best fly shops in PA?

[JackM]

troutbert wrote:
Some of those old classical musicians had shaggy hair too...

And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply
So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you'll do
So I took off my hat I said imagine that, huh, me working for you

 

[fly_flinger]

I think my avitar will tell you where I stand on the issue. I think there is a misconception, kinda like fly fishing is a rich mans sport. Not all deadheads are "dirty" nor do we all drive VW buses. Much like fly fishing, there is something about listening to Jerry or the Dead that can put me in a zen like state, where nothing else seems to matter as much. What I mean is ,when I'm on a stream, I can't think about work, traffic, bills etc. because I'm so caught up in the stream and what's going on in and around it. When thoughts of those things start to enter my head, I know it's time to go home and drink. I'm sure there are many on this board that are the same way. The Grateful Dead's and Jerry Garcia's music can do the same thing. Even without drugs.

To each is own. Some like them some don't but to label everyone that listens to them as "dirty hippies" is just plain ignorant. Expand your mind Fredrick. You might be surprised at what you find if you listen to an early 70's live concert. Some amazing stuff for sure.

Sorry to hijack the post. I like French Creek Outfitters. Jack M is always very helpful and willing to give advice. TCO is nice too but a little pricey in my book.

 

[Fredrick]

Thats why I asked for some good things that Jerry has done to change my point of view . Still not sure on the hippies though!!!

I also think TCO is to pricey I feel like I walked into Dick's sporting goods sometime when I go to the one in Reading :-D

 

[JackM]

What Is Truth*

The old man turned off the radio
Said, "Where did all of the old songs go
Kids sure play funny music these days
They play it in the strangest ways"
Said, "it looks to me like they've all gone wild
It was peaceful back when I was a child"
Well, man, could it be that the girls and boys
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries "What is truth?"

A little boy of three sittin' on the floor
Looks up and says, "Daddy, what is war?"
"son, that's when people fight and die"
The little boy of three says "Daddy, why?"
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school
Being taught the golden rule
And by the time another year has gone around
It may be his turn to lay his life down
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking
"What is truth?"

A young man sittin' on the witness stand
The man with the book says "Raise your hand"
"Repeat after me, I solemnly swear"
The man looked down at his long hair
And although the young man solemnly swore
Nobody seems to hear anymore
And it didn't really matter if the truth was there
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair
And the lonely voice of youth cries
"What is truth?"

The young girl dancing to the latest beat
Has found new ways to move her feet
The young man speaking in the city square
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares
Yeah, the ones that you're calling wild
Are going to be the leaders in a little while
This old world's wakin' to a new born day
And I solemnly swear that it'll be their way
You better help the voice of youth find
"What is truth"

-- Johnny Cash (1970)

*See, John 18:38

 

[Seafood]

I have a few more things to add to this wonderful discussion.

1. whoever listed Cold Spring Angler as a great flyshop...well...that would top my list of WORST fly shops. I have NEVER and I mean NEVER in any retail store, whether it was the Gap, Dicks, Wal Mart, anywhere, been treated so poorly on mulitple occasions than when in Cold Spring. Aweful...just aweful.

That being said...

2. I want to clarify that you can like Jerry Garcia without being a deadhead. For those of you who have a stereotype in your mind about Jerry...here are some thoughts.

I am not a big fan of the Grateful Dead...I like a few of their songs but not too many. However, Jerry is an unbelievable musician and if you like bluegrass then you need to check out the groups "Old and in the Way" and " The Grisman Quartet". You will rethink any previous notions about Jerry.

 

[Padraic]

I really loved the Grateful Dead for a while. I even went to a concert and got high on second hand smoke. Wooo hooo. Probably, it'll show up in a test one day and I'll end up doing time! :-( But the lyrics and the music are great. I love the Mexicalli Blues, Scarlet Begonias and Box of Rain. All very good, all very different from one another.

I was never into the Dead experience, so I wouldn't call myself a 'Head. But a friend of mine (who's got a doctorate) is, and I've met some really impressive deadheads. Including Tony, who's a heck of a flyfisherman!

 

[Fredrick]

ITS OFFICIAL THIS THREAD IS HYJACKED AND I"M A IGNORANT PERSON LOL!!!!!!!!! :lol:

 

[troutbert]

Still not sure on the hippies though!!!

Yeah, well how about them there STEREOTYPERS? They're all the same!

Hee, hee.

 

[JackM]

Exactly, stereotypes are dangerous. Jerry was very patriotic

[c] Herb Greene, used without permission.

 

[onemorecast]

Seafood wrote:
I have a few more things to add to this wonderful discussion.

1. whoever listed Cold Spring Angler as a great flyshop...well...that would top my list of WORST fly shops. I have NEVER and I mean NEVER in any retail store, whether it was the Gap, Dicks, Wal Mart, anywhere, been treated so poorly on mulitple occasions than when in Cold Spring. Aweful...just aweful.

F.Y.I. - In case no one has mentioned it, Cold Spring Anglers is closing it's doors.

