Fly Shops Worth Stopping Into When You Travel with a Rod
Ever since I fell in love with Tenkara fly fishing, I’ve traveled with my rod from coast to coast from Washington to Upstate New York. And along with that travel, I’ve started a little tradition of visiting at least one fly shop in the area I’m traveling to.
I do this for many reasons.
Community: I love to find small ways to connect with the fishing community in the area I’m visiting. Walking into a fly shop, you get a feel for just that.
Asking Questions: I’m sure they hear the “where’s a good spot to fish?” question hundreds of times per day, but every shop I’ve visited has been more than happy to show me locations and share stories.
Flies: I love to walk around and hear about what flies fish are loving in the area.
A fly shop is the pinnacle of where to start to ask questions, learn skills, and get guidance. It’s also important to stress that a lot of shops are also the biggest advocates for conservation to protect fisheries, watersheds, and even teach sustainable angling, so future generations can enjoy the sport. This is why it’s important to support local, especially during your travels, if you can!
Here is a little breakdown of the fly shops I’ve come across in the United States.
Puget Sound Fly Shop
This spot holds a special place in my heart because it was the first fly shop I visited out of state after getting into fly fishing. They helped this Texas gal find everything she needed to fish in the area and led me to spots nearby. I was VERY intimidated at first but this is where I noticed how welcoming the community was.
Dakota Angler & Outfitter
In the heart of Rapid City, you'll find one of the best fly shops to grab everything you need to explore the Black Hills. Curious about places to fish? You could ask one of the guys at the shop OR go to the fly section to find tags over flies with the names of bodies of water to fish at locally.
Lary's Fly and Supply
I stopped at Lary's before heading to Glacier National Park from Kalispell. Great spot for information on areas to fish around the park, places to avoid during the peak season, and flies that are fan (fish) favorites.
Western Rivers Flyfisher
Great group of guys there that explained how the fishing situation was looking at the time. I made it at the end of the season so didn't get to fish unfortunately. The highlight of this visit was I grabbed a pizza fly here!
Urban Angler
A hidden gem in The Big Apple, you will not be disappointed with this fly shop. They have everything a fly angler needs from rods to fly tying supplies. And they can guide you to where to fish around the area like ponds in Central Park!
The Fly Trap
While staying at Reel Em' Inn for an anniversary getaway, I stopped here to take a look at saltwater flies. I really wish I lived closer to this fly shop so I could go to their fly tying events and learn more about saltwater fly fishing. Definitely worth the stop!
New Obsession: Fly Shop Tour
I've recently become obsessed with the Fly Shop Tour series by Flylords. I wish I knew about this series wayyyyy sooner (I just came across it on YouTube about a month ago).
They visited the Dakota Angler & Outfitter fly shop I went to in South Dakota! If you're looking for some fly fishing inspo, these videos are great.
Is there a fly shop that I should visit? Let me know in a comment!
Tight lines,
Vic
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