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Based on:
Quality of Materials Received
Affordability
Speed of Response
Customer Support
Variety, including rare materials, such as cree and top quality hackle
Who do you consider to be the best online supplier? Hunter's Angling used to be my favorite, but it is no more and I have yet to find a comparable replacement.
Warmest regards,
Feather-craft.com is my on-line go-to (if the local doesn't have it). But I readily admit that there are plenty of times I have to hunt around.
Any of the FAOL sponsor fit the bill nicely. Check the list and don't hesitate to use any of them. No kidding, all are great suppliers with good reputations (otherwise they would be here!).
IBut to be more specific, I've had excellant experiences with Hook and Hackle (general tying supplies) and Denny at Conranch (for all your feather needs).
Happy shopping!
Tks, Steven.
Very many thanks, Joe.
out of respect for the sponsors of this site i'll choose the following
bearlodge angler
hook and hackle
stone river outfitters
none of them are perfect, but are pretty darn good for what they do
however....
there isnt one online or brick and mortar fly shop that has every one of the qualities you are requesting.
there isnt one fly shop that carries every single item the fly fishing/tying industry has to offer.
none have the prices we want to pay for the limited amount of whats in a zip lock baggie.
none of the manufacturers of fly rods and reels are going to lower the price of their products because they are now made in the orient somewhere.
none will put a small or single item in a small envelope and charge you for the stamp. its easier to get $4.95 minimum for shipping and ridiculous box.
have you tried stone river outfitters? just as good as hunters maybe even betterQuote:
Originally Posted by bluwatr
(i think stone river bought out hunters)
Norm: 1. I think I struck a nerve somehow...I do realize there isn't "the one" store out there. However, there has to be one that is "the best", at least in the opinions of the distinguished and wise tyers that I have met that visit this site.
2. I didn't want to initially come out and express my displeasure with Stone River Outfitters. When they bought out Hunter's Angling, I noted a significant drop in most of the characteristics I listed. Primarily, I felt that the quality suffered the most. In other words, I was shipped the lowest quality from the rack in order to keep the good stuff for the store - this differed significantly from the quality of materials I received when their were Hunter's Angling.
I greatly appreciate your input.
Warmest regards.
Both have received portions of my paycheck as well....Quote:
Originally Posted by Normand
might give j stockards a look as well.
Unfortunately, there is no replacement for Hunter's Angling. It really was a great store. Folks have already mentioned most of the likely substitutes (personal favorites are Feathercraft and Whitetail Supplies), but I've never found any of them to be on par with Hunter's. I should say that my experience with Stone River has been good on average, just not exemplary.
dpenrod & whatfly - I appreciate the response.
W/r.
Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, west yellowstone mt.
Ditto that. Craig and Jackie are as good as they come and they will take great care of you!Quote:
Originally Posted by flybugpa
Kelly
I don't want to offend any of the sponsor, they all provide excellent materials. But I do have to second the opinions on Blue Ribbon Flies mentioned above. They have the best hair (elk, moose, deer) I have ever laid eyes on. Their soft hackle materials are second to none too. I do wish they were a sponsor here though.
I will add another FAOL sponsor...Conranch Hackles, for top notch & hard to find hackles. Denny sent some "complimentary" hackles to the 2008 Michigan Fish-In with Jim & Deanna....I have not yet used all of mine, but I will not buy hackles from anyone else in the future. They are top of the line!
Thanks Denny!
Mike
I have my favorites and most are mentioned already. They are Hook & Hackle, Blue Ribbon Flies, Conranch Hackles (my choice for great hackles), Front Range Anglers and Yeager Fly Shop. I have purchased reels and lines from Yeager and Front Range with excellent service and shipping. Blue Ribbon has great hair, synthetic materials, marabou and game bird skins. Hook & hHackle for hooks and various other things including rod blanks etc.
Dr Bob
Since no one supplier ever has 100% of what I am after, the BEST supplier is the one willing to go out of the box to either order what I'm after, or offer a substitute that I can return if not satisfied.
To me the best online supplier is the one I can drool all over my desk looking at, then drive there and shop.
I hate waiting for shipments. ;)
But there is only one store near me.