 

[sundrunk]

Cold Spring Angler has a great selection of hooks, feathers and foam. The service can be chilly at times. CSA is a good shop if you know what your looking for. Just don't ask for any information on the Letort.

 

[Fredrick]

 

[mediclimber]

Fredrick, how about Jerry played a fine guitar and made some really fantastic music. He was a hell of a scuba diver too. If you look hard enough at TCO, you'll see an ABEL custom Grateful Dead Steal Your Face reel.

 

[Fredrick]

I know I seen it it has the same logo as Fly_ Flinger avatar.....

 

[mediclimber]

You know, it's funny because so many people have the same idea about Garcia and the Dead being anti-just about everything. But that wasn't the case as has been mentioned numerous times here. I'm a paramedic and work part time on an ambulance that does emergency cardiac cath runs, kinda like things aren't going well here, let's get the patient to a more skilled facility. At any rate, the cath lab team listens to the Dead all the time. It's relaxing but let's you concentrate on matters at hand, something most cardiac patients would be glad o hear. If that makes any sense at all let me know.

 

[ryanh]

FFP
The guys are great, and in a great location of the state.

Feathered Hook
Jonas is awesome

Neshanok
Cool place to hang while my wife does volant or the outlets.


The Fishing Post....just cause you always remember your first.

 

[jaybo41]

My two favorites in my limited visits around the state are:

Neshannock Creek

International Angler in Robinson (Pittsburgh, near the airport)

Both shops are extremely knowledgable, give great advice, pointers, etc and don't try to sell you on the most expensive gear. Both shops are extremely friendly.

As far as the Dead goes...it's not for everyone, but I enjoy it, in fact, I love it! The music was the vehicle, but to me, it's all about the vibe. Thousands of people getting along and enjoying one common passion for a few hours. If you have gone to a show, you will understand where I'm coming from. I was only lucky enough to catch them in the 80's and 90's so I'm not as lucky as some who have seen them in their heyday, but I sure am glad I got to experience a Dead show. There really is nothing that compares, IMHO.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! :-D

 

[ryanh]

Fredrick,
The coolest tatoo I have ever seen (and I spent my share of time in biker bars) is on the arm of my bro. He is in the 5th Rangers, and their insignia is a bolt of lightning on a Greatful Dead skull.
Like they say "if the thunder don't get you then the lightning will".
Pretty high speed IMHO.

I Love the Dead. Their music just goes with flyfishing. I had a tape that I used to listen to on my way to the stream.

What I like most about the band is that they take snippets from old folk songs and work them into "new" material.

Your average garden variety hippie is not too political. But the hard core dead heads are usually directly involved with the betterment of their communuty. Don't get me wrong, you will not find a more right wing redneck than I, but I have expanded my mind enough to see that they are working to make things better not worse.

 

[troutbert]

Seafood wrote:
I have a few more things to add to this wonderful discussion.

1. whoever listed Cold Spring Angler as a great flyshop...well...that would top my list of WORST fly shops. I have NEVER and I mean NEVER in any retail store, whether it was the Gap, Dicks, Wal Mart, anywhere, been treated so poorly on mulitple occasions than when in Cold Spring. Aweful...just aweful.

That being said...

2. I want to clarify that you can like Jerry Garcia without being a deadhead. For those of you who have a stereotype in your mind about Jerry...here are some thoughts.

I am not a big fan of the Grateful Dead...I like a few of their songs but not too many. However, Jerry is an unbelievable musician and if you like bluegrass then you need to check out the groups "Old and in the Way" and " The Grisman Quartet". You will rethink any previous notions about Jerry.

Yes, the owners of Cold Spring Anglers are retiring and the shop is closing up. So lets quit beating THAT dead horse. We've got others!

Interesting point about Jerry and bluegrass. I think Jerry and his contemporaries, those "hippy" musicians from California, should get a lot of credit for the modern revival of bluegrass, old-timey, roots music, mountain music, whatever you want to call it.

That kind of music and the people who played it, got tossed away by Nashville, which was a shame. So for a long time it was just sort of buried. Not many people even knew about such music. And the hippy musicians from California loved that kind of music and spent a lot of time learning to play it. And they got it out into the wider culture, and got people interested in hearing it from the original Appalachian musicians.

This was happening to some degree for many years, but what really blew it wide open was the album "Will A Circle Be Unbroken." The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, more hippy California musicians from the same music scene, intiatiated that album, inviting a whole bunch of the classic bluegrass people to collaborate on it, and it turned out to be a real gem. I remember when then came out and it was BIG. They played it on college radio all the time. Lots of people, including me, bought the album and played the grooves out of it.

I think this revived the careers of Doc Watson, Vassar Clements and all those guys and they and their music got the respect they deserved. Them "hippy" musicians made it happen. Yep.

 

[jayL]

I'm not really a deadhead, but I've been known to groove to plenty of Phish in my time, as well as some bands like O.A.R.

Jack Johnson is another good bit of fishin music too.

Love the reggae and jam influenced bands out there. I agree with Ryan, it goes well with fishing.