There are a lot of great shops out there these days.
Now and again a fly shop figures out that ‘customer service’ isn’t just managing well the guys and gals who wander in the door but reaching out and truly engaging with your customers in ways never before dreamed of even a decade ago.
I’m biased as hell about it, but I for one think most fly fishers value a retailer who not only is ready to sell me the latest in flies and gear (which we all need by the way) but is ready, willing and able to help me mature as a fisher.
And to help me have a great time on the river.
We have a lot of friends running shops these days, but few are doing it better right now than John and Julie Arnold, Mark Raisler, Sara Roholt and the gang at Headhunters in Craig.
Sure they’ve got a well stocked shop, great guides and a prime time location.
The something extra they’ve got is exemplified well by their post today – Winter Nymphing Water is not Sexy Summer Water. The point here? Teach me how to be a better angler, with real meat and potatoes information, and I’m a loyal fan forever. Shop owners like Mark don’t have to write articles like this; in fact, most don’t.
They’d rather sell me a handful of three dollar flies and tell me ‘yea, the nymphing’s ok’ without understanding I’m headed to the next shop down the road tomorrow.
Incredibly simple concept, incredibly predictable results.
John is consistently tweaking their web presence (great job on the recent blog redesign by the way), Mark never forgets a name and the ladies keep their ops in tip top shape.
Well done.
[Full Disclosure – this isn’t a paid advertisement but damned well should be.]
