THE FLY FISHING SHOP
Fish On!
If you’re serious about fly fishing, you’re serious about your fishing tackle. You want to get the best gear possible and get to fishing right away! That’s why The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches might be the most perfectly located fishing supply in the world. Since opening in 1981 they’ve offered easy, close-in access to Sandy River fishing, guides for hire, trips to take, and classes to help you master the old and subtle art of fly fishing.
You’ll want to get a cup of their free coffee and settle in for a session, because they carry 25,000 flies in stock, 130 rods, and everything else you could ever need to bring fish to your hook. Need a spey fly or a string leech? Maybe a purple flash-a-bugger? They have them. If you’re not a fisherman, but know someone who is, the Fly Fishing Shop has a great selection of the finest accessories for the fly angler. Nothing would say “Happy Birthday” to your favorite angler better than a new gear pouch or a warm pair of Patagonia socks.
Did you know that the first book in English about fishing was written by a nun more than 500 years ago? The Fly Fishing Shop does. Her name was Dame Juliana Berners, and she wrote The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle in 1496. At one point she describes how to forge a fishhook from a needle. Luckily, women who love to fly fish don’t have to resort to that any more, but can check out a great selection of rods, waders, and clothing created for them.
There isn’t just tackle to be had at The Fly Fishing Shop, but probably the most enjoyable fishing lessons you’ll ever have. The owners, Patty Barnes and Mark Bachmann, know all the ways fishing is good for you. They know fly fishing is a relaxing open-air sport of true artistry. They also encourage anglers old and new in ways to fish well, to the benefit of fish and the environment in which the fish (and you) live. The shop’s website, www.flyfishusa.com, has many excellent articles and stories, photos galore, and a truly impressive amount of information. If you’ve ever wished you had a pattern for tying a tube fly, the website has a page with over a dozen.
Marmot Dam’s recent demolition is still in removal and cleanup at press time. When that’s through this fall, the Sandy River will flow free for the first time since the dam was built in 1913. A new wilderness conservation area along the river will return to its natural state, and salmon and steelhead will begin to run as plentifully as they did long ago. Meanwhile, the Fly Fishing Shop stands ready to keep you informed and supplied. But no matter where you like to fish, from Alaska to Mexico and even farther or right here in the Villages of Mt Hood, they’ve got what you need and what you need to know!
The Fly Fishing Shop
67296 East Hwy 26
Welches, OR 97067
503-622-4607 or 1-800-266-3971
www.flyfishusa.com
September/October 2007
(Most of the stories) in this issue were written by Andrée Larson. Andrée grew up in the Portland/Vancouver area. She earned an MA in Art History at the University of Oregon, and writes about the history and culture of people and communities. She’s spent time in Europe and on the East Coast, and says the Pacific Northwest is hands down the best place to live. She currently lives in Tacoma with her husband, an artist.
