Posted By: RexW
Notable Fly Shops - 12/15/12 02:51 AM
When I’m traveling, I tend visit every fly shop I that can, even when I’m not fishing on that trip. (Surely, I’m not the only one around here that likes to visit fly shops. 
) The other thread about online fly shops started me thinking about a couple of good shops that I visited this year and some other memorable fly shops I’ve dealt with.
Here are some of the fly shops that I’ve been impressed with during my fly fishing years.
So, what does it take to get on this list:
1. Not much really, and it is all subjective.
2. Only shops that I have actually purchased something from are on the list.
3. Large chain style shops were not included.
4. Shops that are more clothing store than fly shop didn’t make the list.
In no particular order, here are some of my favorite fly shops.
Outstanding Inventory and Overall Cool Large Shop - California Fly shop; near San Francisco, CA. I visited this fly shop last month during a business trip to the area. I started looking around and the guy working said “It’s kind of slow today, do you want go cast some rods?” The shop was off to a good start.
This is big shop with an incredible fly and rod selection. Their flies were displayed in the traditional open top trays, but they were bigger and the total length of the display is supposed to be over 60 feet long with flies on both sides. They had fly patterns that I had never seen before, covering everything from salt, to trout, to steelhead, to warmwater. The rod selection was the biggest that I have ever seen with all the major brands plus a couple of brands that I had never heard of. Overall, this was an impressive shop setup.
Biggest Surprise - Living Waters; Round Rock, TX. I visited this one this summer while in the area for a wedding. The shop location is a little odd, from the outside it doesn’t look promising, but it is worth visiting. Walking into the shop I noticed a couple of things, other than a few T-shirts, there was no clothing, and there was table in the corner with a bucket full of vises. A bucket of vises usually means a shop has group fly tying sessions. Talking with Matt, sure enough the shop does offer tying, casting, fishing, and other activities regularly. I was very impressed with their selection of fly tying materials, they had some things that I haven’t been able to find around here. Very helpful and friendly staff that was full of information on fly tying and fishing the local area.
Most Enthusiastic Owner - Juneau Flyfishing Goods; Juneau, Alaska. I don’t really know if they’re still open or not, I visited this shop back in 1999. It was in a small space, not much bigger than my office at work. But what I remember is the enthusiasm of the owner. I think anyone that walked into his shop was going to be converted to fly fishing.
Most Helpful through the Years - Three Rivers; Broken Bow, OK. Linda and Jessie have been helping me become a better fly fisher for years. If I ever needed something, they would get it and have it waiting for me the next time I was in the area. This was especially useful a few years ago before so many internet fly shops were available.
Favorite Local Shop and Great Staff - Tailwaters Fly Shop; Dallas, TX. I like this shop and it would probably rate as my most favorite. They have a great staff that has always been very knowledgeable and helpful. They bring in top notch speakers/guests. I have received casting help from Lefty Kreh on two separate occasions thanks to Tailwaters. I like this shop.
Most Female Friendly - River Run Outfitters – Branson, Missouri. I think my daughter was 13 the first time we walked in this shop. How a shop will react to a teenage girl’s questions can vary significantly. This shop has always stood out as one most welcoming and helpful to both my daughter and my wife.
Strong Youth Support and Best T-shirts - Bighorn Fly Shop, Ft Smith, Montana. You don’t get to this shop by accident. It is located at the end of dead-end road in the middle of an Indian reservation in Montana. But that road just happens to lead to the Bighorn River. The Bighorn is one incredible trout fishery. This is a cool shop for several reasons. They have a lot of inventory and some of the best fly fishing t-shirts I’ve seen. But what really puts them on this list is their support of the Bighorn Youth Adventure. The local guides, resorts, and this shop sponsor a group of teenagers every summer to a week of guided fly fishing and fly tying on the Bighorn for free. Four days in different guide’s drift boats for free is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids. You just have to love a fly shop that puts that much effort into helping kids to be interested in fly fishing.
Clearance Section – Madison River Fly Shop; Ennis, Montana. OK, I’ve never actually visited this shop, but they have my favorite clearance sections on the internet.
Fly Tying Material Selection – Golden Rule Fly Shop, ??. I don’t know if this one even has an actual fly shop, but they are at many of the larger fly fishing events. They have an amazing selection of fly tying materials in colors that I never see anywhere else. They basically setup folding tables and then pile stuff on them. Half the fun is digging through the piles.
