Another shop closing its doors....

[streamerguy]

:-(

Lake Erie Ultimate Angler will be closing sometime in April.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-Erie-Ultimate-Angler/237501194145?fref=nf

 

[sandfly]

soon I'll be only one left

 

[RLeep2]

Actually, I'm surprised they made it as long as they did..

I don't say this because of anything specific about the shop or the folks who run it. So, far as I know, there isn't anything the matter with either of these things.

Its just that Erie has always been infertile ground for FF-oriented retail operations. Disposable income in the area is modest at best, which tends to dampen the volume of higher end stuff like rods and waders that can be moved. In general, the steelhead equipment and guiding business is oversaturated. And while on the face of it, it would seem that the right approach could carve out a decent niche catering to warmwater fly anglers up there, somehow it has never developed.

I would imagine it didn't do the Ultimate Angler folks any good when Field & Stream moved in fairly recently. They really made a pretty substantial investment in FF inventory, more than anybody I've seen who has come to town in the last 40 years. Big Redington, St. Croix and Sage displays and 4 decent sized aisles of tying stuff and FF gizmos. I'd be willing to wager next weeks lunch money that in a year or two at the most, they will cut this inventory commitment in half.

That just seems to be how it goes in Erie. Its a funny place in many ways..

 

[CRB]

Sad to read.....sign of the times though.

 

[WingQuill]

Sad to hear of this. Honest to goodness real fly shops with STOCK going out of business is bad news. I enjoyed shopping there.

 

[Sylvaneous]

That's a BIG area you're considering! All the way from, what, Potter Co to Erie and south. But yeah, there isn't much here now. Neshannock creek fly shop is the best, closest place to me in Venango county.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Might be another opportunity for a TCO outpost. Well, probably not. Without fly shops, it decreases the 'critical mass' for the sport. It's one less base of influence, meeting and learning.
I learned fly fishing originally with no fly shops or internet. Both help, but now we are getting closer in NW PA to only having the internet.

 

[albud1962]

Highlander...there can be only one.

 

[FarmerDave]

Sylvaneous wrote:
That's a BIG area you're considering! All the way from, what, Potter Co to Erie and south. But yeah, there isn't much here now. Neshannock creek fly shop is the best, closest place to me in Venango county.

Add NE Ohio to that as well.

Sad really, and I'm guilty of not shopping there, but mostly because I only make the trip to Erie a couple times a year. When I go up there by myself to fish, I usually pick up supplies at Folly's. Not a huge selection there, but they usually have what I need.

Neshannock is probably closer for me, too. Plus when I go there with my wife, we both have places to shop. I guess we are all creatures of habit.

Funny, I have never fished Neshannock creek, but do visit that shop occasionally. Nice shop.

 

[streamerguy]

Neshannock Creek Fly Shop is my main shop. It's the closest to me and I'm out there all the time for fishing and family stuff. Been going there ever since I started fly fishing. Actually before.....my grandfather always used to take me to the stockings when I was really young.

The next closest shop to me is Chagrin River Outfitters about an hour away in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Top notch shop. Great selection(especially steelhead stuff), great customer service, and they have lots of seminars, classes, etc. An Orvis store moved in nearby a handful of years ago but I doubt they had much of an impact.

I've been to Ultimate Angler plenty of times and always had good experiences. Sad to see it go. Did have a really bad feeling when Field & Stream came to town...

The only other shop left in NW PA is Oil Creek Outfitters. He is closed in the winter and the selections isn't as good as the other shops but I've always been happy shopping there. I fish up that way a good bit and always try to stop in a few times a year.

it would seem that the right approach could carve out a decent niche catering to warmwater fly anglers up there, somehow it has never developed.

I agree.....especially with Presque Isle right there, and all the other warmwater opportunities in the region. But like you said, Erie is just a funny place and might not be the best fit for a fly shop to survive.

I always felt Ultimate Angler's location on rt. 5 wasn't the greatest.

 

[FarmerDave]

streamerguy wrote:

The next closest shop to me is Chagrin River Outfitters about an hour away in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

I forgot about them. Probably equal distance for me from the house, but not all that far from where I work. Unfortunately I rarely get there because I car pool. But I do stop there occasionally and agree with your assessment.

You caused me to remember a couple others, too.

There used to be a place even closer to where I work called River Gillies or something like that in Gates Mills. I used to stop there fairly often, but they closed awhile back. I liked that place.

