Need an online dealer

[Toney]

Hello. Who are some online dealers in the US for hooks (hopefully Mustad, size 22) and fly tying material (like Persalls silk, among other things)? I'm having trouble locating a reputable place.

Thanks,
ton

[kodiaksalmon]

Have you Googled it? I found a couple of pages for the silk, and 22 Mustads shouldn't be hard to find. On of the site sponsors should have them, if not Angler's Workshop, Madison River Fishing, Kaughman's, Creekside......

[Toney]

Thanks. i've done some googling, but with the many returns, I wasn't sure who was more reliable. Now that I have some names from your post, and I'll will contact them.

cheers,
ton

[Dr Bob]

I use Hook & Hackle for almost all my hook purchases. They have good prices and a 20% discount. I also use them for other tying materials that I don't need to look at like chinelle, threads, and some things they have on sale. Good prices, excellent service, fast shipping.

Dr Bob:beer1:

[Steve Rohrbach]

Keep looking for notices of fly shops in the area closing. I hope Hook & Hackle can provide some good local knowledge on Washington fishing.

[derfliegenfischeR]

Puget Sound Fly Company has a great selection of hooks and very reasonable prices. They also have an extensive knowledge of the area and have used many brands/styles of hooks, so they only sell what works and lasts. And they have a great supply of materials. I would go there, provided you live in their area. Here's their website for an address.

http://www.pugetsoundflyco.com/

You can also order online from them.

[Be Jofus G]

Keep looking for notices of fly shops in the area closing. I hope Hook & Hackle can provide some good local knowledge on Washington fishing.

Exactly, then instead of 20% you can get 70% off at a going out of business sale. :beer1: Nothing is stopping Local Fly Shops from selling stuff online at a discount. There is virtually no overhead and I've set up bigger online shops in about a week. If a business owner can't adapt to industry changes then he shouldn't be in business.

[Flyborg]

Exactly, then instead of 20% you can get 70% off at a going out of business sale. :beer1: Nothing is stopping Local Fly Shops from selling stuff online at a discount. There is virtually no overhead and I've set up bigger online shops in about a week. If a business owner can't adapt to industry changes then he shouldn't be in business.

Except for the fact that shops who discount lose vendors. The Fly Fishing Industry is a far cry from electronics and other industries where discounting is the status quo. A few places (large distributors like Hook & Hackle) may get away with it, but only with certain products; most of the retailers have to follow the unwritten requirement that they sell at retail or lose product lines. As un-capitalistic as that sounds, it helps protect small shops from box stores who can buy at greater volume and offer heavier discounts. The trade-off is that consumers get the benefit of knowledgeable shops and better service.

Sadly, the bell is tolling for most small fly shops; the internet has created a globalization of both product and knowledge availability, and the continued spread of box stores puts even more pressure on the small shops. Those shops that offer a variety of services in conjunction with multiple channels of product distribution have a chance of survival, those that don't--probably won't be around in five years.

Fly shops are more than just places to buy hooks and materials. They're a part of the tradition and culture of fly-fishing, and we as consumers are the custodians of that tradition.

[Mike T]

I don't want to get involved in what's certain to turn into a no win argument. I like saving money as much as the next guy, probably more in fact. However I value the relationships I have with the people I buy from locally and therefore my money goes to them.

I'd say that relying on internet only is not "evolving" but rather devolving. I know that I can save 20% on my order from Bob's No Name online fly shop. However I've never bought a rod and reel without getting line and backing thrown in by a local shop. I've had local shops offer me a rod to fish when I didn't own an appropriate rod and reel for a fishery or should I break a rod. I've had local shops help me with a pattern, figure out a hitch in my cast in their lot. I've also had flies thrown in for free, hats, etc.

I know I'm saving money in the long run, maybe not like online, but the intangibles of those local relationships are what truly add value to my sporting experience.

Flyborg- You're a little too quick to throw arrows at the local guys who are in the fly business. They deserve more respect for taking the risk of being in a business such as this and serving such a fickle clientele.

[Flyborg]

I don't want to get involved in what's certain to turn into a no win argument. I like saving money as much as the next guy, probably more in fact. However I value the relationships I have with the people I buy from locally and therefore my money goes to them.

I'd say that relying on internet only is not "evolving" but rather devolving. I know that I can save 20% on my order from Bob's No Name online fly shop. However I've never bought a rod and reel without getting line and backing thrown in by a local shop. I've had local shops offer me a rod to fish when I didn't own an appropriate rod and reel for a fishery or should I break a rod. I've had local shops help me with a pattern, figure out a hitch in my cast in their lot. I've also had flies thrown in for free, hats, etc.

I know I'm saving money in the long run, maybe not like online, but the intangibles of those local relationships are what truly add value to my sporting experience.

Flyborg- You're a little too quick to throw arrows at the local guys who are in the fly business. They deserve more respect for taking the risk of being in a business such as this and serving such a fickle clientele.

Mike,

I probably wasn't making myself too clear then (yeah, it's a bad habit), as I was trying to defend the local fly shops. I think they're a hugely important part of the tradition of this sport, and I think it's sad that so many Oregon and Washington shops have gone out of business in the last year.

[Cliff]

Sadly, the bell is tolling for most small fly shops; the internet has created a globalization of both product and knowledge availability, and the continued spread of box stores puts even more pressure on the small shops. Those shops that offer a variety of services in conjunction with multiple channels of product distribution have a chance of survival, those that don't--probably won't be around in five years.

Fly shops are more than just places to buy hooks and materials. They're a part of the tradition and culture of fly-fishing, and we as consumers are the custodians of that tradition.


Great words, and I couldn't have said it better myself. These local folks are our neighbors and friends. You may see them at church on Sunday morning or pushing a shopping cart at the Fred Meyer on Lake City Way, or you may run into them on the Yakima on their rare day off. They are, in reality, us. My feelings are that they rely on us and we rely on them. I've purchased fly gear over the internet but I prefer buying at my local shop - if I can find one anymore.

[Be Jofus G]

Fly shops are more than just places to buy hooks and materials. They're a part of the tradition and culture of fly-fishing, and we as consumers are the custodians of that tradition.

Please, don't take what I said the wrong way. I agree 100% and I think what is happening sucks. But, regardless of how I "feel", shop owners who have not figured out a way to compete will keep going bankrupt.