Im a newbie and I have found that this hobby can get rather expensive. Yestarday I had a chance to shop the Orvis outlet up in Delaware and all I can say is wow. I got there just before closing and while there wasnt a big selection of fishing stuff the prices are great!!! where eles can you get good flys for $1 each and salt flys for $2 each!!! Also the rods seemed much cheaper .The saleslady promises everything 40% or more less then the catalog!
Anyone eles been to a Orvis outlet?
May I be the first today to say welcome. Don’t know what part of MD you’re from, but there is a regularly scheduled three day Orivis outlet sale held (usually in the spring) out in Chantilly, VA. If you look at the Orvis site and navigate through their index you’ll be able to locate upcoming warehouse outlet sales. Now if you happen up to Vermont, the flagship store and surrounding outlets are worth the venture.
Have done several outlet sales / know your prices, but generally good deals. Have gotten some good prices on clothing as well as a few fishing items. No guaranteed inventory, so it is pot luck so to speak. Hope this helps, MPK
(HAD to edit…head cold has me in the right church, just wrong pew…thnx)
Not New Hampshire… Manchester Vermont
And they have an close-out outlet just for fly fishing stuff
It’s in the old bamboo rod manufacturing shop
Not a real lot of stuff, but worth the stop if you’re in the area
Oh yeah… welcome to the fun
Don’t listen to the guy who tells all the new folks that they need to wipe their feet.
I wear my waders in here all the time 8)
Thanks for the welcome. I went by there again today and picked up a few more flys. The gal in there once again gave me a extra 10% off.
I purchased some 4 wt Green Mt. Line ($13)there for a cheap rod I purchased in hopes my son will give it a shot. Is that Green Mt. line any good?
good deal for flies is find fly tier freind pay his meterial cost 1.50 for small flies 2.50 big one for pike.
in store its 2.50 small one and 6.00 pike i know meterial cost so were he gets prices i dont know.
i know when i get line 40 is work one name brand i use outher name one 65 bucks a roll
and usally 13 buck line is someting some has used or came of one of those chhep kits,
wish i had cabelas here there good stuff for the buck. but if u go online you get good deals.
but like u got bargin bin take coffe choclate snack to counter girl and maybe 50 perecnt of ifs shes giveing 10 percent bring gifts 50 percent. dinner is free bee.
Having been at this for a modest amount fo time I have to say that a buck a fly is no “real deal”. At the Orvis events you can get a pretty good deal at times. First of all you had better know the prices on every thing that you are buying or you will come up at a serious disadvantage.The last event I was at the hackle they had "discounted " was selling at the same price as in the catalog. They had marked it up just to mark it down. Talk about flim Flam!
Many times you can get the same product elsewhere at significantly lower costs except it wont say “Orvis” any where on it. Just because it says Orvis doesnt mean that it is a great product.
As for the “seconds” store in Manchester? It was way ,way overpriced at my last visit.
Dont get me wrong, I have a lot of good Orvis stuff. Just be aware of what you are getting. They dont make most of what they sell. You are most certainly paying for the logo and the name.
JRA,
I was going to point you to some fly shops north of Baltimore but I see you are on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. So I suggest you check out the Sponsers page here on FAOL. You can get some good deals there for flies and other equipment. Also check out the For Sale Items on the BB here too. The closest shop to me is an Orvis Company store and I do shop there if I need something quick. I have nothing against Orvis and happen to have 5 or 6 of their reels and I use their leaders and tippet and fly line too. Like the other gentleman said if you do some searching you can find deals.
Welcome to fly fishing and FAOL.
Dot
After showing someone the flys I purchased they pointed out something I didnt knoe being a newbie. A few arent on the proper size hooks . While I still came out ahead after doing some searching you guys are correct …theres mo deals out there. My problem is Im still learning so I dont always know what things should cost.
By the way perch you are correct I found sever discounted items at the Orvis outlet that are even cheaper on Orvis’ website… go figure.
JRA,
Try fishing with a Guide. You will find that you can simplify your flyfishing purchase’s to a smaller group.
Fly Shops will sell you everything and you don’t need everything.
Doug
actually the shop closest to him is pretty good, i use it also. the owner seems to only sell you what you want or will need. hes even told me that i dont need that but if i want it he would sell it to me. real nice guy
I recommend going to your local Trout Unlimited or Federation of Fly Fishers chapter meeting and ask what flies the members use. After trying and tying lots of different patterns I now find that I do the majority of my fishing with just a few patterns (I live in VA):
Shenandoah Mountain Streams, Native Brook Trout: #16 - #12 Mr. Rapidan Parachute in the spring, yellow sulfur pattern (Lt. Cahill) or caddis pattern if any are present, various ant patterns and #14 foam beetles in the summer and fall. Mr. Rapidan Nymph/Emerger or small black nymph (stonefly?).
Stocked streams: a small woolie bugger, caddis dry flies, Griffith Gnat, Bead Head Red Squirrel Tail with Legs. I try streamers if nothing else is working.
I am in the camp that thinks presentation is more important than exact matching of the hatch; just get something that is about the right size and shape, then color, although sometimes like the White Fly Hatch on PA streams you really need a White Fly pattern.
Good luck if pursuit of this obsession,
John ----#**) <)\>{
Fisherman John …I do alot of hiking up in those Mountians and yes my future plan include a few nights in the back country or in some of the cabins I rent and do alot of hiking and fishing!
A example of that is when I purchased my first rod he said youve spent enough , now go fish a then come back . Heck I purchased a tying kit today and asked him what materials do I need . He said your not gonna buy any tonight . Then he proceeded to open the book the kit had and said try this one first and proceeded to give me the materials for free and said come back with 12 of them no matter how bad and we will go from there.
I beleive it is the location of their rod manufacturing plant, even today. They have 2 ponds to test cast to and every rod they make to test. If you can make it, do. I have been their more times than I can count and still havent made it to the museum less than 100 yards downsteam from them. It is a little white building just before them while traveling north. You can also buy a lisence and fish the world famous battenkill after your visit to the shop. It’ll be tought to find a more finicky bunch of browns in the area, but the tiny brookies always keep you on your toes.
Yes, Orvis can have some nice sales, but all companies do. I love their rods, but some things I find are over priced. Most important thing to remember is always keep an eye out for good deals anywhere you go. Oh, and Welcome, you won’t be disappointed.