Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

or however that dang word is written! : ) Use this forum to discuss those things that are related to, directly, or indirectly, fly fishing, i.e., tackle, catalogs, single malt scotch, cigar preferences, pipes, camera gear, etc. This is sort of an off topic area but one related to bamboo and fly fishing.

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rsagebrush
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#101

Post by rsagebrush »

Finding a fly shop in NE Ohio in the 60' and 70's was pretty tough to do but one of Orvis's first stores was located on the Chargin River in Gates Mills, lovely little shop, can't even remember the proprietor's name (Chris?) but he was a nice fellow and the shop was full of wood, bamboo, flies and other neat things, tiny place really, it may have been one of the first sattelite stores, he said it was.
I purchase my first really decent bamboo rod there in 1972, an 8 foot 43/8 ounce Battenkill with a CFO IV and a Orvis WF8F fly line, I fished the heck out of that rod for the next 5 years for panfish, bass, chubs and an occasional, very occasional trout. I replaced it with an 8' 4pce 6wt Winston Fiberglass, soo light and the perfect weight for everything. I still have that screw back reel though and I shall never let it go till I go.
The Colorado Angler and Anglers All in Lakewood and Denver were very cool and when I moved back to Nevada in 1986 the Reno Fly Shop under Dave Stanley, all gone but time marches on. Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Harrisonburg Va is run by some nice young fellows, twins, Brian and Colby, and I was around when they first opened shop. Harrisonburg grew up and is now an overcrowded overdeveloped town, sad really.
Blue Ribbon Flies in W. Yellowstone, nice place, great mail order service too.
Now all fly shops look the same to me. I do most of my buying on line now.

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bobk
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#102

Post by bobk »

It was many, many years ago (25+) when fishing in Roscoe, NY we went into Dette's Fly Shop and I purchased 2 dozen assorted flies that were tied by Mary. I kept about 6 of them and they are in a small display case. Should have kept the small cardboard boxes that they came to prove they were tied by her.

AlexP
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Location: South Minneapolis

Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#103

Post by AlexP »

billems wrote:
01/18/22 12:42
The old Bob Mitchells' Fly Shop in Lake Elmo Minnesota was like my "Home Away From..etc." Lake Elmo
The new owners of Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop moved it to St. Paul a few years back. I am guessing the right business decision to keep the doors open. I have only been there a couple of times. Each time, they were nice and knowledgeable on the stuff that I was asking about (tying materials). I don't go more often because I live very close to Mend Provisions. Mike, the owner, is into bamboo, which I appreciate. Mike carries the stuff that I mostly need and he is very helpful. But I can see it might not be the cup of tea for some "old timers" (I am using the term in a friendly manner...)

The Fly Angler in Blaine is a shadow of itself. Now it is attached to a Thorne Bros Custom Rod & Tackle shop. I only visit when the kids' have soccer tournaments in Blaine.

It is a very hard business for sure, glad that we still have these three shops in the Twin Cities....

Tight Lines

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Random Casts
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#104

Post by Random Casts »

Here’s one:


Image

Richard
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#105

Post by Random Casts »

Once George Renner moved the Beaverkill Sportsman from downtown Roscoe to his farm on the Beaverkill at Craigie Clair, that became our favourite shop. It didn't receive much foot traffic. In fact most days it was pretty quiet. I think George liked it that way. Most people that came by knew George and Marg.

Along with the little shop and the main house there was the old farm house that he would rent out to visiting anglers. In the back of the farm house was a small self contained apartment that my wife and I would rent any and every opportunity we got to fish the Catskills. I remember an old pair of canvas waders that hung beside the dresser and the diminutive pair of Russell wading brogues tucked under the waders. The dresser's top drawer was stuffed with carded flies with inscriptions from the Darbys, Dettes, Art Flick and Helen Shaw. I asked George who these belonged to at some point but to this day I don't remember his response.

He had about 3/4 of a mile of the river that flowed below the iron bridge and a pond that he kept stocked. The rainbow pictured in Dick Talleur's book, Fly Fishing for Trout on page 227, came from that pond after a little coaxing with some trout pellets. The end of George's section of river butted up to the Brooklyn Fly Fishers section. Any day of the fishing season you have the who's who of fly fishing authors and 'famous' people drop by the shop, and then there was my wife and me!

Sadly none of this exists now. Later George passed away followed by Marg and the property has changed hands a number of times since. The only thing that remains constant is change.

Here’s a picture of George, on the left, and Jack Miller on the porch of ‘our’ little apartment at the back of the fishing house.
Image

Richard
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Brian K. Shaffer
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#106

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

That is the best. I only hope to see something like that someday... Looks inviting, just want to pull up a chair...

I used to tell Dale Fulton that if I were ever going to have a heart attack - I would like for it to be in his shop.
Dale had Blue Ribbon in Mountain Home Arkansas and I really miss that shop but more him.
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

GMflyf1sh
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#107

Post by GMflyf1sh »

I guess Bud Liily’s Trout Shop in West Yellowstone along with the late Bud Lilly. My first trip to Yellowstone in 1971 had tow historic stops - Dan Bailey’s Ship in Livingson and Bud’s in West. I used to live every year when their catalogs arrived at the house. I got to know Bud late in his life and spent a few hours in the car and on the river with him.

Gregg

bluesjay
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#108

Post by bluesjay »

Hi Guys, Cal Bird's in SF, and Roy Patrick's in Seattle are couple that I miss. Frank Meek's Straightline in Steamboat Springs is not gone, and is still a great shop, but I miss Frank.

Jay Edwards

jim royston
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#109

Post by jim royston »

Yep, Straightline is a nice shop with well qualified people. Jay, you may not know this, Bucking Rainbow and Steamboat Flyfisher have merged and will occupy a brand new space on Yampa Street

bluesjay
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#110

Post by bluesjay »

Hi Jim, It looks like the Yampa St. site may be where the steamboat Flyfisher is now. If so I have thought before that it is a bit large for inventory, so this would/could be a real positive.

Jay Edwards

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rhmill01
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Re: Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

#111

Post by rhmill01 »

I still see Bill Koernke sitting at his tying bench with the ever-present cigar stub in his mouth, whipping up wonderful flies. Outside Lovells, MI, on the North Branch of the Au Sable. I bought a handmade net from him, which is not too skillfully made, but it means the world to me.

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