What's you take or expierence on Bass Pro and Flyfishing. I have a new store opening in my area. Thanks
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What's you take or expierence on Bass Pro and Flyfishing. I have a new store opening in my area. Thanks
Well, I bought Hobbs Creek reels #3 and #4 a few weeks ago, and christened #3 with a steelhead this morning. Other than that, never used any of their flyfishing products.
Dennis
The Hobbs Creek product line and above represent good quality, acceptable aesthetics, and outstanding value for their price ranges, IMHO.
I've bought quite a bit from them (mostly on sale, which makes it even more attractive) and have been very pleased with every purchase.
Jim
I agree with Jim on the Hobbs Creek stuff. Their higher end rods look very nice, but I haven't cast them.
I'm pretty sure someone mentioned on a previous thread that their reels are made by Okuma.
I have a Hobbs creek 5 wt.outfit with a HC 2 reel works great.cast real nice very forgiving over and over again.I need forgiving with my cast.Found the guy in the flyshop area very nice and polite also very informed but found that the rest of the story somewhat standoffish near snooty.Felt very cold,like they were having to put out to much effort to even look up.Other than the flyshop I get better service at Walmart and that aint sayin alot.
Are you talking about there products or there selection of materials and things.
The one in Harrisburg, Pa. doesn't impress me in the least. The local fly shops, Gander Mountain and Cabela's are by far the better all around choices.
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Eric "nighthawk"
Air Cavalry all the way! When a voice cries out in distress, we will be there, no matter what the cost.
BassPro is fairly close to me, about a half an hour away. I like the place. I can get a decent assortment of fly-tying stuff there as well as rods, reels, etc. Some of the people in the fly fishing area of the Nashville BassPro are as nice as you'll find anywhere and some of them are quite knowledgeable. Some of them seem to know a little and some of them have agendas to push, such as a friend's guide service. I had to tell one kid that I had no interest in going down to the Keys to fish with a certain guide etc... He was appalled and wanted to do a hard sell, but a bit of polite firmness solved that problem and he hasn't bothered me since. At the opposite end of the spectrum are some great guys who really know their stuff and are always fun to talk to. I tend to go on certain days when I know that they are likely to be there. It IS a big chain and thus it is party to some of the problems (at least perceived problems) party to that. It isn't our late, lamented fly shop The Fly Chucker, but it is at least a salve. Now they need a coffee pot, rocking chairs, and a dog...
I still send orders of to Cabela's on a regular basis. Hmmmm, I wonder how many hooks I would have to buy to be able to order them directly from Mustad...
Ed
Nighthawk's assessment is pretty much spot on; if you are looking for a very well stocked fly shop you may be disappointed. My gut reaction is that Bass Pro is really targeting the casual or beginning FF'er.
BUT if you dabble in the dark art of hardware chuckin' like I do your head will explode at the selection of non-flyfishing stuff.
I've bought some flies from them,are of
low quality though.As for the reels,rods,i
assume they are built overseas,but one poster stated okuma made the reels but are
okumas built overseas?For starter kits they may be fine.I have two stores within two hours of me.I don't go there mostly because all they carry in bass fishing is the newer lures and i prefer the older tackle stores with the older lures.
I like their leaders very much, good prices.
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[url=http://www.native-waters.com:c6a8f]http://www.native-waters.com[/url:c6a8f]
If you don't have any other fly shop in the area you'll be happy.
-ST
I have a 5 wt White Rive and matching reel I use in the lake behind the house and like it very much. I also buy quite a bit of their fly tying materials...the store is in Orlando, so it's fairly close. And as Roger said, I like their leaders also.
It's nice to be able to walk into a fly shop at 9 o'clock at night and buy hooks or some other fly-tying supplies, when other fly shops would never think of being open. Convenience.
In my experience, none of the fly shops anywhere around the country have every fly-tying material you need or want. But invariably, when I visit Bass Pro, they have something I can't seem to find anywhere else locally and I pick it up.
Although I prefer to mail order my supplies, it is nice to have a choice, and Bass Pro enhances this benefit.
BPS is the closet shop to me at 2 hours drive. The BPS in Nashville is a great shop, and unlike Nighthawk, the local Gander Mountain is puny by comparison. Admitadly, I live where Fly Fishing is an oddity so even the local Wally Worlds got rid of all the FF stuff. BPS in Nashville has hired some real fly fisherman to staff the department. There is one older gentleman who will tie a fly on request and is amazingly good at it. Can talk to you and explain what he is doing while he is doing it. I like to get there in the middle of the day on a week day and the department is not crowded with 100 MPH Bass Buggy Jockeys, and I can sort of have the gentleman to myself. The stock is great and the prices good (other than the 9.5% Tennessee sales tax.
my 2 cents.
