Where do you buy more from?

luked · May 23, 2016

Do you tend to buy more from local stores close to you or do you buy more online
Reason this git me thinking this is because here we don't have the huge amount of fly shops around other than a few here and there at fishing destinations we have that are popular. Unlike probably the places out west or in the northeast.
When you buy your gear or tying material do you try and buy local more than online?
I mostly buy online because of not having a shop close within an hours drive of me

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one last cast · May 23, 2016

I find it nearly impossible to find the tying materials I am looking for locally, so I buy most of those online. Just recently I went to 3 local fly shops looking for Loon's UV Clear Fly Finish with no luck. I ended up purchasing it online. I was excited when they put in a Cabela's near me, but I have since realized that there is nothing I want to purchase in that store (except for a fly rod for my daughter). Cabela's fly tying material section is awful.

When it comes to gear, I give the small shops the first look. It's only if they do not carry what I want will I go to a big box store. My last two gear purchases (Fishpond net, Simms wading boots) I was able to get from small local fly shops. Between the small fly shops and the big box stores, I can usually find the gear I'm looking for. I rarely purchase gear online.

woodrivertroutbum · May 23, 2016

I buy mostly online, I got tired of local shops not having stuff they should have in stock. Bears Den is an awesome shop that does mostly online business but their shop is amazing. I do drive here from time to time.

nevadanstig · May 23, 2016

I buy nearly all my stuff locally. Not just locally, but at the fly shop, and avoid even the big box stores. Our fly shop isn't a big one by any means, but they can order pretty much anything you need and have it within a day or two. If I need something literally the morning of going fishing and they don't have it, then I will digress and go to a big box store like Sportsmans Warehouse or Scheels, I prefer Sportsmans.
I haven't ordered anything online since last November.

james w 3 3 · May 23, 2016

I'm lucky enough to have two small independent shops within 20 minutes of my house, and the closest will order anything I need if he doesn't have it, getting it here remarkably fast.
But, if that just doesn't work, I order online from a small shop like Blue Quill Anglers.
The LAST place I'd ever go is a big box retailer.

rsagebrush · May 23, 2016

When I lived in Reno I used to mostly buy locally, the Reno Fly Shop, you could get good advice and a lot of times a deal and they had a great selection. Then they let Cabela's and Sheel's in with no sales tax, what a great deal for the local fly shops (RFS and 'the Gilley) who paid their taxes, of course they eventually went out of business.

Back here I do a bit of local fly shopping in Virginia in two shops that are widely separated but have some handy stuff. But the nearest fly shop is 55 miles away and I do not head in that direction but every 2 months or so, I do make purchases from them every now and then on line or by the phone because I like them and want to give them some of my business.

So I do most of my shopping on line, better selection and better prices too. But I generally do not buy from Cabela's which I pretty much consider a mass marketer for Chinese goods and apparently they don't pay their taxes either.

If your a fly shop and your not doing business on line it is only a matter of time until you go under.

goshawk87 · May 23, 2016

I have a pretty fantastic fly shop that is on my way to and from work. I try and shop there when I need something. However, I tend to be in Sportsmans warehouse a fair bit for hunting, so I have been known to buy fishing stuff when I am there.

Sportsmans fly selection is not as good, but I have to say, they have a better organization system.

Rip Tide · May 23, 2016

I make a year long running list and try to find as much of what I can at the winter fly shows.
You can find some deep discounts like that.
Whatever I don't find, I either don't really need or I find a way to get it somewhere else
I can be a very patient person

powpig2002 · May 23, 2016

local here. used to do a lot of mountain biking and skiing. used small local shops. couple of times a year i'd slip them a six pack. it was amazing how i'd get same day work done. and they remember your name. had a fly shop I used in bangor me. years back. owner was a guide. got invited on guides day off trips on a number of occasions. local shops[if you have them] appreciate your busness. and you're supporting the local economy.

flyminded · May 24, 2016

Definetly try to buy "local" ... but often either start a running list and hit better fly shops when traveling or if I need some bits sooner then someone else's "local" fly shop I have visited and had a good experience in will get my money.

patrick62 · May 24, 2016

I try to buy local — leaders, doo-dads,new lines, once in a great while a new rod. I have two good fly shops nearby, so it's not a massive trip.

But for flies I generally buy online, or from guys like Jerry. I go through a lot of flies.

bob3700 · May 24, 2016

98 percent of my purchases are from my local fly shops. We are fortunate to have two shops in our area.

I do purchase items used from the various forum classifieds.

The big box stores don't have the customer service the local shops offer.
What the fly shop doesn't have they can order and they often will match the sale prices. I support the local shops.

denverdug · May 24, 2016

I buy all my gear local, we have a few good shops in the Denver area, so it makes thing a lot easier. Tying supplies, about 1/2 & 1/2, but if they had what I needed/wanted local, I would buy local.

