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Posted

Has anyone else ever wondered why there is not a dedicated fly shop somewhere in the Montauk area? Or wished for one?

There are a couple of shops at Taneycomo, several at Bennett, and one at Roaring River. I wonder why not at Montauk?

There is the state park store and they have some supplies but its not the same thing as a real fly shop.

Greg

"My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it" - Koos Brandt

Greg Mitchell

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Posted

Not enough room in the cramped up store is one reason and no one who workers there has enough fishing knowledge to stock it reason two, and they cater to a different type crowd in that area. But the second is the most likely of the two. No one knows anything about trout fishing in the store, just collect $$$$$.

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Posted

Each time I was there, I stopped at Reeds Cabin Shop, just before entering the park. The gentleman there in the cowboy hat used to be the hatchery manager at Montauk for many years. I've also seen him working at the lodge shop. Interesting information from him about raising trout and a really nice guy. Then, of course is the lodge, for flies, supplies, etc.

But, as you say, there is no full-fledged fly shop in the area. It would make a nice niche opportunity for anyone who has aspirations to own a fly shop someday.

Don

Don May

I caught you a delicious bass.

Posted

cahill cabins is for sale if anyone would want to start up a flyshop its at vv and 13? would be an awesome opprotunity and fun at the same time :)

Reeds though is the best bet, my parents and grandparents have known all the owners of the cabins and the newest owners (kelly and art) have done an excellent job with the place with the new shop, cabin/ ground improvements etc. They are really great people and have a better selection i thought than the park?

Posted

A fly shop at Montauk would be tough. As watcher said, it would be tough to find people to help staff it. Montauk is a nice place for a vacation, but who really want to live there? Not me. Cheers.

Posted

I always thought Rolla would be a good location with its proximity to the Current, Meremac, Little Piney, Mill and Spring creeks. Plus it is a larger town and has the University. Probably not enough interest in the area to support it locally though.

www.elevenpointflyfishing.com

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Posted

Montauk is more of a "remote" destination than many of the other areas mentioned. Most of the Park visitors come from areas like St. Louis that have great fly shops. You don't just stumble into Montauk and decide to fly fish and need a rod and reel. A successful fly shop needs a steady income to stay alive. Montuak would have to make its living March thru October unless the catch and release season is extended there like at Meramac. I hail from the Cape Girardeau area and we have nothing that resembles a fly shop. I shop mail order or drive to St. Louis for all of my supplies. At least the store at Montauk is carrying some of the basics to keep you going if you need something. As for the comment about no one at the Montauk store knowing anything about fly fishing, I hope they don't read this forum and get offended. Some of those guys fish it more than anyone else and know the insect cycles well. They just tire of getting asked what type of glo ball to use or what flavor of cheese are they hitting. Take a few minutes and ask the old guy what fly he suggests.

:P

"Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously."

— Hunter S. Thompson

Posted

I see your point about it being a remote location. But I would argue that roaring river is pretty close to the same and there is a nice fly shop there (Tim's fly shop).

Also I personally did not mean to put down the park store or the employees there at all. For what it is the park store is pretty good. But it's not like a fly shop that caters to fly fisherman.

Greg

"My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it" - Koos Brandt

Greg Mitchell

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Posted

As bad as the tackle situation is at Montauk, Meramec is the worst. If you rate Bennett as the benchmark. I haven't seen another area anywere were fly and fishing tackle, camp gounds, hotel rooms are so abundant, well stocked and run by such friendly and knowledgable people. Anywere

  • 5 years later...
Posted

Could it be possible multiple reasons prevent a large scale fly shop from thriving at Montauk?

1) The shop at Montauk caters to what sells and markets to the summer tourist crowd? a.k.a marketing?

2) If I had a great fishing hole and knew what was the best fly to use, i'd be hesitant to openly share and promote that info with every stranger and or tourist to the area.

(Keep the fishing pressure down).

I personally know of people in the Montauk area that have more education, have more experience at fly fishing, experience at business management, and are completely capable, and highly qualified of running a fly shop, more than what I can say of some of the large scale fly shop employees in larger cities.

Food for thought.

"In golf as in life it is the follow through that makes the difference."-unknown

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