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Clint
Wise men still seek HIM...
Depends upon where you live and what other options are available.
I have not bought anything from their fly shop because I have better alternatives. I have bought sw hooks and lines. As a note, the hooks in the fly shop are more expensive than the exact same hook carried in their regular fishing gear (different SKU#). Do your homework!
The store in MD is limited in the rod brands they carry and primarily push their own brand.
First experience of a Bass Pro was the shop in Orlando, and let me tell you we have nothing like this in the UK. Once I got past the excitement created by the scale of it, and the number of products it carried, I thought the fly fishing section was quite limited.
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JME
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Member of B.A.S.S [url=http://www.ukbass.com:c6a25]http://www.ukbass.com[/url:c6a25]
Every shop has its pro's and con's. When it comes to BPS, if it's the only gig in town, I think you'll absolutely fall in love with it.
I am fortunate to have a BPS as well as Orvis and other independent flyshops in the area.
Here are some of the pluses of BPS in my from my own experience:
They do have a good selection of hooks be it Tiemco, Mustand or their own WhiteRiver label.
A good selection of thread can be found hanging on the walls.
They don't have every dubbing blend known to man but they do have a modest selection that will keep you busy tying, even if you have to buy one of the compartment containers to get the color you specifically want.
The hackle selection from premium companies is lacking, they do carry a few necks and some of the hundred packs. Possibly the best hackle deal they have is the $20 dollar capes they have packaged for them which come in most of the normal colors one would use to tie trout flies.
The materials are available to tie zonkers, wooly buggers, black-nosed daces, mickey finns and the likes.
When it comes to comparing to stores like Cabela's and other stores you will start to see the gaps that BPS could do a better job of filling in, in order to be elevated a notch or two in the eyes of flyanglers.
Like I said eariler, every shop has its pro's and con's. Cabela's for instance sells most of their threads, wires, tinsels in 2 or 4 piece packs which irk's me to no end. Additionally, some of their other materials that you would normally buy by the card are also packed in bulk lots. In my area Cabela's would take BPS to the mat when it comes to the available selection of materials.
With all this said, BPS does fit into the scheme of things and I know I was elated when I had access to another shop that carried fly gear and materials.
One other thing that has not been mentioned to my knowledge is that BPS, atleast in my area, hosts a fly tyers roundtable which allows you to meet other tyers in the area and to come together on the weekend to crank out a few flies and indulge in some comraderie.
BPS has enough gear to outfit one for flyfishing or fly tying regardless of how they line up against their competitors.
Well, I own a 270 reel and it's very nice for the money. My brother bought a very nice 3 weight 7'6" fly rod from BassPro and I like it alot. I prefer Cabellas over Basspro but that's just me. We have a Bass Pro opening here in Tulsa, Ok in mid October. It will be nice to have. They do carry TFO rods and some very nice brands of reels and gear. I personally think that you get pretty good stuff with the Basspro name of White River for the money. I like the fact that I know they guys at the local flyshop by name better though so will still continue to send my business to D&B in Tulsa.
My local BPS is the one in Dania, Florida. I like it quite a bit. They material selection is decent but not fantastic. The people there have been very knowledgeable and have included local guides and celebrities such as Capt. Bill Curtis, Charlie Richter, Ted Schwarz and Al Pfleuger. Recently they've moved away from hiring guides but the people are still pretty knowledgeable. It's definitely a friendly place where you can have nice conversations. I also like some of their equipment pretty well.
My local fly shops: The Fly Shop of Ft. Lauderdale and Ole Florida fly shop are also great and carry a far more extensive supply of materials & equipment. The only problem is they have limited hours so I don't get over there as often.
Ken
Re: Bass Pro. I am only a 10 minute drive from their Springfield, MO store and use BPS quite often. I also use one other fly shop in Branson. Personally, I have always been well pleased with BPS on a general basis as they do carry their own line of affordable equt as well as higher end items and I've never had a gripe about price or service. The few times I had to return an item, it was hassle free and "no questions asked." Can't get much better than that. Their fly shop, although small is staffed with real, live fly fishermen who really seem to know their stuff and these guys fish local waters and are always ready to share tips and info.
Although I don't shop there exclusively, I still rate this particular BPS/fly shop as excellent.
Crackleback
This is an interesting thread.
In the south especially, BassPro typically serves a populace with virtually no other resource for fly fishing gear. If there is a local fly shop, unless it's an Orvis store in a metro area, it tends to be quite small and understocked. Fly fishing just isn't the draw there as in the north and west.
Would I like the White River portion of the store to be twice as big, and carry EVERYTHING I could possibly want? You bet! And I can say the same for every fly shop I've ever been in.
