Richard, even though I am 33 I guess I am a throw back to the old days of fly
fishing. My Dad and his buddies started fly fishing right after their return
from WWII and they influenced me greatly. Those men were more about
character and the love of the outdoors then image and I guess that is what I
dislike about many of todays fishing shops. I certainly recognize a need for
them but still dislike a great number of them because too many of them focus
on selling an image vs. the passion that I hold for the sport.
In case you hadn't guessed, I am from a small town. I value personal
relationships and the quality of the individual far more then how a person
dresses or what kind of reel the have attached to their rod. The shop I was
talking about valued a lot of that too. People came to that store for the
friendship and service. I would venture to say that almost every one of us
who every came in to BS bought far more then we would have had we been just
passing through some other shop. The owner had a good business and chose to
get out to try out some other ventures. There may be more to it but that is
that mans business, not mine. The new owner is a nice enough guy but he
lacks the ability to make his customers feel valued and at home.
I guess all of this has more to do with the changing of the sport then
anything else. Years ago a chap had to actively seek out equipment and be a
good enough guy to find somebody to mentor him about how to throw a line and
entice a fish into taking a clump of hair and yarn. Today all the person has
to do is have enough money and time to invest in lessons and gear. I am glad
to see the sport grow but it has become quite commercialized. Obviously any
businessman is in business to make money. Being the nicest guy in the fly
shop business doesn't mean anything if you go out of business. However much
of it has become superficial to me. In general I seek out the mom and pop
stores and avoid the glitzy places that want everyone to look like an Orvis
model. In my own twisted world that makes perfect sense. To many of you, it
won't and you will think I am nuts. That's okay too. My wife thinks I am
nuts so a few more won't make that big of difference.
I guess to put an end to all of this stuff, I will say that if I ever ask any
of you to go fishing with me, that is one of the biggest compliments I can
give out. I value the quality of the man far more then the value of his gear.
I don't like getting caught up in politics (and wish this thread would
die:-) and am perfectly content to seek out the quiet waters in the
mountains, off the beaten path. There is nothing more rewarding in life that
I wish to pass onto other human beings then the passion and love I have for
the outdoors and fly fishing. I guess it doesn't matter how we get there or
where we buy our stuff. As long as we find it rewarding, that is what counts.
Mike
