Streamer Lovefest at Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher always draws in a great crowd of fly anglers.

Who Doesn't Love the Tying Section at Their Local Fly Shop?

There's plenty to stoke customers' imaginations for new fly designs, and for shop owners, it presents some of the best opportunities in the shop for cross-selling.

We reached out to several owners of iconic fly shops in the United States to learn and share some of the things they do to boost their fly tying sales.

1. Walk the Talk. 

Dally's head guide and Umpqua Fly designer Chad Johnson teaching advanced streamer tying for the FFF Southern Council Fly Fishing Fair in Mountain Home, AR. Photo by Steve Dally.

"Becoming a shop known for fly tying starts with commitment to an inventory that shows you take this stuff seriously.

"Having staffers who can walk the talk is equally important. The details and intricacies mean fly tyers can spot a fake pretty quickly. We are lucky with four company fly designers on our guide roster but having passionate tyers in the shop everyday is hugely important.

"We partnered up early on with our mate Brian Wise to take the expertise we had locally to the world via YouTube videos which have been hugely successful in our national reputation.

"But even more critical has been the local hands-on approach through our classes or even spur of the moment teaching. Our fly tying-themed annual party the Streamer Lovefest (January 27, 2018) sets the tone of our year: passion, excitement and whole lot of fun.

"Nothing beats sharing that knowledge over a vise and a pile of feathers and fluff in the shop, at events or shows, or even a bar. That is what makes a good fly tying shop."

— Steve Dally: Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher; Cotter, AR.

2. Use Video and Social Media.

"Customers love to see colors and textures of a given fly tying material. Making a simple video of a material like Faux Bucktail by laying all the colors out on a table and showing customers each color is a simple way to accomplish this.

"You can add a couple of fly options in the video to show where exactly on the fly the material is. This doesn't take the setup required to make a fly tying instructional but it will pay dividends."

—Chris Daughters: Caddis Fly Shop; Eugene, OR.

3. Show How It's Done. 

DRO guide J.E.B. Hall tying up some nymphs.

"We tie new fly patterns with Flymen tying materials and place them near the products to further pique interest and spark ideas in fly tyers' minds."

—Kevin Howell: Davidson River Outfitters; Pisgah Forest, NC.

4. Host Various Types of Community Events.

"The Caddis Fly has held fly fishing and fly tying classes for years but one of the most fun classes/events we have done is a kids' fly tying birthday party. We set up a table with 10 or so stations and the birthday child invites a bunch of friends to the shop.

Fly tying nights: Your key to customer engagement in the winter season.

"The shop get kids and parents in the shop, and for most, it's their first time. They get a chance to visit your store, and for many of the children, it's an introduction to fly tying that may spark them for more."

—Chris Daughters: Caddis Fly Shop; Eugene, OR.

Stay tuned for new posts on the Flymen Partners Blog.

About Caleb Welborn:

Caleb mostly points a camera at anything fishy and drinks coffee. When not fly fishing, he enjoys mountain biking and writing silly songs.