I get a kick out of the people here who say the Evening Rise was over priced. I bet anyone who says or thinks that has never been in business for themselves or had to pay a mortage or lease on store front footage. Don't forget there are a number of fixed costs when owning a business. Property Tax, utilites, insurance, payroll and payroll taxes, association dues to name just a few. They don't have the buying power like Bass Pro, Cabelas, or Gander Mt. The small stores also have to purchases larger amounts of overhead from the brand name suppliers. I used to live in Hershey and worked in Lancaster and would stop in the Evening Rise once every other week or so and I purchased my first fly rod and reel from them. (Sage Z-Axis) I didnt get a huge discount, but I knew if or when I had a problem they would take care of me. I felt like I received the same customer service there that I would give to one of my customers. Because I felt comfortable with the Evening Rise, it lead me to purchase two more fly rod outfits from a small shop in Syracuse, NY, close to where I live now. I don't expect huge discounts when I shop at a privately owned fly shop, but I do and always get great customer service. I was recently in an Orvis Outlet store in Buffalo, NY and was kinda surprised what they had in stock for FF. They had a lot of expensive clothes for men and women, but also had a nice selection of FF gear. The staff was also nice to talk to and deal with. I can't complain and will probably stop at one again. I don't think you can beat the small privately owned and operated fly shops though, even if you do pay more for the products.
I sometimes go in as a diversion if the wife is in Wegman's or something.
