We often talk about how important fly shops are, especially from a community standpoint. The best fly shops are the ones that build thriving populations of super fans (think Mad River Outfitters or Galloup’s Slide Inn) who only buy their fly fishing gear from those retailers. You can go to the shop, try on gear, and trust that the opinions you’re getting from the staff aren’t just carefully-crafted sales pitches. The truly great fly shops are honest, sometimes to a fault.
Not everyone lives close enough to a fly shop to have that experience, though. My “local” fly shop is a 60-mile drive, and it’s on the main street of a tourist town outside Yellowstone National Park. It’s a good shop, but I just can’t spend enough time there to build the connection I’ve had with other shops.
Cue the concept of the fly shop truck.
It’s exactly like a food truck, but for a fly shop. And this isn’t just a pie-in-the-sky idea, either. A few companies have gone full-steam ahead, including Mossy Creek Fly Fishing out of Virginia.
According to their website, their Mobile Fly Shop is “a well-merchandised showroom stocked with everything from the essentials to get started, hard to find items, as well as the best gear.”
Mossy Creek is also using their Mobile Fly Shop as the centerpiece for various community events, like casting and fly tying demos, and Iron Fly challenges.
You’ll be able to try on waders and boots, test out new fly rods, and pick out fly tying supplies in person. Personally, I’ve always found it more efficient to shop for fly tying materials in a shop rather than online, so fly tiers will have their niche served, as well.
This seems like an intriguing idea for some fly shops, but not all shops see it that way. Blair Van Antwerp, who owns North Fork Anglers in Cody, Wyoming, told me, “I feel like there is a ‘soul’ or ‘vibe’ to a fly shop. It’s what makes each of them unique. I don’t think that you’ll be able to capture that as well with a fly shop truck. (There’s) no real investment in fly fishing, and (it’s) mostly trying to be cool. That’s my take on things.”
Antwerp makes a good point, and that doesn’t take into account the overhead of running a truck, stocking it with inventory, and traveling across a wide territory. Is the return-on-investment there, especially in the West, where distances between towns are enormous?
Thankfully, I don’t have to answer that question. But it’ll be interesting to see if more fly shops look to this model as another way to engage with customers and build a community. If nothing else, I tip my hat to Mossy Creek for being willing to try something different.
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