As we enter the holiday gift shopping season, this is just a friendly reminder to support your favorite independent fly shop. Sure, you might find cheaper deals here and there, but there’s nothing more valuable than local knowledge, and nobody serves that better than the fly shop. I’ve always felt like the classic fly shop, with all its sights and smells—my favorite is the distinct mix of hackle capes, head cement and coffee—is the glue that binds the fly-fishing community together.
Come to think of it, someone should make an air freshener for cars that smells like capes, head cement and coffee. That or bacon. I’d buy those.
You also should realize we are fully immersed in “holiday gift guide” season. I must receive at least 10 pitches a day for holiday gift guide products, ranging from CBD gummies to training pads for dogs to poop on indoors—gee thanks! Just what I wanted!
FYI we have a great gift guide in the forthcoming issue of TROUT.
It bears saying that every product we reviewed we actually like, and we’re not getting a commission by referring you direct to the manufacturer to buy things like rods and reels. Other places will review something and then link right to the manufacturer because they get a commission, which cuts the fly shop out of the mix, without giving the consumer any price break… and I think that’s pretty Grinch-like.