Flyshops Bygone - And Still Missed

[Flyman615]

I've spent many a pleasant hour in several fly shops in southwestern Montana/NE Idaho for over 35 years.

They included: Dan Bailey's; Pat Barnes'; The River's Edge; Blue Ribbon Flies; Mike Lawson's Henry's Fork Anglers; George Anderson's Yellowstone Angler; Bud Lilly's Trout Shop; Eagle's Store; Bob Jacklin's; Madison River Outfitters...and the list goes on and on. Some are gone...but most, fortunately, remain.

And last week I hung out at Kirk's Fly Shop in Estes Park, CO. Nice place and very nice folks too!

Scott

[bvandeuson]

Vad's Bait Shop, N. Salina St., Syracuse, NY. Sadly, long gone after more than 50 years in business.

Got outfitted with my first fly rod there, ca. 1971. Being young, and not knowing anything, I opted for a 7wt. fiberglass, Medalist reel, and a cheap Cortland level plastic line.

I thought I was good to go, the plentiful and willing stockers not doing anything to dissuade me. Little did I know I couldn't cast until I started training for instructor certification some 20 years later.

BB

[wefishcane]

The sporting goods store I miss the most was owned and operated by my dad back in the 1950's. Our bamboo fly rods consisted of Heddons and Grangers. As a teenager I would work in the store and take my wages in hunting and fishing merchandise. In those years I was either fishing or hunting 12 months of every year. Somehow I spent just enough time in school to graduate but it was in the store and in the woods and streams that I received most of my early education. It was only after the store closed down during the recession of the late 50's did my focus move to a university setting.

Jim

[Oxbow]

Jim - another mis-spent youth story I see. Working in your dad's sporting good store - how cool was that?? Being able to fondle Grangers and Heddons at such a young age - no wonder you turned out the way you did.

[BobM]

Fisherman911,
I don't know much at all re. sea run brown's. I only know they catch some monsters down 'south'...Chile, Argentina, etc. Google it and you'll see some pretty interesting stuff...they behave kinda like salmon. Gotta be someone here who has made a trip and caught them...

Bob

[BruceHandley]

There are many places in the world where brown trout and brook trout (salters) will run to salt if given the chance.
In Iceland I saw browns returning with the salmon, in fact some of the browns were bigger than the salmon.
When both types of trout first return to fresh water they are rather silvery. But they do return to their normal coloring in a short time.
In Cape Breton we have all 3 types of trout that run to salt. The brooks return in mid summer, the browns a bit later and the rainbows will run with the salmon in the fall.
Bruce

[Capt. Frank]

According to an article I once read, the businesses most likely to fail, are fly shops and resturants.
Salisbury Fly Shop Salisbury, Maryland
Austin Reed Outfitters Greenville, Delaware

[bearbutt]

According to an article I once read, the businesses most likely to fail, are fly shops and resturants.

Which means if you want to succeed in the business, you need multiple revenue streams. So a combination fly shop-restaurant-bordello might just do the trick.

My favorite shop of the genre is this one:




bb

[Althehackleman]

What a great thread. Reading the comments of all you folks has been superb and a bit saddening that I did not, and will not, get a chance to visit all the bygone shops.
I too have had the opportunity to visit and enjoy some good places though. I had years of great fun and experiences at Gates AuSable Lodge with Rusty and crew. He taught me so much about not only flies and rods and reels and casting and fly tying and caring for the resource that it sometimes seems like it was always just so. I miss him all the time and the fishing club I belong to, The Michigan Fly Fishing Club, hosts an opening day remembrance celebration there each opening day in Michigan. He always graciously allowed us to use his facility and the tradition continues with the new owners, Josh and Katie Greenberg. Josh does a good job there and he continues the teaching process with today's new comers to our sport. I consider the sport lucky to have Josh at the helm there.
Another area shop I enjoyed with Bill Kornke's (sp) shop on the North Branch of the AuSable River. Bill moved there after serving in WWII and never left the river and area he loved. He tied his own flies and dispensed advise and information for those who stopped into his shop. I remember the first bamboo rod I ever saw was in his shop, one opening day long ago. It was an Orvis rod, 2 PC with 2 tips and he wanted $250 for it. I looked at it and saw a wonderful thing of beauty, but the price seemed high to me, the uninitiated young punk I was then. So I passed on the rod but did get some flies. I hope another got that rod and enjoys fishing it. Bill is also gone now and I pass his empty shop many times each year while driving from one fishing spot to another. But I still remember Bill and his crusty voice and his often out of the way places to fish. He sure knew that river well.
Sort of sad thinking about those guys. But also rather nice to have shared time with each of them. And stories. And this wonderful sport.
Thanks for the tread, I enjoyed the other stories and sharing mine.

[Oxbow]

Althehackleman - Thanks much for that information. I had always wondered about that shop and who Bill was. I assume you are talking about his place on Lovells Road? If that's the one it was one small shop on a dirt corner out in the middle of nowhere. Real classic looking. I recall passing it many times when it was still open and then one day it was closed. By the time I drove that way I was already stocked up with flies and gear from Jacks or Gates if any was needed. It's funny but even though I never went inside I now miss it. He sounds like a fellow we would all enjoy.