There also used to be a small shop at a trout club in Bainbridge. Pine Lake or something like that. Just off of 306. and I think they carried Orvis. I wasn't a member, but public was welcome at the shop. I used to go there occasionally before I moved to the farm. When it went up for sale, I looked into it. Price seemed decent, but then I did some quick math and it wouldn't work out since I would have had to finance. If I had the cash, maybe it would have been a nice hobby that produced a small amount of income. It was a very small shop and would have been tough to make a living off of it..

I don't know if it is still there or not, but I think the trout club is.

The only place where I felt I got poor service was actually my first trip to Neshannock outfitters. But I wrote it off as him being busy or having a bad day. I usually give a second shot and in that case haven't regretted it. Been treated well ever since, even when i don't buy anything, but usually I do. Might have my wife take me there for my birthday present. Need a couple reels.

 

[pcray1231]

There's also Oil Creek Outfitters in Venango. That's a decent shop. Is he still open? Haven't been there in about 2 years.

Oops, nevermind, it was mentioned....

 

[streamerguy]

FarmerDave, I've always heard talk about another shop that used to be around the Chagrin but didn't really know what it was called or anything. Must have been that Gillies place. Pretty sure that trout club is still there. I think there's also a place on the west side of Cleveland that is supposed to have a good fly fishing section as well as hiking and camping stuff, etc.. I've never been there. CRO will always be my go-to shop(second to Neshannock).

I've heard a few similar things about Neshannock. Yeah, probably just caught him at a bad time. I've always had good service and Bob certainly has no problem starting a conversation. The fact that I'm a regular customer may have something to do with it.

pcray, yeah Oil Creek Outfitters is still open.......at least as of this past August. I was there a few times over the summer. Like I said, he is closed in the winter and he also has weird hours sometimes.

Just remembered, there also used to be a shop in Tionesta. It closed 6 years ago I think. Only been in there once or twice, and it seemed to be more of a dusty antique place than anything.

 

[streamerguy]

If the PFBC follows through with it, I wonder how the DHALO proposal will affect the Neshannock shop and Oil Crk. Outfitters. They hold a kids school on Neshannock in early June every year. If people start roping up all the fish there won't be much left for the kids to catch. "But the new regs are supposed to get more kids fishing." Oh the irony.....

 

[troutfanatic]

I hit the Neshanock Creek Shop every time I go through Volant. I won't be dropping the dollars to buy a rod or reel there, but a dozen or two of flies and some tippet for sure. It may not be much, but I am sure it helps.

With the mass retailers and web sites that carry fly fishing equipment, it is hard to stay on top in small business. Most of my purchases are impulsive or "oh, I forgot..."

 

[gutcutter]

troutfanatic wrote:
I hit the Neshanock Creek Shop every time I go through Volant. I won't be dropping the dollars to buy a rod or reel there, but a dozen or two of flies and some tippet for sure. It may not be much, but I am sure it helps.

With the mass retailers and web sites that carry fly fishing equipment, it is hard to stay on top in small business. Most of my purchases are impulsive or "oh, I forgot..."

Um...
Are you still wondering why they were forced to close?

 

[troutfanatic]

was never wondering why in the first place so I'm not sure why you'd ask.


It's a competitive industry. I buy local what I can afford to buy locally... better than not buying anything at all.

when I hit the powerball...

 

[pcray1231]

Just remembered, there also used to be a shop in Tionesta. It closed 6 years ago I think. Only been in there once or twice, and it seemed to be more of a dusty antique place than anything.

Yep, our camp is in Tionesta. It was called Forest County Sports Center, and aside from FF they sold a lot of clothes, camping gear, hunting gear, etc. The FF aspect of it was an Orvis store.

 

[FarmerDave]

streamerguy wrote:
FarmerDave, I've always heard talk about another shop that used to be around the Chagrin but didn't really know what it was called or anything. Must have been that Gillies place.

It was on the old building right on the river, just downstream of the bridge in Gates Mills (east side). A young guy started it, but either lost his lease or it failed. I think there is a law office in there now. Like we need more of those.

Pretty sure that trout club is still there.

Pretty sure it is, too. I drove by there on Friday and a vaguely remember seeing the sign. I just don't know if the little fly shop is still there or not. Next time, maybe I will check.

 

[wgmiller]

The sad reality is that "brick and mortar" commerce is fading away. Not only with fly shops, but clothing, furniture, etc. Several of the clothing stores I used to buy clothes for my girls have closed and switched to online sales. The overhead costs of physical stores can be overwhelming (think mall rent, utilities, etc.).

I think there will always be some form of "brick and mortar" commerce, but there is no doubt that e-commerce continues to grow at a rapid pace. It's a sad state of affairs, IMO, because there is nothing quite like physically being able to look and analyze a product before purchasing.