Seattle Orvis Store Closing

Matt B said:
Would a Helios fly rod be considered a “fly line accessory” by any chance? I’d like one of those for 40% off.
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I think I'll go down there tomorrow and check out the deals.. maybe get my wading boots replaced or fixed.. I really just need a few new pairs of wading boots.. Meet me down there Matt? Could even carpool depending on where you live these days...
 
Guy Gregory said:
Orvis stuff was aspriational to me. The catalog came every year, and I'd look at the fishing and wingshooting stuff at length. The dog beds were nicer than our couch. The clothes all were out of my demographic, and yes, the bundles of georgia fatwood kindling seemed really, really stupid. Over the years, they've refined their approach. Wingshooting stuff is pretty much gone, as folks either gave it up or moved on to essential italian shotguns for whacking small birds in the southeast, presumably after church.

I got patagucci stuff, but nothing since Chouinard sold it. It has always been top quality, and I'm pretty loyal. My first stuff was mountaineering clothing and equipment, it replaced Filson and Bauer in that market, all on quality and service.

Orvis fishing stuff has seemed to me to maintain quality, but it's weird. I had a rocky mountain cassette reel system I loved, but they quit supporting it in a short amount of time, and I needed some more cassettes, and ya can't get 'm without Ebay or something. It seems they'll have a reel like a battenkill and it'll stay current for like 5 years and then gone. I've got two sling bags, a guide and a smaller one, I got'm a year apart, and one goes over one shoulder and the other goes over the other. Again, weird. There is or was one in Coeur d'Alene out where the rich people hang out, I haven't been there in years. I went into the one in Jackson last time I was there. I thought I'd get my dog a leash to celebrate our trip.....I saved my $150 and bought us a couple of steaks to barbecue in Central Idaho a couple days later...Dugan didn't seem to mind.

They'll survive, because they make quality stuff as noted above. It'll be different, with a few of their products at local shop dealers, but they'll close the majority of their nameplate stores and go to online. If you want to go to an Orvis store, you'll need to go to Scottsdale or Bellevue or Jackson or Aspen. Actually, save your cash and go to the home place in Manchester. It's an old money place, and as such has class and comfort and service, not the new money snootyness of the other stores.

Let;s face it, fly fishing is a sport appealing to the last remaining outdoorsfolk of our generation, and trendy ass country club folk at those fancy gated lodges all over the Henry's Fork (who I suppose also shoot Georgia quail). Most outdoor pursuits today do not involve a rod or gun. Again, I'm out of that demographic.

And most of us have a room/garage/house full of stuff. Nobody's keeping a shop open on us.
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Nailed it.
 
No storefront fall was more drastic than that of Abercrombie and Fitch. For decades a serious outdoors store that carried high end equipment inc. fine bamboo fly rods, Euro climbing gear, and upscale weapons such as Purdey shotguns and rifles, these days it is a teen fashion store.
Imagine the sales meetings in retail companies trying to pin down the flavor of the month for a young demographic akin to a gerbil on meth.
 
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Orvis Bellevue (with Leland and the rest of the crew) was for me, a clothes area around a fly shop. A number of other Orvis stores I visited seemed more like a fly fishing area inside a clothing store. Not that the employees weren't interested or supportive, just a different feel - and one missed and treasured in memory.

I believe if you have a favorite fly shop, store, restaurant, or other venue - treasure each visit. I fear many are going to be only in memory in the coming years.

Just a little historical note - I'm reading Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers by Rebecca McCarthy. He attended and graduated from Dartmouth. He never explained why, but he hated Orvis (owned at the time by CF Orvis's children); at the same time he loved L.L. Bean and wore their clothing for decades.
 
WaterDragon said:
Orvis Bellevue (with Leland and the rest of the crew) was for me, a clothes area around a fly shop. A number of other Orvis stores I visited seemed more like a fly fishing area inside a clothing store. Not that the employees weren't interested or supportive, just a different feel - and one missed and treasured in memory.

I believe if you have a favorite fly shop, store, restaurant, or other venue - treasure each visit. I fear many are going to be only in memory in the coming years.

Just a little historical note - I'm reading Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers by Rebecca McCarthy. He attended and graduated from Dartmouth. He never explained why, but he hated Orvis (owned at the time by CF Orvis's children); at the same time he loved L.L. Bean and wore their clothing for decades.
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Weird Wonder why. My first real waders was done by Leland at orvis 25 or so years ago. But I remember being in the Orvis store and some guys would come in and be offered lattes and other treats, sit down and read a magazine oR the Orvis catalog. Not sure which… it was a but
Intimidating coming in from cheap waders and all, But Leland was easy to deal with and took care of me. Thise waders lasted years and some great adventures including Alaska. There was a different vibe back then with Orvis. It wasn’t horrible. The worst experience was Patrick’s Fly shop back in the day. Did not like their approach. Almost intimidating to a patron. I have the sense to know when not wanted and never have been back. My personal feeling iat that time was ‘F’em. Guess they have new ownership. I’m just not there yet to visit them.

I have become a 95% stickler for avid angler. They don’t have it they can usually get it to you 7 days minus. 😃
 
Porter2 said:
Weird Wonder why. My first real waders was done by Leland at orvis 25 or so years ago. But I remember being in the Orvis store and some guys would come in and be offered lattes and other treats, sit down and read a magazine oR the Orvis catalog. Not sure which… it was a but
Intimidating coming in from cheap waders and all, But Leland was easy to deal with and took care of me. Thise waders lasted years and some great adventures including Alaska. There was a different vibe back then with Orvis. It wasn’t horrible. The worst experience was Patrick’s Fly shop back in the day. Did not like their approach. Almost intimidating to a patron. I have the sense to know when not wanted and never have been back. My personal feeling iat that time was ‘F’em. Guess they have new ownership. I’m just not there yet to visit them.

I have become a 95% stickler for avid angler. They don’t have it they can usually get it to you 7 days minus. 😃
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On why Norman didn't like Orvis... The book says he resented his privileged classmates at Dartmouth - while they spent summers playing polo and learning to sail, he was back in Montana fighting fires and leading pack trains. I suspect he saw Orvis as catering to entitled sportsmen from the east coast, while LL Bean was selling clothing for regular working types.
 
WaterDragon said:
On why Norman didn't like Orvis... The book says he resented his privileged classmates at Dartmouth - while they spent summers playing polo and learning to sail, he was back in Montana fighting fires and leading pack trains. I suspect he saw Orvis as catering to entitled sportsmen from the east coast, while LL Bean was selling clothing for regular working types.
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Could be. I’m late in the game.
 
Orvis, like LL Bean has become a clothing store which also sells a few sports items. A&F doesn't even pretend anymore. They just sell trendy clothing to the "cool" people
 
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