana shops include
Kingfisher, Missoula
Freestone, Hamilton
Sunrise, Melrose

Too bad the rivers nearby these joints don’t have any trout 😉
 
Rock Creek Mercantile aka "The Merc". it was the people that made it a great place. When Doug Persico was alive it was the best. I was fortunate enough to fish with him a few times. He could tie like no own else and shared what he knew freely. I would go there an Saturdays in the winter and tie with locals and Doug around the large table in the back. Sitting at the porch listening to Doug share his stories was almost magical and would take you back to the good ole days. While not highly stocked with materials, it had all that was needed. The hair supplied by the locals was the best I have ever seen.
 
Last edited:
Another vote for Avid Angler and Patrick's. New owners of Patrick’s have done a really nice job transforming the space.

Creekside is another good one. They used to have a small shop in Rainier Tower. That was convenient when I worked in the building!

I do miss Kaufmann's. Before I moved to Seattle I loved getting their catalog – great reference for flies and gear when I was new to the sport. I remember visiting Seattle for work in the late 90s and made the pilgrimage to the shop on fourth avenue.

Big fan of Spawn Flyfish. Stopped by the IIwaco shop last summer. Josh is a cool guy with an incredible selection of tying stuff.

When in Missoula I stop by the Kingfisher and of course “The Merch” on Rock Creek.
 
Buzzy said:
I've been to Paris three times, to think I missed out on La Maison de la Mouche?! ;-) My daughter lived in Nagoya for six years. I always meant to get to https://watchett.net/ and never did. My bad.

I really miss the Blue Dun in Wenatchee/East Wenatchee. Bill Marts was very patient with me as a ROOKIE steelhead fly fisher; he shared techniques and talked about the Wenatchee including where to fish. One morning I was visiting, Bill was tying some quick and dirty "Trick or Treat" patterns. I bought the materials to tie that fly with and scored my first steelhead on a fly with that creation.
Click to expand...
Bill‘s a great guy! I almost bought the Blue Dunn in Spokane when he decided to get out. I’m glad I didn’t buy it but I loved that place.
 
I'm an introvert, so when I visit most fly shops I'm in and out with whatever I need and don't spend much time chit chatting. I visited Avid Angler for the first time a couple months ago because they had the wading boots I wanted in stock to try on. Ryan treated me like a long time customer right off the bat and we BS'd for quite a while. He also hooked me up with spare parts for the BOA laces on the Korkers I purchased. I'm not in the area very often but will make it a point to stop in there whenever I am!
 
Scottybs said:
So... I try to visit a fly shop anywhere I end up. Some of my favorits

La Maison de la Mouche- Paris
Sansui- Tokyo
Serious Fly Fishing- Kiel, Germany
East Rosebuds- Billings
Lund’s Fly Shop- River Falls, WI
Trout’s Fly Shop- Denver
The Drift Fly Shop- Pueblo

Last the hometown shop:
The Confluence Fly Shop- Bellingham
Click to expand...
Are there any left? Just kidding.
 
Buzzy said:
I've been to Paris three times, to think I missed out on La Maison de la Mouche?! ;-) My daughter lived in Nagoya for six years. I always meant to get to https://watchett.net/ and never did. My bad.

I really miss the Blue Dun in Wenatchee/East Wenatchee. Bill Marts was very patient with me as a ROOKIE steelhead fly fisher; he shared techniques and talked about the Wenatchee including where to fish. One morning I was visiting, Bill was tying some quick and dirty "Trick or Treat" patterns. I bought the materials to tie that fly with and scored my first steelhead on a fly with that creation.
Click to expand...
Bill also opened a nice shop, also called The Blue Dun, in Spokane which he eventually sold to John Propp, a well known Spokane rod builder.
John changed the name to Propp's Rod & Fly and if I remember correctly he either sold or closed due to illness.
 
GAT said:
I haven't been there in years and years but Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone used to have some very friendly and helpful staff. Creekside and The Valley Flyfisher in Salem were owned by personal friends so it is hard not to recommend them ... if they still owned the shops. The Valley Flyfisher closed his doors and Creekside sold out to a new owner... I'm not even sure if it is still open.

Shops seem to change owners and some of the ones I used to like a lot were bought out by folks that are not nearly as nice ... so it isn't so easy to point out a good shop when that may no longer be the case.
Click to expand...
Bought my first fly rod n reel from Keith at The Valley Flyfisher. Creekside closed for good and Rich moved to Oklahoma. Salem has no shops.
Lebanon once had a nice shop; was sad to see Gene close up... the dude knows his stuff. Was sad to see the Blue Heron Fly Shop close for good..."home waters" destination. Current shops are Watershed Fly Shop in Corvallis; Royal Treatment Fly Fishing in West Linn; Home Waters Fly Fishing in Eugene; Caddis Fly Angling Shop in Eugene; Two Rivers Fly Shop in Albany. Anglers Workshop was a go to in Woodland, WA too.
 
Last edited:
The Fly Fisher- Lacey, WA.- first shop I visited when I moved up here. It helped that i lived across the street at the time.🙂

Campus Cycle and Fly Fishing Center- Lewisburg, Penna. they used to be Orvis-centric, but havent been back in a couple years, so dont know.

Penns Creek Angler Fly Shop- Weikert, Penna. - went to high school with the current owner.. never figured him to be a fly fisherman

Tackle Box Outfitters, San Antonio, TX. - these guys made my bonefish trip to Belize a snap. if you didnt know, because of its location, San Antonio is a great hub for adventure fly fishing trips. You can get to Baja, or Belize, and many other warm water places quickly and cheaply.
 
I liked Skagit Angler & all about the fly , both now closed. Now I hang out at Mike's vintage ale & flyshop , the service ain't so good & the beer is outdated but the flies are of good quality & often free.
 
wanderingrichard said:
The Fly Fisher- Lacey, WA.- first shop I visited when I moved up here. It helped that i lived across the street at the time.🙂

Campus Cycle and Fly Fishing Center- Lewisburg, Penna. they used to be Orvis-centric, but havent been back in a couple years, so dont know.

Penns Creek Angler Fly Shop- Weikert, Penna. - went to high school with the current owner.. never figured him to be a fly fisherman

Tackle Box Outfitters, San Antonio, TX. - these guys made my bonefish trip to Belize a snap. if you didnt know, because of its location, San Antonio is a great hub for adventure fly fishing trips. You can get to Baja, or Belize, and many other warm water places quickly and cheaply.
Click to expand...
Thumbs up for The Fly Fisher. It's a small place, but it has a good selection of tying materials. Bjorn really knows his stuff and is a wealth of information. Plus, you get to pet the shop dogs when you visit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top