[Althehackleman]

Onlytrout, Bill was a real character. Of course the sport is filled with characters, but Bill was unique in many ways. During the years I probably stopped in his shop three to four times a season. It was always eye opening and a learning experience. And yes, his shop was on Lovells Road just a bit south of town. He was of that group of "old timers" from that area that just loved the river and the area. Had a lot of history of the area and the old ways of things. Funny thing was he did not share a lot about himself during my visits. I found out more of his history after he was gone. That part saddens me still, because he was of the generation that we owe a debt of thanks too. Quite a fellow. Miss him still.

[Althehackleman]

Onlytrout, Bill was a real character. Of course the sport is filled with characters, but Bill was unique in many ways. During the years I probably stopped in his shop three to four times a season. It was always eye opening and a learning experience. And yes, his shop was on Lovells Road just a bit south of town. He was of that group of "old timers" from that area that just loved the river and the area. Had a lot of history of the area and the old ways of things. Funny thing was he did not share a lot about himself during my visits. I found out more of his history after he was gone. That part saddens me still, because he was of the generation that we owe a debt of thanks too. Quite a fellow. Miss him still.

[Capt. Frank]

"Which means if you want to succeed in the business, you need multiple revenue streams. So a combination fly shop-restaurant-bordello might just do the trick"

What no bar?

[GRASSNGLASS]

Salisbury Fly Shop, Mason Huffman owner. Ten years he lived for it and treated his customers to free fly tying lessons, free casting lessons, demo and loaner rods and would take them and teach them to fish.
In return they would pick up rod pamphlets and order the same rods direct from the manufacturer that he had let them demo and even teach them to cast. I've seen them show up with a new reel and lines they bought elsewhere and have him set it up for free because that's the kind of guy he was. He even told me about a local Dr bringing him half a sub so he would install line on his spinning reel.

Still we sit around and bitch about no local fly Shop, we just can't understand where he went wrong.

Barry

[slw]

Lots of memories for me too.
I can remember when the "fly shop" at Gates Lodge was just a glass display case in the dinning room.
No one has yet mentioned Eric Leiser's shop, first in Melville NY and later up the Hudson in Cold Spring. Eric was always ready with a kind answer to even my stupid questions. Later, when I was a shop rat myself (TD Brooke LTD in Indianapolis) he was one of my suppliers of tying materials as well as business advice.
And how about Dick Surrette's little road side shop in North Conway NH? He was another who helped me along my way. Besides selling me my first bamboo rod he turned me on to some pretty fine trout spots in the White Mountains.
Jack Mickievicz's little place in Phoenixville PA was home to his pioneering the development of high quality pre-blended tying furs. Jack broke ground in the fly tying materials business that most tiers today take for granted.

[jhuskey]

According to an article I once read, the businesses most likely to fail, are fly shops and resturants.

Which means if you want to succeed in the business, you need multiple revenue streams. So a combination fly shop-restaurant-bordello might just do the trick.

My favorite shop of the genre is this one:




bb

If all the members on this board lived in the same county as this place, it'd be a gold mine!!! Does need a bar attached or at least close by (walking distance).
Hope it has some trout water within reach.............

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, Roy Patrick in Seattle and Cal Bird in San Fransisco are two I loved. My brother Brit took me to Bill's on the North Fork several times. I still have a few of his flies and a business card. I'm a big fan of Gate's AuSable. In my area I like the West Laramie Fly Store. It has lots'a flies and a ton of tying materials. I liked Ev's in Fort Collins, but he moved. Of course my wife and I had a fly shop and bookstore in Cowdrey, CO and then here in Walden, CO. The fly shop is still here, but the bookstore, Night Heron Books, is owned by my daughter's family in Laramie. Jay Edwards

[bearbutt]

Does need a bar attached or at least close by (walking distance).

Well, walking distance is probably too far away to be truly useful. When I lived in England, it was always a point of contention among friends just how far we lived from our local pubs. Some guys lived driving distance away from their nearest pub--which of course is absolutely pointless. Others lived walking distance away, which was rather closer and better by all standard metrics. However, the guys we all envied lived stumbling distance away from their local pub--and that, we concluded, was the holy grail.

bb

[jhuskey]

Does need a bar attached or at least close by (walking distance).

Well, walking distance is probably too far away to be truly useful. When I lived in England, it was always a point of contention among friends just how far we lived from our local pubs. Some guys lived driving distance away from their nearest pub--which of course is absolutely pointless. Others lived walking distance away, which was rather closer and better by all standard metrics. However, the guys we all envied lived stumbling distance away from their local pub--and that, we concluded, was the holy grail.

bb

I am in absolute agreement! BTW, I never said I could walk very far...

[16parachuteadams]

The Creel in Knoxville TN was for years the best fly shop in our area. A place where you could find locally made cane rods as well as Godless plastic, locally tied flies of good quality, fly tying materials galore, a dog to scratch and fetch a ball, and the owner's own smoked goose breast or trout if you timed it right. Scott ran a relaxed place and I always had the suspicion that he kept it open more as a hangout for his friends than as a business. When he finally closed it a few years back, he started working for a spirits distributor specializing in fine Scotch. Good guy.
We are fortunate to have a current shop, Little River Outfitters, close by that has developed a business model that will likely sustain them as it has the last 6 years. Great selection and service plus informed info on the local waters. Weekly fly tying seminars (free) with noted local and imported tiers. It has expanded over the years from a tiny 10x12' hole in the wall to a spacious purpose built facility with more fly tying material than I've ever seen anywhere period. If you come to the Smokies area check them out. Tell Daniel an old crank sent you.