Jim
Where I live, BPS carries some brands that aren't in the other shops. Now, one shop discontinued St Croix and another got bought out by Dicks, so they are the only dealer. I've gotten good deals on tying materials on sale, not a bad shop. It's the only fishing store I can talk my kids into going to, they like the displays.
At the OKC Bass Pro the guys I have spoken with in the fly shop have been generally friendly. Not the most knowledgable, but with an I-know-it-all attitude. I have gotten to the point that I try to get in and out without conversation.
I bought some saddle hackles, chenile, and marabou from BPS a few years ago. I was really disappointed with the quality of the materials, especially the hackles. But, as others have said, local shops are great except they never seem to have what I need. I always end up compromising for something "that'll probly work" instead of what I went for. I really like some of the mail order outfits best.
I'm not sure how true it is, but I've heard they are related to the "Sportsman's Warehouse." And, I'm really glad to have them in my neighborhood. When I had a problem with a black powder pistol from BPS, they sent another pistol to replace it right away, and asked that after my trip, would I return the defective part. Not only did they replace the part when needed, they replace the entire gun. So, for a while I had two of their guns for the price of one. They trusted me that much. In my opinion, their customer service should be used as a model for all other businesses. I would not hesitate for one minute to buy from them again.
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He Knocks. You Only Have To Ask.
The local Bass Pro is the monster sized one in Dallas. It has a nice fly shop. It seems to have more square footage than the Ft Worth Cabela's does, but both of them have a well stocked selection. Which one is better, seems to be a personal preference issue. Bass Pro seems supportive of FF'ing and even hosts a group of local tiers every Sat. morning.
I have a couple of house brand reels, a Hobbs Creek and a White River version, and I have been very happy with both of them.
Rex
I avoid Bass Pro as much as possible. They had a "controlled" alligator hunt on OLN awhile back that was nothing short of a slaughter. They had an announcement saying they were proud to sponsor this "hunt." I'm proud to spend my money somewhere else.
Mike
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There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.
Patrick McManus
I have about 4 shops at my disposal within a 30 min radius,Gander mtn, which just had it's grand opening last fall did little to impress me..as their selection has yet to expand (As one store employee said it was going to)....they don't even carry a very good selection in the hook dept...I mean come on.....
A full service pro shop a mile away..good selection..that's to high in it's prices....
A sweet little family owned and opperated Bait shop , with an awe inspireing fly tying selection...which is my main shop for my shopping...."Mickey's"
And the bass pro shop....well I really can't say, As I've never been to it..or any others...I doubt I will either..Not with Mickey's in North Syracuse...and they carry pretty much what I need...I do order a few things now and then..Cabela's,Hook & Hackle,Fly tyers Dungeon,E.Hille Anglers supply house,Jfisher,Janns netcraft,and shop when I am in Central PA..
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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best
"Wish ya great fishing"
Bill
[This message has been edited by billknepp (edited 22 September 2005).]
Maddog48, I didn't see the alligator hunt on OLN and most big game hunting on TV doesn't do much for me. My sister lives on the Mississippi Gulf coast. The gator problem down there is real. In a lot of cases, hunting gators has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with pest control. I like to hunt squirrels, but when they are in my peach trees, I am just killing hairy-tailed, arboreal rats. I don't know the background of the segment on TV but it might have just been removing nuisance gators. If the local game and fish folks can sell licenses and put a little money into conservation coffers as a result, then that might not be such a bad thing.
BlugillBudd, it sounds as if you like Don at the Nashville BPS as much as I do. He is a great guy. The Nashville's BPS also hired the president of the Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers.
Our BassPro shop doesn't stock everything by a long shot. As with ALL biological materials, I examine everyting that they have on display before I buy something. There is real variability in quality of capes, partridge skins, hare's masks, etc... but I think that just goes with the territory. "My" BPS isn't perfect, but then I've never found a perfect fly shop that had everything that I wanted. It is good enough, especially when suplemented with mail ordering.
I've been to the Dallas and Shreveport BPS and both have nice friendly people working there. But the Dallas BPS is 3 hours away and the Shreveport BPS is 1.5 hrs away. I live in a county with 2 locally owned fly shops within 30 minutes from my house so that's where I spend most of my time and money. When I go to Dallas I would rather visit Barlows.
Bill,
I agree about Gander Mtn....their "flyshop" selection here is TERRIBLE!!! HOWEVER, do NOT give up as they have sales which are usually excellent (clothing) & some GREAT buys on Columbia & Woolrich clothing.....I am a fan of both.
