And another one bites the dust

"Conan the Librarian" wrote...
ROFFians ... or is that R.O.F.F.ians?

RoF.f.ianS

In today's Austin paper (front page, no less) was the news that the
venerable flyfishing shop, The Austin Angler, will be closing down July
31.

It's sad when that happens, but the days of moms and pops building/maintaining
shops with a ". . .and they will come" mentality and getting positive results
are a thing of the past. We've experienced the same thing in this area with
several shops either folding or severely cutting back their stock of supplies.
Even chains like Dick's Sporting Goods have discontinued carrying tying
supplies. Almost all of my tying stuff and most other fishing gear are now
either bought at shows or on line.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Conan the Librarian wrote:snip In today's Austin paper (front page, no less)
was the news that the
venerable flyfishing shop, The Austin Angler, will be closing down July
31.

I am sorry to hear about that shop closing. While I was living in Abilene in
the early 80's I used to drive down to The Austin Angler to buy tying suplies.
Long way to drive, but it was worth it then. The first time I me Jack Hemingway
was in that shop. I took my first fly tying classes from Jim Freres when he was
teaching in that shop in the later part of the 80's. I had not been in the shop
for several years, and understood that it had been going downhill.I miss the
shops that have the kind of feel that that shop had.

Big Dale

Tim J. wrote:

"Conan the Librarian" wrote...

In today's Austin paper (front page, no less) was the news that the
venerable flyfishing shop, The Austin Angler, will be closing down July
31.

It's sad when that happens, but the days of moms and pops building/maintaining
shops with a ". . .and they will come" mentality and getting positive results
are a thing of the past.

Agreed, and I hope my post didn't come across as the usual "[insert
megastore here] came to town and drove away all the mom'n'pop shops".
In the case of the AA, you could say that their business had simply run
its course.

We've experienced the same thing in this area with
several shops either folding or severely cutting back their stock of supplies.

Are they also "diversifying"? The only other mostly ff'ing shops in
this area are more along the lines of the Orvis marketing model. They
have all the high-end clothing and "accessories" out front and tying
supplies and tackle in a small section in the back. And they are also
"labors of love" to some extent.

The only other shop that seems to be making out OK is a newish one
called Sportsman Finest that is split about equally between ff'ing and
hunting gear. (Ironically, Joe Robinson, formerly of the AA is their
head guy in ff'ing.) Hunting is king down here, so they can probably
keep their heads above water with that gear and afford to sell the
ff'ing on the side.

Even chains like Dick's Sporting Goods have discontinued carrying tying
supplies. Almost all of my tying stuff and most other fishing gear are now
either bought at shows or on line.

Yes, I am the same for both of my major hobbies (ffing and
woodworking). I don't know whether to think we are constributing to the
"problem" of mom'n'pop shops closing down, or we simply are responding
to market forces as well. (Likely the latter.)


Chuck Vance

Tim J. wrote:

"Conan the Librarian" wrote...

In today's Austin paper (front page, no less) was the news that the
venerable flyfishing shop, The Austin Angler, will be closing down July
31.

It's sad when that happens, but the days of moms and pops building/maintaining
shops with a ". . .and they will come" mentality and getting positive results
are a thing of the past.

Agreed, and I hope my post didn't come across as the usual "[insert
megastore here] came to town and drove away all the mom'n'pop shops".
In the case of the AA, you could say that their business had simply run
its course.

We've experienced the same thing in this area with
several shops either folding or severely cutting back their stock of supplies.

Are they also "diversifying"? The only other mostly ff'ing shops in
this area are more along the lines of the Orvis marketing model. They
have all the high-end clothing and "accessories" out front and tying
supplies and tackle in a small section in the back. And they are also
"labors of love" to some extent.

The only other shop that seems to be making out OK is a newish one
called Sportsman Finest that is split about equally between ff'ing and
hunting gear. (Ironically, Joe Robinson, formerly of the AA is their
head guy in ff'ing.) Hunting is king down here, so they can probably
keep their heads above water with that gear and afford to sell the
ff'ing on the side.

Even chains like Dick's Sporting Goods have discontinued carrying tying
supplies. Almost all of my tying stuff and most other fishing gear are now
either bought at shows or on line.

Yes, I am the same for both of my major hobbies (ffing and
woodworking). I don't know whether to think we are constributing to the
"problem" of mom'n'pop shops closing down, or we simply are responding
to market forces as well. (Likely the latter.)


Chuck Vance

Big Dale wrote:

I am sorry to hear about that shop closing. While I was living in Abilene in
the early 80's I used to drive down to The Austin Angler to buy tying suplies.
Long way to drive, but it was worth it then. The first time I me Jack Hemingway
was in that shop. I took my first fly tying classes from Jim Freres when he was
teaching in that shop in the later part of the 80's. I had not been in the shop
for several years, and understood that it had been going downhill.I miss the
shops that have the kind of feel that that shop had.

It was certainly unique in this whole area, and that's what makes me
saddest of all.

Jim Freres ... now there's a name I hadn't heard for a while. I'm
pretty sure he was the one who showed me to tie the Whitlock eel
streamer way back when. Mina's boyfriend (Jim Adams?) also gave me a
lot of advice over the years.


