My Wife Thinks The World Is Ending

[Al Agnew]

It's happened over and over again. The big box stores come in, selling stuff cheaper with good, sometimes better selection than the local store that's been there a long time. They run the local stores out of business. Then their prices go up and their selection goes down to the best selling brands only. And they're the only game in town. I'd love to shop the local tackle shops...except there are very few local tackle shops left, and of those that ARE left, they've had to cut their inventory down to just the best-selling items as well; they can't gamble upon a more obscure item that might or might not sell. The only thing that's saving those of us who look for those obscure items is the rise of internet sales.

I still shop at Paul's Bait and Tackle in St. Louis, the epitome of the local tackle shop, but they don't always have what I want...I have to buy it at BPS or Cabelas or order it online. I still shop at Dunn's, which used to be the mecca for those of us living to the south of St. Louis. I will certainly continue to buy most of my flyfishing stuff from Hargroves. Walmart? I can't remember the last time I bought a piece of fishing tackle at Walmart. But I did buy a camouflage head net thing there the other day for two bucks.

[Gavin]

T. Hargrove Fly Fishing...9024 Manchester Rd...is a one of a kind fly shop...Denny Dennis in Fenton isnt bad...Jerry's Bait & Tackle in Highland, IL has some unique stuff...Paul's Bait & Tackle in S. City used to be good....but there isnt anything on the pegs anymore. Wonder how long they are gonna last.

[Justin Spencer]

Got sucked in to the Wal-Mart trap yesterday. Needed a size 8 hunting jacket for my son and couldn't find it elsewhere. Somehow going in for a 24 dollar coat ended up with a 79 dollar bill, I'm ashamed of myself but it's just so easy. Didn't buy any fishing tackle though!

[rainbow]

Years ago the best place in STL for fishing gear was Grandpa Pidgeons. Maybe not the high end fly rod but they had affordable gear the average fishermen needed and lots of it. I know you high dollar equipment guys won't agree but we used to buy a lot of gear from them. Plus where could you buy a new rod, some tackle, have lunch and change your oil on the parking lot.

[Gavin]

I agree...Grandpa Pigeons was great...I have many fond memories of the place..Think the one on Watson is an Aldi now. What a shame.

[Outside Bend]

With the folks talking about the Grandpa's stores, maybe nostalgia plays some part too. I still go into Paul's periodically, if for no other reason than it's the store my dad took me, and the store my grandpa took my dad. I don't know about the gear side, but some of the big flyshops and mail order places, like Dan Bailey and even Feather-Craft, are servicing third and fourth generation customers.

[rainbow]

I like Paul's too but their selection is not like it used to be. still a great place to visit and tell fish stories. Couple years ago my snagging rod need new rod clips and they have a guy who fixes rods and he did a great job at a fair price. Can't get that at a big box store. Other than Grandpa's and Central Hardware the only place to buy fishing gear when I was a kid was in local bait shops which have all but disappeared. Grandpa's does bring back some great memories. Their little diner in front was pretty good too on the Rock Road.

[Sunfish45]

Here in Southeast Texas (Houston) we have two BPS but no Cabela’s store. We also have numerous Academy stores, 3 Gander Mountain Stores, 2 Orvis Shops, and 4 independent fishing / fly shops. I know the local BPS stores are trying to hire knowledgeable staff for the fly shop and they have weekly casting and fly tying classes at no cost. They also donate gear to our local fly club’s (The Texas Fly Fishers) fund raisers. Several months ago, drove up to Cabela's in Buda, Texas to buy some Simms waders that are in the catalog. They did not have one pair of Simms in the store, plenty of their own brand however. I still spent close to $500.00 dollars in the store...Ralph

[strangercreek]

Supposed to be but I haven't seen any action yet. Just went by the old Southtown bait. Heard they were going to rebuild too. Nothing but a concrete pad with a for sale sign.

I wish we had a Roger's down here like in Liberty. That is a true hunting and fishing store. No running shoes or baseball bats for sale in there! No bbq grills or workout equipment. Just everything a hunter or fisherman could ever want. And lots of it!

Rogers is a good store. I bought my Bass Hunter 2 man boat there this last spring and got a really good deal on it. They have carried some fly stuff off and on over the years but it would be cool to see them dedicate a small corner of the shop for fly fishing. They carried a bunch of Martin stuff for a while. The new building is nice to, lots of stuff

[ness]

Here in Southeast Texas (Houston) we have two BPS but no Cabela’s store. We also have numerous Academy stores, 3 Gander Mountain Stores, 2 Orvis Shops, and 4 independent fishing / fly shops. I know the local BPS stores are trying to hire knowledgeable staff for the fly shop and they have weekly casting and fly tying classes at no cost. They also donate gear to our local fly club’s (The Texas Fly Fishers) fund raisers. Several months ago, drove up to Cabela's in Buda, Texas to buy some Simms waders that are in the catalog. They did not have one pair of Simms in the store, plenty of their own brand however. I still spent close to $500.00 dollars in the store...Ralph

Yeah -- I'll never go into Cabela's to buy a specific/sized thing anymore. They just don't carry enough stock, and they adjust inventory seasonally, so sometimes it's more limited than others. Off the top of my head, I can remember not being able to buy specific brands/sizes of waders, boots, fly line, hackle, tippet, flies and a rain jacket at the Cabela's 15 minutes from my house. All the stuff was available online though. Still bought some stuff -- like fudge or candy-coated nuts -- and handled some shotguns over in the gun library, so it wasn't a total bust.

Last time I made a substantial tackle purchase I called Tim's Flyshop in Cassville, MO, talked to him about what I needed and he had it drop-shipped to my house from the manufacturer. That was a pretty easy and fair transaction.