Fishing Stores - is there an art to picking the right fishing store?

Ultimately, does your choice of fishing store matter? I would have to say yes, undoubtedly, whole-heartedly and without reservation - Yes, your choice of fishing store matters immensely. Let me explain why.

There are many excellet fishing stores online, however part of the joy of fishing for many people lies in the ability to actually talk to someone who knows more than them. It is a learning experience that continues throughout the life of a fisherman. It is a foolish fisherman indeed who believes that he know everything there is to know about the sport. When you go to a local fishing store you should (and I emphasis should for a reason) meet people who are knowledgeable about two things. One is the equipment they are selling. They generally know a lot about the tackle, have tried the rods and reels, possibly even been on courses run by some of the bigger manufacturers. Working in fishing stores generally doesn't pay well so the people there are generally there because they love fishing. They usually benefit from a generous employee discount scheme which helps them enjoy their sport all the more. These guys are there because they want to be there, and that means they want to help you, the fisherman, get the most from his shopping experience.

The second thing that the people at your local fishing stores should be knowledgable about is the local fishing. What you can fish for, where to fish for it, what time of day to fish which stretches of water and what lure or fly will reap the best rewards at a particular time of year. This is information you cannot buy, you can only gather and learn by working with and talking to other fishermen over a long period of time. Who are these "other fishermen"? Why, the clientel of the fishing stores of course. Just like you, there are fishermen going in and out of their local fishing stores every day. Quality staff cannot help but pick up tid-bits of information from them at the same time as they are in turn sharing other information. The bi-directional flow enriches all, and you are the one to benefit from it. Ultimately, where that is concerned, the smaller the fishing store the better. The familiy run home-town fishing store is the ultimate source of local fishing information, and it should be worth that extra 1 cent per hook that you may have to pay them over driving into the city and buying from the supermarket!

Strangely enough, the local store is often cheaper than you might expect, often matching and even beating the big chains on many items. Also, please don't be tempted to learn about the equipment locally and then buy online for a few bucks saving, even if we are talking a several hundred dollar purchase. At least give the local fishing stores the chance to compete. If you have already built a relationship with your local fishing store (and it is one worth fostering) then they will not be offended if you explain that that new rod you are considering is great, but it is available online at xxx site for $30 dollars less. Now you are giving them the chance to compete - and believe me, there are precious few local stores who will not consider the fact that a several hundred dollar sale is worth a sacrifice of that $30, provided it leaves them some profit margin. After all, no-one is in business to make a loss, no matter how much the fishing store owner may like you...