So far I call it "The $300 Store". :roll:
Realistically, I think you're doing yourself a disservice if you expect to find all those qualities in the same place. For the folks i deal with, I would give you at least 6 different answers for those 6 criteria.Quote:
Originally Posted by bluwatr
Some of the places that offer the best prices may not have the widest selection of choices or extensive inventories of less frequently sold items (and you may have to wait awhile for backorders).
Some folks specialize or might be particularly strong in specific things- hackle, hair, softhackle stuff, salmon/rare feathers, specialty hooks etc. but prices may not be as good on the basic stuff.
Sometimes communication/responsiveness while always desired, is not as strong as it could be in some operations, but the quality, availability, or price of materials is maybe worth the aggravation.
Or other factors like the absence of a website, or online store for ordering, or difficult user interface may be an issue with some suppliers that otherwise offer great personal service and good quality materials at a reasonable cost.
I think the answer will vary quite a bit depending on what you're specifically looking to buy, but do agree with the other posters that the sponsors of this board are worthy of your support for the things they carry. Just my 2 cents.
mark
One other thing of note.
There are very few retailers that carry really unique items. Most carry the standard stuff from the standard suppliers/vendors/manufacturers. So choosing an online supplier is mostly picking the best service, as most of them will have similar pricing within 2-3%. The quality is usually a vendor/manufacturer issue rather than a retailer issue.
So ... an interesting question is who are the online retailers that carry unique items?
Fly Tyers Dungeon for all kinds of dubbing.
I use Cabelas, Stone River Outfitters, Conrach, and J. Stoddard. Never had any trouble with any of them.
Halomidge,
For unique fly tying items, how about Fly Tying Specialties ?
For the Full Dress Salmon Fly tiers and those that dabble in the Classic Wet flies, try www.feathersmc.com. John McLain is a great guy who has some seriously good stuff.
For the tiers who like flymphs and wets, with some dry flies throwon in for good measure try www.jimsflyco.com. Very nice materials from Cookshill Fly Tying in the UK and other great stuff from Jim Slattery.
Some unique materials can be had from www.mwflytying.com. Mike Hogue's site can be difficult to maneuver around, but the mkaterials and prices are really good.
I have purchased a lot of stuff from our sponsors and have never been disappointed.
REE
J Stockard has a great company for general fly tying equipment and materials. Conranch has great hackle. I buy some stuff from Bear's Den like SF Flash Blend. I hear great things about Fly Tyers Dungeon for Congo Hair and Water Silk. It just depends on what you want. You aren't going to get a store that has everything you want if you tye lots of varieties of flies. I have ordered from several companies, and have had good look from most all of them. I do not like to buy bucktail sight unseen. If I do I like to buy from The Saltwater Edge.
I deal mostly with Hook and Hackle for online and W. S. Hunter & Co. in Concord, NH when I want to go into a real store. I noticed several people mentioned the "old" Hunter's in New Boston, NH which was bought out and relocated by Stone River. For Westerners, I believe that George Kessel who used to work at Hunters now has a shop in Missoula Montana. If you liked Hunter's you will probably like his new shop.
I greatly appreciate the many and varied responses, especially those who shared sites and why they prefer them. I intend on keeping this thread as a reference for my future fly tying needs (and daydream-in-the-cubicle-while-the-boss-is-out sessions).
Warmest regards.
Madison River Fishing Company is another shop that I love. Their response time is fast and customer service second to none. You can speak with someone directly and not get a voicemail. Great Folks.
http://www.mrfc.com/MadisonRiverMont...g/Default.aspx
Good luck in your search. I'm fortunate to have a full service fly shop where I live and they take the best care of me. Fair prices and no shipping costs. If they don't have it they will find it. Jimmy's All Season Anglers in Idaho Falls, Idaho: http://jimmysflyshop.com/
Kelly.
Kelly,
Next time your in Jimmy's, say hello to my money for me. VEE and I made several trips to Jimmy's while attending the Fly Tying Expo. What a great shop! When we hit a fly shop we usually have to look really hard to find stuff to buy. Not at Jimmy's. He had some really cool stuff we hadn't seen before.
You can also let them know I'll be sending them a bill for advertising the shop by wearing my Jimmy's T-Shirts. ;)
REE