Doug

wthorpe · May 24, 2016

I live in Atlanta, with a house in West Yellowstone. I buy the vast majority of fishing stuff from one local shop in Atlanta (the Fish Hawk) and one in West Yellowstone (Blue Ribbon Flies). i fish a good bit more in the Yellowstone area than in the Southeast. I will occasionally buy online/by phone from the shop in West Yellowstone, rather than direct from say Patagonia, etc. I have a "bad" habit of wandering into nearly every fly shop I come near and rarely walk out without buying something. It's healthier than going in convenience stores and buying snack foods, candy, and beer (I think). i dutifully review the endless Orvis, Cabelas and LLBean catalogues; i buy some clothes from bean from time to time, but little fishing stuff from any of them.

huntschool · May 24, 2016

I am roughly 2.5-3 hours from shops west and SE of me as well as 4 hrs SW of me. I try and get most of my stuff from them save for specific items on line. All but one of these shops also has an on line presence. I want to support the local guys......

Oh yea, Then there is Jerry..... LOL

myt1 · May 24, 2016

I buy almost all my stuff online.

We have an Orvis shop that is kinda close, but I just can't make myself drink the Orvis Koolaid. Whenever I go in there I feel like I'm in a clothing store that just happens to have some fly fishing gear off in a corner.

We have a Cabela's, but I just can't get excited about going there much anymore. Anything that they have that I want usually isn't stocked in the store anyway and I end up buying it online.

We have a private fly shop in Scottsdale, but it definitely caters to the upper income clientele.

I really wish we had a "local shop" like I find in small towns near the rivers I fish when I'm on vacation. But hey, I have to get real, I live in Arizona for gosh sakes.

fredaevans · May 24, 2016

A place to buy 'fly gear' here in Southern Oregon are few and far between ... which surprises me. Most are 'gear chuckers' and that stuff you can buy close to anywhere.

A 'real fly shop' requires a considerable round trip drive so I call up 'flyfishusa' in Welches, Oregon (they have a great web site) and talk about my 'needs.' great folks, very knowledgeable, etc., etc. Credit Cards work anywhere so 'it' will be in my mail box in a few days.:thumbsupu

Supplicate · May 24, 2016

Every town I travel to for work, I hunt out a fly shop or three. Not that I'm going to necessarily buy something from them, but I like to see what the local flavor is.

With that said, 80% of my purchases (not counting hairwing's flies) come from local shops. I have purchased some rods and reels online, as well as Cutthroat leaders. Everything else I try to source locally.

Nothing beats being known in the small shops where you can walk in and the guys will immediately start shooting the **** with you and eventually the conversation will turn towards what brought you in to the shop that day.

trout trekker · May 24, 2016

While I’d like to think I’m loyal to one or two brick & mortar stores, necessity dictates that our buying habits are all over the map.

Other than B.P.S. & Sportsman’s Warehouse, there isn’t anything local.

Most of our tropical & wet wading gear ( pants, shirts & hats ) come from on-line retailers or big box stores because of the wide selection of brands, sizes and styles. ( STP, Cabela’s, B.P.S., Campmor, Sportsman’s Warehouse - probably should be Sportspersons Warehouse, because they almost always have one of the widest selection of woman’s casting slacks and shirts at any given time. B.P.S. is running a strong second lately…….)

Fly lines almost all come from on-line shops with a few exceptions, then it’s Kiene’s in Sacramento, CA. ( 10-11 hours away )

Rods, almost all come from Kiene’s or Mountain Hardware in Truckee, CA ( 9 hours away ) with a few from destination shops on the rare occasion that I start jones’n for a toy while on the road.

Waders, Boots. Again Kiene’s.

Odds & Ends, dropped some coin at Troutfitter’s in Mammoth, CA ( 6 hours away ) this past weekend and that’s sort of the norm for whatnots, buy whatever- wherever I find myself fishing.

Reels, a little different story there. I’ve got everything I’ll ever need but have a collection Bauer’s in certain models, so I’m usually open to new finds on the second hand market.

I don’t buy flies, so no sale there.

Tying material, anyone whose got the majority of what I’m looking for - in stock.

Then there’s business travel. If I happen to be in a city with fishing nearby, with a limited amount of after hours - free time on my hands. Fly shop vs. fishing? With information on fishing locales so freely available on-line today and telephones, there’s no real question as to where I’m going to spend my free time, when and if I get some.

You know the old saying. If you want to get the word out, “You can Telephone, You can Telegraph or You can Tell-a-fly shop employee. :thumbsupu

Dave

bigjim5589 · May 24, 2016

I buy most things online. Back at Christmas, my wife & I went back to MD for the holidays & I stopped in the 2 fly shops near my oldest son's house, which is where we stay when up there. I think I spent about $40 between the two shops. Didn't need anything, but made the purchases anyway, and had some good conversations with the owners of both.

When I lived in MD, there was only one store nearby that sold tying materials & I did buy some in there when I needed something quick, but I knew I could order most things at a lower cost online. That store has been there for many years, and sells a lot more in the way of bait, beer & conventional tackle, so not a "true" fly shop that has to depend on strictly fly fishing sales to survive.

Here in SC, I know of no fly shops in my area, and the couple I'm aware of are closer to Charleston, which is over an hour away. Last time I was in one of them, I already had more supplies than they did as far as tying materials and I didn't buy anything.

It's sometimes a tough call about supporting the local shops or saving a few dollars. I try to do both when I can, and will stop in shops to check them when in the area. Fortunately, I don't really have many "needs" now, most things I buy are "wants" so I don't have to spend much for fishing or tying.

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