Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/812511
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 145 W hether you live in Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, or elsewhere in these United States, life, with its never- ending media blitzkrieg and constant parade of emotional highs and lows, seems to be moving faster and faster. We're all riding the roller coaster of modern existence, and there just aren't many places left where we can pause for a few minutes and catch our breath. Which might explain why so many traditional retail outlets are suffering from decreased sales, and why web-based shopping is starting to explode. Let's face it: There's definitely something to be said for ordering that new jacket or your next pair of boots from the comfort of your living room. After all, who, given the opportunity, wouldn't rather avoid the traffic and the long checkout lines? Still, there's one type of traditional retail establishment that continues to offer substantial returns on our patronage: the fly shop. Most of us think of fly shops as the place to buy fishing gear, and that certainly makes sense. If you're looking for a new rod, reel, or fly line, or a couple spools of tippet, or a new hat and sunglasses—or if you simply need flies for an upcoming day on the water—a fly shop has you covered. That's not the only reason to visit one, though. There are any number of other inherent advantages. Personally, I like to take a close look at a potential purchase before I reach for my wallet. That means casting a rod in the parking lot, or pulling on a new pair of waders and making sure they fit exactly like they should, or trying on a pair of wading boots to ensure they're not too tight. If I'm going to spend serious money on fly fishing gear, I want to know I'm making an informed decision; a decision that's likely to produce more dividends than headaches. I remember walking into TroutHunter on the Henrys Fork a few years ago and asking to cast a couple rods out on the lawn. It turned out that the rod I had my heart set on—one that a number of friends had recommended—was not nearly as nice fly fishing by todd tanner Fly shops provide much more than just gear and clothing. as another model I hadn't even considered up until that point. If I'd ordered that first rod sight unseen, I'd have never known it wasn't the best choice. The benefits of looking things over on the front end also apply to fly tying materials. If you've ever sorted through elk hair or rooster capes in a great fly shop like TroutHunter or Blue Ribbon Flies, you know that you're giving yourself every opportunity to walk out the door with the best of the best. Sadly, you can't say the same about the materials you order online. It also makes sense to give fly shop employees, most of whom eat, breath, and sleep fly fishing, the chance to weigh in before you make a final decision on your purchase. Then there's local knowledge. Last summer I stopped in Lary's Fly & Supply in Columbia Falls, Montana, just to say hi to the shop's owner, fly fishing rock star Hilary Hutcheson. Even though it's only 35 minutes up the road, I still left with excellent advice about three or four new wade-fishing sites to check out, along with some really detailed information about local hatches. Hilary knows the Flathead system about a thousand times Photo courtesy of elk river GuidinG co. Anglers prepare for a day's fishing at Elk River Guiding Co. Fly Shop in British Columbia.