Last week we shared some of our favorite fly fishing gift ideas for this holiday season. And while we might of shared a bunch of online links to those ideas, we still believe in supporting local fly shops, and encourage other anglers to do the same whenever possible.
There’s no question the internet has made holiday shopping more convenient than ever. However, if there’s a fly fisherman/woman on your list there’s still plenty of great reasons to consider hopping on over to your local fly shop this holiday season. In fact, we can think of five..
- Fly shops know your local fishery better than the internet. If you’re shopping for someone else, and aren’t quite sure what to get them, their local fly shop probably does. They spend everyday (not just the holidays) recommending the best flies, materials, and/or gear specific to their very fishery. That’s expertise that’s hard to find on the internet.
- Fly shops offer great gifts you can’t find online. When shopping for anglers, many overlook some of the great services fly shops provide. Casting lessons, fly tying courses, a guided trip, or just a gift certificate to the shop they already spend way too much time at are all great gifts.
- No shipping times. Even in the world of free shipping and Amazon prime, the peace of mind of having a great gift in-hand without the uncertainty of it arriving in time for the big day is worth something.
- Last minute shopping. Not only does brick-and-mortar retail eliminate shipping times, but with Christmas falling on a Monday this year, we’d be willing to bet that your local fly shop is going to be open for business at least two days before, if not the day before Christmas. In other words, even if you’re behind, you still have time.
- Fly shops are the back bone of our sport. Despite the vastness of the internet, local fly shops are still a huge driving force for the growth of fly fishing. Its where most beginners turn to get started and its where many great conservation efforts have stemmed from. There’s a lot of value in local fly shops outside of a place to buy things, and supporting them just feels good.
Leave a Reply