I took the Commuter Train up to West Concord this morning to check out the fly shop, Concord Outfitters. They have stellar reviews online, filled with praise for the helpful staff, so I had high expectations.
I’ve actually been up to this area before to fish in the local Assabet and Sudbury Rivers and miscellaneous streams in the fall of last year. I had brought up my bike on the train and spent the day cycling along the trails and paths, throwing small Panther Martins where I could find enough water to make an attempt. Didn’t catch any trout, but did land my first couple of fallfish. It’s a charming area that is fun to wander through.
This time, I went with the sole purpose of checking out this fly shop to determine if it will be my “local fly shop.”
Right away I could tell I will be a regular. It’s clearly a good quality store, very clean, quality goods, and competitive prices (even with online sellers).
But what made my decision was how helpful the staff was. In particular, Dylan patiently walked me through choosing out a beginner set of flies, explaining why he chose what he did, other options or alternatives, and how and when to use each fly. He answered all of my newbie questions without any sense of annoyance and was patient as I recorded what flies he was putting in my box in the Notes app of my phone. I am incredibly grateful for his help and he offered it to everyone he spoke with, even offering to chat with them on the phone if they needed general help or guidance in the future. I also chatted with the owner Andy as I checked out, and he gave me some pointers and online learning resources. Overall, the guys who run this shop are decent humans and I look forward to seeing them again soon.