Some information about independent online fly fishing stores.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think it is a good addition to any fly fishing shop but it takes a lots of TLC and $$$ to have anything decent/modern.


About 15 years ago a good friend was deeply involved in the most successful independent online FFing site.

Like this one, over the years most were in Oregon because of the "no sales tax" situation.

Most of those had a tiny shop so they could quality as a "brick and motor".


To be '#1' it took ~$50,000/year to keep their web site cutting edge and up to date.

They paid a fortune to be at the top of all Google searches.

They had to have free freight on a "spool of thread" to be competitive or actually Number One.

On larger items they had to give free products away like "free insulated bottoms with every pair of waders".

They had to offer a free fly line and backing with every fly reel sale.


They were the largest Simms, Sage, Rio dealer of that time.


My friend who sold them product told me their book keeper told him they were not making much money.....?

Their overhead was so high because they gave away their profit to be "Number One".


The only reason we survived all this is we had many people send new customers to us all the time.


Unless you owned a fly fishing shop there are so many interesting things that the public never sees.


In a good fly fishing shop with a great staff and multi-profit centers you can make a good living like 'The Fly Shop' in Redding CA.

Mike has walk-in sales, had catalog sales, has online sale, has a big International travel business, lots of guides and private waters.


I only met a half dozen fly shop owners who actually made good money.


After 50 years of fishing tackle retailing I realize the products under $20 is where the volume is.

How often does an angler buy high ticket items like waders, boots, rods, and reels?

How often do anglers by flies, leaders, tippet, floating, clippers, retriever, fly boxes and such?

_______________________________________

Most would never know this but for decades their has been a "War on small business".

Sense COVID19 there has been a full on war to eliminate more small businesses.

Unless you or your family has or had a small business, your opinion is not too valid.


The only small businesses I like today is "you, your wife and kids" at home with no employees or additional overhead.


Hal and Jane Janssen had one of the most successful small business out of a small building in their back yard.

Hal had been in many fly fishing business over his lifetime so he had the knowledge and the connections.

His lovely wife Jane actually did most of the hard daily work shipping tons of fly fishing equipment to fly shops.

They were in Santa Rosa so we could order a "big load of stuff" one day and get it the next, with a 99% fill rate.

__________________________________________

There has been a war on small family farms for about 50 years now too.

If you ever watch any World News the European Union and the European governments are shutting down their famers?

100% fact if you care about the World news. Dutch farmers are protesting right now. But who cares........

[Carl Blackledge]

Bill,

Good and truthful story, However it's all ancient history. Perhaps you sold out at the right time?

Carl

[WLREDBAND]

Yep, ancient history. What it takes to run a successful fly shop today has nothing to do with what it took to have one 20 years ago. Way too many small retail store front fly shops around to support a small niche market like flyfishing, especially in major cities where expenses are killer.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

About 30 years ago there was 60 Sage and Simms dealers in California.

That was not good for the fly shops.

Today I think there are about 12.

____________________________________________

Another thing that killed the fly shops is the fact that many manufacturers now sell directly to the consumers, cutting out the retailers.


Most would be shocked at what it is really like today to have a small business of any kind in California.


One business that seems to still work is an independent small restaurant that is run by passionate knowledgeable people.



__________________________________________

"21 years ago my wife inherited over 7,000 acres of prime farm land in South Dakota. We lease it out to a large faming concern and

this allowed us to be able to take months off at a time from the shop and take our grandchildren all over the World. Without this I

doubt if we could have retired as well as we have.


We have a large home in Florida now with 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, covered

pool and spa on a canal with a dock for my boats. https://www.zillow.com/b/567-barber-...ian-fl-9CwNRD/


I just ordered a new 24' Pathfinder center console with tower and a 300hp Yamaha.

They talked me into all these giant Garmin electronic and some radar.

We will us this larger boat to run out 20 to 40 miles for Dorado.

I might be running out to the Bahamas as well.

https://www.pathfinderboats.com/2023...nder-2400-trs/


I got a huge discount which I did not ask for but once the heard who I was it was kind of an industry standard.



I had to get a larger truck to pull it with some I bought one of these new all electric Rivians.

