Jeff,
We've all been there!

The last job I had took me through a large portion of upstate New York and I made it a point to visit some of the fly shops along my route. I've tried to determine why some owners and employees display what is perceived to be the "attitudes" you have described. I can think of a lot of reasons but can't nail it down.

This one stands out though,IMHO the shop owners, particularly new ones and the fisher are actually intimidated by eachother, at least for a while. Selling fishing tackle is not like selling hamburger...Its more like selling aged tenderloin steaks. The butcher is darn shure that he knows his business better than his customer. He exudes confidence and is always in control...and that's what the customer wants. Occasionally he'll come up against a customer that knows or thinks he knows tenderloin steaks and intimidation results but the butcher has the cleaver.

In most cases, the tackle shop owner does not know everything...he knows he doesn't and he feels intimidated by the fisher who heaven fobid might know something that he doesn't. IMHO a wise owner will take a laid back attitude and pick the customers brain. (assuming that he has one) he can learn something new and the customer will get a feeling of importance. The customer also learns from this exchange.

Woe to the shopkeeper who makes the mistake of trying to hide his ignorance by piling on the BS. It doesn't take a knowledgeable fisher long to spot that attitude. If he learns he over comensates and takes on the familiar haughty attitude. (he's now afraid to say anything for fear of making a mistake)

A lesser fisher will probably try to pile it higher and deeper than the owner was able to do and both become flustered...bad feelings result and if the condition is not nipped in the bud a shop can spiral down into oblivion.

I have seen this scenario a good number of times and it is usually followed by the owners mistaken notion that someone is underselling him and he begins to offer deep discounts. He gives away his profits then finds that the work he is putting in is not worth the time spent. And another shop slides into the frog pond.

If the new shop owner is the only one around we should be thankful that he's there and treat him with kid gloves. He'll become an asset to our fraternity if supported.

What do you think?

Ol' Bill