Free Hats?

[PaulM]

How many of you guys get a free hat from your local fly shop? After spending some serious cash over the past few years, I've yet to get a free hat from any of the local fly shops.

On the flip side, I have 3 caps from fly shops and stores I've purchased products from over the net.

Hmmm....

[ridderbos3]

Hey now wait a minute......Me too.

[ELKHUNTER]

I have never gotten a hat that i did not have to pay for.You would think that if a guy plops down several hundred dollars in one swoop they would offer a hat.All of my fly shop hats came at an added premium price.However when i bought my G-LOOMIS GLX for steelhead the shop owner asked what kind of line i used and he gave me at no charge a brand new spool of premium Cortland line and about a dozen Cortland tapered leaders to try.This shop gets alot of my return business now.You would think that the shop ownwers would give out a hat if a guy spent over a hundred bucks or so in his shop.Wearing those hats on the river is good advertising.

Rocky

[OkieBass133]

I'm picky about my hats, if I got a free one from my shop I probably wouldn't wear it. They do however give you a free T-shirt on your birthday. They know the value of cheap advertising lol

[FlyingCarp]

Paul,
I just stopped at a fly shop on the Salmon river here in NY. The deal was, buy 2 Frog Hair products or two Gamma products and receive a free(Frog Hair or Gamma)hat of your choice. I bought a Frog Hair leader and flourocarbon tippet material and got a new hat. It probaably wasn't a shop promo but I came out w/ a hat. Not sure about Frog Hair or any flourocarbon but I'm trying it this friday w/ fingers crossed.

------------------
Land Em',
Carp

[gonfishn]

I was looking at a new rod a few years ago at a flyshop in Canada ended up walking put with a new legend ultra for about ten bucks less than south of the border and the dealer threw in a new airflo polyfuse line and a half dozen flies.Now I always shop around at the end of the season when shops are willing to play"lets make a deal "so they don't have to carry inventory over the winter.

[ohiotuber]

I got a free hat from RIO. After using their Clouser WF8F line, I emailed them some positive feedback & asked how to order a hat as shown on their website (with no ordering info). I got an email back telling me my hat was on the way. Real nice surprise!
Mike

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

I am with tyflier . Nice discount and good advice are worth more to me than another hat . The discount would buy me several new hats if I needed them , I don't .

[Jed]

Promotions are usually sponsored by the manufacturer. Small shops can not afford that kind of deal. I've gotten hats from Thomas and Thomas, Royal Wulff etc., but never from my local shop. Maybe one of the reasons I like shopping there is because it doesn't look like he does it for money, but more because fishing and hunting is his passion and he basically gets by, but not much more than that.

jed

[2_left_hands]

My son and I stopped by Powell Rods office last year and I bought a new three piece five weight. The owner through in a hat for me and my son plus a reel.