I am NOT a Bass Pro fan. The last purchase I made there was either a spinning or baitcasting rod purchased with a generous gisft certificate. Personally, I am not impressed with their pricing & quality ..IMHO I could have purchased similar quality for a lot less at Walmart (and I don't buy fishing gear there either)! While the rod was NOT a low end rod, I am unable to locate the rod for model #, etc to share with you 'cuz I don't like swimmin' in landfills!!! and that's where the rod is now!
Mike
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"I've HAD muh say!".....
George MacMichael from The Real Mccoys
Ed... I wish this was as simple as that. They were in the swamp about midnight with a bazillion candlepower spotlights they shined in the gators eyes and then shot them. It's just my gut feeling that says that's wrong and I'm not pushing my beliefs on anyone. A buddy and I talked about this. He said that one person can't make a difference in a case like this. Probably not. But this one person gets satisfaction knowing I don't contribute to them.
Mike
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There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.
Patrick McManus
Bas Pro is ok and they carry some Major Brands and their own White River brand. It's simply the Wal Mart of the outdoors. I prefer the local Fly Shop but sometime Bass Pro will do.
My truck is trained so I've visited most of the shops mentioned thus far and a few other so boot. Like shops everwhere some are great, most are very good and a few do't do so well. Some it seems have problems with selection but most shop that aren't doing so hot seem to have people problems.
Glad to see them all though from the sharpest pro shops to the Bass Pros and Cabelas or Gander Mt as well as the low end selection in Walmart and others. Each seems to have found a niche and it all adds to our sport.
A couple favorites as far as Bass Pro or affiliates go is their main store in Springfield and the Islamorada World Wide Sportsman!! Candy store for saltwater anglers including their fly flinging brethern.
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Good Fishing
Chuck Scheerschmidt
"I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved."
Piggy backing on Chuck's observations, I'd comment the Las Vegas store, similar to the town, is more for show than substance. Yes, it is VERY expansive, yes, it has everything most of the other stores have, but there is just something "wrong" about a sporting goods store connected to a casino.
My favorites of the ones I've visited are the Grapevine store, followed by the Katy store.
Jim
Back Up Guys!!!
You missed a very important item in this thread!! "Flats Dude ownes a 5 wgt."!! That he fishes in the "Lake Behind My House"! After he and the Pirates stole my thread on the AuSable Fish - In we find out he is a Closet Warm Water Fisher!! Proof, never never trust a pirate!!
Gander Mountain has a 100% price satisfaction garuntee. If a competitor has the same item for less, Gander Mountain will match the price and give you 100% of the difference off up to 50 dllars. You have to go to the service desk to get it. Just take in a competitor's add or you can have them call the competitor's store to verify prices even on sale items.
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Eric "nighthawk"
"The only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked. It will get you and your pilots killed.". From SSG Anthony Edmunds, 6th Air Cavalry
Okiebass,
I agree with you on the OKC BPS. As long as you know what you need , especially fly tying materials you'll be OK. I also agree that the folks that work there are not the most knowledgeable! A buddy's son accompanied my family on a trip to New Mexico to fish last August. My bud decided that the reel I had loaned his son needed a new line so went to BPS. It was a great gesture and I appreciate the higher quality line but...When we stated fishing on the Rio Castillo something didn't look right so I did a little research. Seems the salesman had convinced my friend, a new fly fisher, that he needed 2 tapered leaders end to end. Both where probably 5X 9 foot and at the tippet end of the first he had tied a loop and attached the other tapered leader. The poor kid was trying to cast about 18 foot of leader and the taper was a total mess.
Morale of the story is - Just cause they work in a fly shop don't mean they know anything!!
The same friend started fishing with a CV2 BPS rod and broke it, they replaced it but didn't have another 5 wt in stock he agreed to take an 8 wt. He broke it the first or second time out. Back to BPS and this time they agreed to give him a TFO. The salesman said that he in fact had broken a couple of the rods as well. Bad thing is they cost around the same as a TFO but only have a one year warranted.
Do your homework before you go.
Dan
Hi All. The only fly shop close to where I live is the BPS in Memphis. Have visited several times and meet a very nice fellow who spent a lot of time with me and was very patient while I looked at all of the reels and most of the rods. Unfortunately, he moved to NJ or somewhere north. The other folks are nice enought though.
I purchased a couple of rods, a 5wt., 4pc. 8'5" White River Classic with an Orvis Bar Stock reel. Love the reel, have grown not to like the rod so much. And a 6'-9" 4wt., 3pc. White River Ultralight Classic with the matching reel that I really enjoy and is my favorite outfit.
Didn't mail order Cabela's because I couldn't get my hands on any rods to check out.
To my mind, BPS stuff is good serviceable middle of the road gear.