Anyone else have a place to add to the list?
) The other thread about online fly shops started me thinking about a couple of good shops that I visited this year and some other memorable fly shops I’ve dealt with. Here are some of the fly shops that I’ve been impressed with during my fly fishing years.
So, what does it take to get on this list:
1. Not much really, and it is all subjective.
2. Only shops that I have actually purchased something from are on the list.
3. Large chain style shops were not included.
4. Shops that are more clothing store than fly shop didn’t make the list.
In no particular order, here are some of my favorite fly shops.
Outstanding Inventory and Overall Cool Large Shop - California Fly shop; near San Francisco, CA. I visited this fly shop last month during a business trip to the area. I started looking around and the guy working said “It’s kind of slow today, do you want go cast some rods?” The shop was off to a good start.
This is big shop with an incredible fly and rod selection. Their flies were displayed in the traditional open top trays, but they were bigger and the total length of the display is supposed to be over 60 feet long with flies on both sides. They had fly patterns that I had never seen before, covering everything from salt, to trout, to steelhead, to warmwater. The rod selection was the biggest that I have ever seen with all the major brands plus a couple of brands that I had never heard of. Overall, this was an impressive shop setup. Biggest Surprise - Living Waters; Round Rock, TX. I visited this one this summer while in the area for a wedding. The shop location is a little odd, from the outside it doesn’t look promising, but it is worth visiting. Walking into the shop I noticed a couple of things, other than a few T-shirts, there was no clothing, and there was table in the corner with a bucket full of vises. A bucket of vises usually means a shop has group fly tying sessions. Talking with Matt, sure enough the shop does offer tying, casting, fishing, and other activities regularly. I was very impressed with their selection of fly tying materials, they had some things that I haven’t been able to find around here. Very helpful and friendly staff that was full of information on fly tying and fishing the local area.
Most Enthusiastic Owner - Juneau Flyfishing Goods; Juneau, Alaska. I don’t really know if they’re still open or not, I visited this shop back in 1999. It was in a small space, not much bigger than my office at work. But what I remember is the enthusiasm of the owner. I think anyone that walked into his shop was going to be converted to fly fishing.
Most Helpful through the Years - Three Rivers; Broken Bow, OK. Linda and Jessie have been helping me become a better fly fisher for years. If I ever needed something, they would get it and have it waiting for me the next time I was in the area. This was especially useful a few years ago before so many internet fly shops were available.
Favorite Local Shop and Great Staff - Tailwaters Fly Shop; Dallas, TX. I like this shop and it would probably rate as my most favorite. They have a great staff that has always been very knowledgeable and helpful. They bring in top notch speakers/guests. I have received casting help from Lefty Kreh on two separate occasions thanks to Tailwaters. I like this shop.
Most Female Friendly - River Run Outfitters – Branson, Missouri. I think my daughter was 13 the first time we walked in this shop. How a shop will react to a teenage girl’s questions can vary significantly. This shop has always stood out as one most welcoming and helpful to both my daughter and my wife.
Strong Youth Support and Best T-shirts - Bighorn Fly Shop, Ft Smith, Montana. You don’t get to this shop by accident. It is located at the end of dead-end road in the middle of an Indian reservation in Montana. But that road just happens to lead to the Bighorn River. The Bighorn is one incredible trout fishery. This is a cool shop for several reasons. They have a lot of inventory and some of the best fly fishing t-shirts I’ve seen. But what really puts them on this list is their support of the Bighorn Youth Adventure. The local guides, resorts, and this shop sponsor a group of teenagers every summer to a week of guided fly fishing and fly tying on the Bighorn for free. Four days in different guide’s drift boats for free is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids. You just have to love a fly shop that puts that much effort into helping kids to be interested in fly fishing.
Clearance Section – Madison River Fly Shop; Ennis, Montana. OK, I’ve never actually visited this shop, but they have my favorite clearance sections on the internet.
Fly Tying Material Selection – Golden Rule Fly Shop, ??. I don’t know if this one even has an actual fly shop, but they are at many of the larger fly fishing events. They have an amazing selection of fly tying materials in colors that I never see anywhere else. They basically setup folding tables and then pile stuff on them. Half the fun is digging through the piles.
Anyone else have a place to add to the list?