I have read a number of posts where the topic of purchasing equipment has come up, and somewhere in the thread someone has offered the opinion that it is desirable to support our local fly shops. I am in full agreement with this sentiment so which local shops do you recommend? I live in Vallejo and plan to fish Putah exclusively for the next year or so, and I am highly interested in supporting any local shops you can point me in the direction of.
creative sports in pleasant hill, great staff and well stocked small shop. Best part is everything I have boght there is priced about the same as cabelas. Dont be afraid to take in a cabelas catalog and ask to match or beat there price, I'm willing to bet they will at most any shop.
All the major manufacturers have price controls on their products so you can't get anything cheaper from Cabela's. Most of their discounts are on discontinued products which will usually be discontinued at the fly shops as well by about the same amount if not more. There's really no reason to buy from Cabela's for the discount. The only extra you have to pay is tax!
Like others have said, the closest to you are Sweeney's in Napa and Creative in Pleasant Hill. Both are about equidistant.
Go support your local fly shops before they're all forced to close because of box stores and ebay. Many are being hurt by the present economy and six have closed in northern California alone in the last 2 years alone.
Thanks for all of the replies. All of the local stores are well within driving distance. I have absolutely nothing against Cabela's or any other large online source, but I prefer to patronize the smaller local shops in the area in an effort to keep our local resorces available. I will be visiting them all at some time in the near future.
One of my jobs is owning and running a retail shop...I can tell you this.We the retailors do what we can to offer the best price on the products we sell .Some items we buy in bulk and get a discount and offer all or some of that to you the customer.Some products have very little mark up and have zero room for discount and others have a good enough margin to take a few percent off and still make a average profit..Trust me , we are very aware of what other companys are buying, selling and at what prices... Face to face customer service is the biggest advantage you get over mail order.So take advantage of that . .Its not easy being in sports retail.Every body that walks through your door calls you his buddy and acts likes he is your best friend and expects a discound cause your pals.When was the last time you invited your so called retail buddy to grabs a bite to eat or to hang out or something..We are your buddy when you need something and want a discount... From the guy who stands behind the counter I say give us a break we are doing our best to take care of you and make a living doing what we love...support your local shops.
Don't buy bugs online! Buggs, leaders, tippet, weight etc. are the "bread & butter" of many fly shops. If you don't go there for the "little stuff", they won't be around when you want to try on some new waders or give that new rod a wiggle.
Online "discount bug shops" usually offer products that are vastly inferior to the products you get from retail stores (Except Cabelas, they sell Umpqua). In order to provide a savings, they have the flies tied by "cheap tiers" or do it themselves with cheap materials. The QC is absolutely a joke. I have ordered flies online a couple of times, and each time ended up throwing out enough "bad ties" that I only saved a couple of bucks. And some of those flies still sit unused, because they were not the right ones for my area. What does an online shop guy in Colorado know about Putah, or the Feather?
I know that Sweeney's uses colored dots to indicate the best current fly selections for Putah. That right there is worth the trip, since you won't be buying bugs you don't need. Something that can't be said for those dozen #6 Green Drakes @ $7.95
When you walk into a local fly shop, you get to inspect EACH fly you buy. At Sweeney's in Napa, either Greg, Bob or Kevin have specificly chosen the best flies for our area, and for quality. The same with Jamie @ Creative Sports. They buy their bugs from top tiers like Umpqua, Rainy's, Idylwilde & Montana Fly Co. and the difference is very clear. Not only are they consistent, they are much more innovative than any "discount bug house" selling old traditional patterns, or discontinued stuff that didn't "sell" (Read as "didn't catch fish"). Take a look at any of these premium bug company's websites. You will find yourself calling Sweeney's to place a special order for that "one bug" you have not seen before, and just "know" will catch fish.
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I am also a Fish First guy. My business which I own is located about 4 blocks from Fish First. We sell a ton of contractor, as well as retail business. Our business is built upon service and personal relationships. I can say the same for Leo and his gang. I can't tell you the number of stories over the last 4 years where Leo has helped me out and given me something to try or thrown a freebie my way.
These businesses ( fly shops) pay to support a storefront, staff and stock. They pay salaries, benefits, insurance and the like. They incur a cost to do business that online people may not. Of course they have to make a profit to stay in business. If we want access to these people, it is our responsibility to supprt them. I don't expect them to be the cheapest. I look at them as a source to help me enjoy this sport. I have recieved so many tips and good info from fly shops over the years . . . where would I be without them. I have recieved so much over the years that has helped me enjoy this passion even more so. In order to maintain this relationship, we must support it. I have a friend who has demo'd rods for free from fly shops, and then goes online to buy them because he saves $40 on a $550 purchase, after getting a free demo from the fly shop. It makes me sick.
As a side benefit, I am able to call Leo a friend who has also assisted and fed my interest in the sport. We have been able to enjoy a beer and ballgames together. If we want these shops to be there in the future, we need to spend our money there.
I was told that when Cabela's first opened in Texas, they pretty much destroyed a number of old local fly shops in various places. I like Kiene's Fly Shop in Sacto. It doesn't get any better.
The fly industry is lucky we can't find anything but flies discounted on the web. Or the discontinued fly rods. Don't buy those rods on line either your shop will put them on sale. I wish I did the ordering for some of the shops as it is I usually have to keep a list of things I need and end up shopping at two shops over here and Sweeney's when I am over on the dark side. I understand it's hard to keep everything in stock. The mountain bike industry is the opposite and you can get everything from these mega wherehouse companies. I trickle my money through local shops but I refuse to pay 100 bucks for tires when I can get the exact same ones for 40 online. That's another good reason to tie your own bugs. If I took all the money throughout the year I spend on materials I could have a Zaxis in my hands, literally. Instead I have an old DS2 and some very nice fly boxes, all while keeping the guys at the shop happy and in business!
I hope the fly industry does not follow the example set by the bicycle industry.
Tires, Tubes, Chains & Lubes are the bread and butter of a bike shop. Selling bikes does not keep the average shop in business. The Bicycle industry was destroyed by the "online retailer". In the late 90's I managed a bike shop while finishing my degree. I subsequently went on to manage the north american distribution chain of a major bicycle drivetrain manufacturer. The boom in online retailers like Cambria & Dan's Comp. that had little to no overhead really put the hurt on the local "mom & pop" shops. When those little shops closed, it made a huge impact in the actual # of bikes on display, or in stock @ retail stores. The season pre-orders for all the bikes that had been produced never came, since all those shops were either scaling back inventory or gone. All the Net guys wanted were discounted/discontinued product. When this happened the manufacturers were left with excess previous year product that had to be "closed out" to an internet wh*re. In turn it creates more "internet deals" and kills more shops, leading to even more close outs etc. Every year the manufacturers were making less product, since the pre-season orders weren't there. And the money from pre-season is what drives the production #'s of next years bikes.
In a matter of three-four years, the bicycle industry was cleaned and gutted. Anyone remember GT Bicycles going bankrupt. We were walking through the halls of their building in L.A. yelling "Hello" trying to find someone. The only one there was a mtn. bike race team mechanic who was going through the gear left over from the season. He was trying to find stuff to sell to make up for all the money he was still owed. Schwin filed too, but pulled it out in a restructure.
The industry suffered until the whole "Lance" thing turned everyone apesh*t for cycling again. You can't fit a road bike online! And they are often ridden by folks more likely to "pay for service" than learn to do it themselves.
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Tune in next time for the further adventures of "Break-em-off Billy"
