Hmmmm, I'll bite. What happened two days after Norm died?

Maybe we need a new version of "A River Runs Through It" to revive the interest in fly fishing. Business used to be measured as "before" or "after" the movie, it had that much impact.

thats what got me going, and a free fly rod

I too understand the part about having to stock products that are slow to sell. I also know that I have walked into stores for a specific item and have checked out with more items than I originally intended to purchase. Academy did respond to an email that I sent, basically stating the principles of stocking items that are more popular. I appreciate the fact that they responded. They said, also, that they do have the products online in their catalog. Well, if I have to order it "Hello Cabela's or BPS". I would think they could at least stock some of the basics to get us in the store, after all we are talking about "fishing". Where's the bait?

Your wish has been granted! "Salmon Fishing in Yemen" came out in selected theaters last Friday. Will be out nationwide by the end of the month. Starring Ewan McGregor and many others. Check out the trailers on YouTube or IMDB.

Maybe you could ask them about a "ship to store" option via their catalog.

Didn't read the entire thread, but while in school i worked at both academy and gander mountain from Dec 07-April 11 and i bet i had less than 10 people ever ask about fly fishing gear. Economically speaking it just wouldn't make sense for these stores to carry much if any fly fishing gear (yes i do fly fish when i get the time)

Norm Goheen, retired South Garland HS history teacher for 33 years, was a Dallas fly fishing staple, holding every officer position in the DFF, an accomplished rod builder who graciously taught rod building every Wednesday night at his home, tied a fly pattern for Barlow's, which was for sale in their store and their catalog. Norm also did Barlow's rod repairs for their customers and their shop. Norm had this working relationship with Barlow's for at least a decade.

Norm developed brain cancer in early 2009, and while he fought the brave fight, we lost Norm in late November 2009. Norm, even on his roughest days, worked on tying flies or repairing rods for Barlow's.

Two days after Norm died, his brother, Mike, took the last remaining flies Norm had tied to Barlow's. Mike was told, "We don't want those. What good is it going to do us now that he's dead? We can't really sell them now, even though they are in the catalog." Granted, Brother Mike, as he was affectionately called, who was in his early 60s, left Barlow's on this rather unfortunate Tuesday, heartbroken with tears streaming down his cheeks. Brother Mike clipped the hooks, turned them into pins, and gave them to Norm's friends and rod-builders at his memorial. I still have mine.

On Wednesday week following Norm's death, the "rod-building regulars" showed up at Norm's where we finished building the rods Norm had taken in from Barlow's. Cody and I tried to return them to Barlow's on Thursday. We were accused of trying to cheat them out of money. We were accused of stealing. When we explained who we were, that we were returning the rods--repaired, so Barlow's could return them to the customers who had dropped them off for repairs, and tried to collect what they owed Norm on his wife's behalf. Barlow's kicked us out of their store.

We returned the rods to Norm's wife and assisted her with contacting the people who owned the rods. We were successful with all but one rod, and to this day, I have no clue as to who owned that last rod.

Barlow's deserves to go out of business for treating people so cruelly. I will go without, permanently, before I will walk in their door or use their materials. Gratefully, I do not receive their catalog any longer, and that is why I abhor Barlow's.

Sounds like a case of chronic assholism. You have to know that they acted differently towards Mr. Goheen, else why would he have dealt with them so much.
I never have, but it sounds like I never will do business with Barlow's.

Kirk

Whew!!!! All this time, I never knew! Holy excrement! Yes, I'll find it difficult to shop there ever again.

Thank you for the update.

if you are willing to take a 2 hour drive to Houston, you can visit Ifly, they are great people

I have only been there once since they changed locations & I really like this shop, but their fly tying inventory was pretty dismal, but they have great selection of rods, reels, & line

another place in Houston is Fishing Tackle Unlimited (2 locations) lotsa fly fishing stuff

The archery Outfitters store on South College behind Chicken Oil has plenty of gear for your FLYFISHING needs. I bought a vice last spring and still use it all the time. They are an Orvis and Simms dealer. If that isnt enough just get an Orvis credit card and order what you need and get free shipping. Thats what I did while I was in school down there and I always had enough fishing gear.

It's good to know that place is still in business after all these years. I bought from them while I was in school, too, and, if you're building your own fly rods, archery ferrule glue (cuboid stick) is better than the fly fishing (cylindrical stick) glue, and that shop has plenty of good archery glue, as well as other things.

Thanks for the trip down amnesia lane!

I will never go in to Barlows again.

Nobody could make up anything that cruddy.

And to think, the first fly rod I ever bought came from Barlows.

Cest la vie!