Disapointed fly newbie

[jim_panzee]

At 64 years of age I am a newbie to fly fishing, although I have been course and sea fishing since I was a kid, but I thought I would give go. Having boned up with books and so forth, a lot of the internet sites I looked at suggested asking my local Tackle Shop owner for advice on buying a rod, which type of line and reel, etc. etc. Good, so on a recent trip to the UK and later in my home town of Innsbruck Austria, I set out visiting various tackle shops making it clear that I was a beginner to fly fishing, and what would they suggest I bought to start with. What a surprise, nobody was faintly interested in my needs and requirements and only mumbled a few words in between tying lengths of line on various reels, and pointing in the general direction of the rods on display before disappearing into some back room and not coming out again until I had left the shop. This was not an isolated case it happened in no fewer than ten or more tackle shops that I visited within three weeks. The only help I received was from a great chap called Keith Snow who had a fly fishing stand and gave me some good advice and a short lesson (free of charge) at a country show in West Sussex, thank you very much Keith. As for the rest, it makes me wonder how they stay in business. Needless to say I am still looking. :S

[robbo]

What a contrast to my experiance a week or so ago, I was in Bakewell in Derbyshire and noticed a fly fishing shop in a little square containing a few other shops it was above a shop selling bird feeders and such. On entering it was like going back in time the shop owner was very welcoming, and after I explained that I was getting back into fly fishing after a long break he was only to happy to explain some of the new tackle and gadgets and nothing seemed to much trouble, it was a pleasure to be there. I may be able to get things a few pounds cheaper at some of the bigger outlets or online, but for the service and welcome alone I will spend my money at that little shop in Bakewell

[madcaravanner]

Originally Posted by robbo

What a contrast to my experiance a week or so ago, I was in Bakewell in Derbyshire and noticed a fly fishing shop in a little square containing a few other shops it was above a shop selling bird feeders and such. On entering it was like going back in time the shop owner was very welcoming, and after I explained that I was getting back into fly fishing after a long break he was only to happy to explain some of the new tackle and gadgets and nothing seemed to much trouble, it was a pleasure to be there. I may be able to get things a few pounds cheaper at some of the bigger outlets or online, but for the service and welcome alone I will spend my money at that little shop in Bakewell

Hi Jim and welcome to you and Robbo

Got to say I know the tackle shop Robbo is mentioning and you get SERVICE it's a great pity that some of the larger shops have forgotten what they are there for to sell
You do mention that some of the shops you visited were in Germany as well as the UK how many and where were the UK shops so we can at least be warned of their stupidity
Countering that (Robbo may have a different answer) there is one large shop near us that I have found can be variable on service but overall when you ask a question you at least get a reply that is decent and they are a large supermarket for Angling needs

[robbo]

I must agree on that one Gray, the only thing I've found is that non of them have much of an idea with the Fly fishing gear, but the bargins are there to be had, with the cheapest Match and Carp gear I've ever come across

[mullet-fisherman]

unusual,,tackle shops dont know much about fly fishing

some of the things i recommend for starting off is:
YouTube - Powerball Gyro-Scope
TackleUK - Shimano Biocraft XT Fly 5-6 - £54.99 - BXT56
TackleUK - Drennan Double Strength Fly Leader - £2.95 - Double Fly Leader
TackleUK - Wychwood 20lb Backing Line - £3.99 - J1100

hope you enjoy your experience in fly fishing as i have in the past

click the link > http://www.letsflyfish.com/ for some tips and tricks and how to cast and d-loop and things like that,,,thats where i almost learnt from

Thanks alot,

Kris

[madcaravanner]

Originally Posted by mullet-fisherman

unusual,,tackle shops dont know much about fly fishing
Kris

Kris

The problem now-a-days is that a lot of tackle shops are geared up for Carp fishing at the loss of fly and general course fishing
AND
a lot of the muddy puddles some people infest as fishing ponds only get stocked with Carp

There are places where I LIKE to fish that have a much more rounded attitude and have course and fly lakes

There are 4 tackle shops in my area and 2 supermarkets here's the list

Chesterfield (Leegem) -- has a small (3foot x 6foot rack) half empty mostly tie your own materials and a few hooks

Clay Cross -- no fly tackle (new ownership not met new owner)

Alfreton -- not been recently but last time a few ready tied flies

Matlock -- small selection of off the shelf stuff

Supermarket (Climax) a small section of rods and reels same for ready tied flies and lines in perspective fills about 1% of the space the Carp stuff does (one of the guys there has a little knowhow)

Bakewell has a 100% fly fishing shop and also stocks some of the most expensive fly kit around (a place to drool over tackle as well as buy)

Supermarket (Decathlon) yes they have some stuff mostly course and sea but nobody knows anything about fishing

[robbo]

This one's a Cracker and just for Game fishing,And some very good prices
Online Fly Fishing Equipment Shop - Carrilon UK
It's at Bawtry behind the Garden Centre

[mullet-fisherman]

we dont have any tackleshops here that sell fly fishing stuff
thats why i usually use my moms cred card and buy online