Chuck Vance

Big Dale wrote:

I am sorry to hear about that shop closing. While I was living in Abilene in
the early 80's I used to drive down to The Austin Angler to buy tying suplies.
Long way to drive, but it was worth it then. The first time I me Jack Hemingway
was in that shop. I took my first fly tying classes from Jim Freres when he was
teaching in that shop in the later part of the 80's. I had not been in the shop
for several years, and understood that it had been going downhill.I miss the
shops that have the kind of feel that that shop had.

It was certainly unique in this whole area, and that's what makes me
saddest of all.

Jim Freres ... now there's a name I hadn't heard for a while. I'm
pretty sure he was the one who showed me to tie the Whitlock eel
streamer way back when. Mina's boyfriend (Jim Adams?) also gave me a
lot of advice over the years.


Chuck Vance

"Conan the Librarian" wrote...
Tim J. wrote:
"Conan the Librarian" wrote...

In today's Austin paper (front page, no less) was the news that the
venerable flyfishing shop, The Austin Angler, will be closing down July
31.

It's sad when that happens, but the days of moms and pops
building/maintaining
shops with a ". . .and they will come" mentality and getting positive
results
are a thing of the past.

Agreed, and I hope my post didn't come across as the usual "[insert
megastore here] came to town and drove away all the mom'n'pop shops".
In the case of the AA, you could say that their business had simply run
its course.

We've experienced the same thing in this area with
several shops either folding or severely cutting back their stock of
supplies.

Are they also "diversifying"? The only other mostly ff'ing shops in
this area are more along the lines of the Orvis marketing model. They
have all the high-end clothing and "accessories" out front and tying
supplies and tackle in a small section in the back. And they are also
"labors of love" to some extent.

Almost the opposite. Two of the stores in the very local area are small sporting
goods stores. They appear to be just dropping the FF stuff in favor of using the
floor space for stuff they're still selling, like guns and archery equipment. As
all tyers know, needs are many times very specific, so either a store carries a
bunch of supplies in variety or they may as well carry nothing because true
tyers will quit shopping there. As far as FF tackle, a store needs regular gear
whores around to make a living off that stuff. The casual buyer, like me, who
buys a new rod or reel every few years isn't going to help much to keep a place
in business.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

From: "Tim J."

Almost the opposite. Two of the stores in the very local area are small
sporting
goods stores. They appear to be just dropping the FF stuff in favor of using
the
floor space for stuff they're still selling, like guns and archery equipment.
As
all tyers know, needs are many times very specific, so either a store carries
a
bunch of supplies in variety or they may as well carry nothing because true
tyers will quit shopping there.

To compound the problem, the major supplier for tying materials for our local
shops, ( Tim and I live in the same town), is going out of business as well,
thus forcing the mom and pop shops in the area to buy from the same
distributors as the online outfits at a much lower volume. There seem to be two
ways for a fly shop to survive. Either diversify to sell to a broader sporting
market and limit fly tying supplies, as shops in our area have done, or go
online like Walt Winter did. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground.

Dick's in our area missed a good opportunity because of bad marketing. When
they first came to the area, they had a decent selection of tying materials and
tools, and very little competition. Their downfall was timing. The manager of
the department considered tying supplies to be "fishing equipment", so he let
the stock run down in the winter, and restocked in the spring. Several of us
explained to him that the tying cycle was the exact opposite as the fishing
cycle, but he either wouldn't listen or was overruled by management.

Anyhow, since I am not a gear whore, (hell, I only have 8 rods and six reels),
and have been doing this for a long time, my needs are few, so, like Tim, I
depend on shows and online vendors. Ain't like it used to be, but what is
anymore?



George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

From: "Tim J."

Almost the opposite. Two of the stores in the very local area are small
sporting
goods stores. They appear to be just dropping the FF stuff in favor of using
the
floor space for stuff they're still selling, like guns and archery equipment.
As
all tyers know, needs are many times very specific, so either a store carries
a
bunch of supplies in variety or they may as well carry nothing because true
tyers will quit shopping there.

To compound the problem, the major supplier for tying materials for our local
shops, ( Tim and I live in the same town), is going out of business as well,
thus forcing the mom and pop shops in the area to buy from the same
distributors as the online outfits at a much lower volume. There seem to be two
ways for a fly shop to survive. Either diversify to sell to a broader sporting
market and limit fly tying supplies, as shops in our area have done, or go
online like Walt Winter did. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground.

Dick's in our area missed a good opportunity because of bad marketing. When
they first came to the area, they had a decent selection of tying materials and
tools, and very little competition. Their downfall was timing. The manager of
the department considered tying supplies to be "fishing equipment", so he let
the stock run down in the winter, and restocked in the spring. Several of us
explained to him that the tying cycle was the exact opposite as the fishing
cycle, but he either wouldn't listen or was overruled by management.

Anyhow, since I am not a gear whore, (hell, I only have 8 rods and six reels),
and have been doing this for a long time, my needs are few, so, like Tim, I
depend on shows and online vendors. Ain't like it used to be, but what is
anymore?



George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller

Anyhow, since I am not a gear whore, (hell, I only have 8 rods and six
reels),

Um. Er... what exactly IS a gear whore then??