By the time I got it out the door it was over $100,000 but it is really fast.

No discounts on those trucks........https://rivian.com/r1t



The big companies like Sage, Simms and Rio keep sending me free stuff.

I guess the still recognize who I am? or was?"

[Carl Blackledge]

Bill, Take anything the big companies will give you, after all you earned it

Carl

[Woodman]

I guess the still recognize who I am? or was?"

There's a reason your name is still on the shop.

[Rich Morrison]

I just talked to Hal and Jane last week. Wonderful people. I was having some issues dyeing a line and so I called and we had a great chat. I’ve got several pieces of Hal’s art in my house - some of my favorite things.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Confession: 90% of all this below is a big joke or lie. I just thought I would do something to get a rise here.

__________________________________________________ ______________________

"21 years ago my wife inherited over 7,000 acres of prime farm land in South Dakota. We lease it out to a large faming concern and

this allowed us to be able to take months off at a time from the shop and take our grandchildren all over the World. Without this I

doubt if we could have retired as well as we have.


We have a large home in Florida now with 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, covered

pool and spa on a canal with a dock for my boats. https://www.zillow.com/b/567-barber-...ian-fl-9CwNRD/


I just ordered a new 24' Pathfinder center console with tower and a 300hp Yamaha.

They talked me into all these giant Garmin electronic and some radar.

We will us this larger boat to run out 20 to 40 miles for Dorado.

I might be running out to the Bahamas as well.

https://www.pathfinderboats.com/2023...nder-2400-trs/


I got a huge discount which I did not ask for but once the heard who I was it was kind of an industry standard.



I had to get a larger truck to pull it with some I bought one of these new all electric Rivians.

By the time I got it out the door it was over $100,000 but it is really fast.

No discounts on those trucks........https://rivian.com/r1t



The big companies like Sage, Simms and Rio keep sending me free stuff.

I guess the still recognize who I am? or was?"

__________________________________________________ ____________________

Confession:

Yes, maybe 15 years ago I did another crazy post where we had sold our fly shop, and home and bought a big place on the Pacific

Ocean in Costa Rica with servants, big pool, dock, guest house and several boats. I even had a big picture of this estate. At first many

believed that one but after a few days I had to confess it was a big fabricated lie. Some of our best friends where telling us to be sure

to get together before we left, I felt bad.

[Mr T]

Confession: 90% of all this below is a big joke or lie. I just thought I would do something to get a rise here.

__________________________________________________ ______________________

"21 years ago my wife inherited over 7,000 acres of prime farm land in South Dakota. We lease it out to a large faming concern and

this allowed us to be able to take months off at a time from the shop and take our grandchildren all over the World. Without this I

doubt if we could have retired as well as we have.


We have a large home in Florida now with 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, covered

pool and spa on a canal with a dock for my boats. https://www.zillow.com/b/567-barber-...ian-fl-9CwNRD/


I just ordered a new 24' Pathfinder center console with tower and a 300hp Yamaha.

They talked me into all these giant Garmin electronic and some radar.

We will us this larger boat to run out 20 to 40 miles for Dorado.

I might be running out to the Bahamas as well.

https://www.pathfinderboats.com/2023...nder-2400-trs/


I got a huge discount which I did not ask for but once the heard who I was it was kind of an industry standard.



I had to get a larger truck to pull it with some I bought one of these new all electric Rivians.

By the time I got it out the door it was over $100,000 but it is really fast.

No discounts on those trucks........https://rivian.com/r1t



The big companies like Sage, Simms and Rio keep sending me free stuff.

I guess the still recognize who I am? or was?"

__________________________________________________ ____________________

Confession:

Yes, maybe 15 years ago I did another crazy post where we had sold our fly shop, and home and bought a big place on the Pacific

Ocean in Costa Rica with servants, big pool, dock, guest house and several boats. I even had a big picture of this estate. At first many

believed that one but after a few days I had to confess it was a big fabricated lie. Some of our best friends where telling us to be sure

to get together before we left, I felt bad.

OK so it was just me.

I was thinking "no WAY he does this?!!!!"

[RSK]

you had me until the rivian....