Anglers Pro in Souderton

[jrmyln]

i have not been in this shop in years and decided to stop by today. I heard that it was under new ownership and was curious to see what has changed. When you walk up you are no longer second guessing whether they are open or not. I didn't even have to call anyone to open the door. Once inside everything is clean and well lit. Everything is well organized and easy to find. The new owner was outside touching up on the plowing and came inside to introduce himself. Although new to the area and to fly fishing, he presented himself just as though he's been in the business his whole life. Stock in the store is current although you can still find a lot of the beloved Sage XP's among other favorites at a good discount. They will be carrying additional brands such as Scott, Hatch, Cheeky, and Edge Rods instead of just Sage and Abel.
There is a possibility of a casting pond being built and special events.
They will also be offering a small selection of conventional/spinning gear that is hard to find these days locally.
After an hour chatting with the new owners I was quite impressed with what they have done as well as what they have planned for the future. If you're ever in the area, stop in. You won't be disappointed.

 

[AFISHN]

Thanks for the report.I'll be in the Souderton Area on Wednesday and will definitely stop in

 

[schiff]

Thanks for that info. I did not know the status of this shop.
Only went there a couple times over the years and never felt welcome. I will definitely swing by now, as it will be nice to have a shop close by.

 

[poopdeck]

Is that the A frame looking chalet building? If it is I thought it ceased being a fly shop 15 years ago. When that first opened, im gueing in the 80's, my dad would go one night a week where they had fly tying meetings. No paying for classes, no structured class for a set number of hours and weeks, it was just a night set aside for people to come and tie flies with others if they cared to. It seemed like a good place when it opened and then it took a nose dive into the ground and was, or at least looked like a vacant building for years.

If it is the same place I will be swinging by for nostalgia next weekend

 

[fishngun]

Nice to hear. One of the reasons I stopped going there prior to Bill's death was that it seemed he was always saying "I can order that in for you." I can order it in too I always though. I did continue to go there for some things and often stopped in just to chat as it was the local shop and I believe in supporting them. It's nice to hear the shop may be becoming a viable option for a real shop again. Hopefully we can get the tying section updated, restocked, and improved.

 

[sandfly]

I can remember working for both Herb and Bill. I started working pt for herb at the Lansdale shop before he moved there along with Kenny Schramm.

 

[fishngun]

Poopdeck, it is the same place. While Bill was alive he still had the tying nights from what I understand, although he had hinted that they weren't what they had once been. I know that he did the majority of his business online in an effort to compete with the global internet market. With business, location is one very important key factor and unfortunately the shop doesn't sit in destination location, which is one of the big reasons I made a point of dropping in for stupid little stuff even if I didn't need it. I really hope this new guy can keep the doors open and make it a nice long lived shop. It sucks not having a decent shop nearby and I would love for this one to become one. I'd be interested in attending tying nights if they were to resurface there again as well.

 

[PatrickC]

fishngun wrote:
One of the reasons I stopped going there prior to Bill's death was that it seemed he was always saying "I can order that in for you." I can order it in too I always though. I did continue to go there for some things and often stopped in just to chat as it was the local shop and I believe in supporting them.

This is why small shops close. Of course you can order it in, and maybe save a couple of bucks. BUT, if you like the shop and want it to be there to answer your questions and have the small things you need immediately, you let them order it for you. This increases the revenues needed to continue to provide you the full service that you want. And no one in small business in this day and age can afford to keep every expensive item in stock. Companies are less likely to consign those items to the shop as they used to be.

Support the shop, even when you can order it in yourself. The shop can then continue to provide you with stream advice, hatch reports, casting advice, and helping you decide on what equipment will work for you. That is the service everyone complains is no longer present in the American market place these days. We often fail to see why that kind of customer service has disappeared and the role we likely played in it.

Food for thought. Support the new shop owner and he'll be there for years to come.

 

[fishngun]

I agree with what you say. I did go in and spend money there. I actually was one of the most faithful, steady customers he had from what he said to me one night while bellying up to a bar. It wasn't that it was an occasional "i can order that in for you." It was actually more common to have him order it than it was to have him have it in stock. As mentioned in one of my posts, he did a large portion of his business on line and a large part of it was selling large lots of discontinued products like the XP, the original G3 waders when they redesigned them, lines, etc. He also catered more towards the saltwater scene as that's where his interests lay. Believe me, I was able to get plenty of information as well as tips and locations from him over the years, as well as a standing offer of spending time together on the water if he could get away. Please don't take my post as a complaint or criticism of the shop or that I didn't support it/him. It is what it is and simply a honest comment on my relationship with the shop and it's owner.

 

[timmyt]

Do they have a good selection of flies available? I need to get a few things maybe i will swing by there, havent been there in years

 

[Chaz]

timmyt wrote:
Do they have a good selection of flies available? I need to get a few things maybe i will swing by there, havent been there in years

I was surprised when I stopped by the shop 2 weeks ago and found it not only open, but the whole place had been refreshed. The was a complete selection of flies, I took the time to look through the flies and there are all the local patterns that guys use along with plenty of tying materials, tippet, fly lines, rods reels clothing etc.
For those that don't know Bill's widow now owns the shop. All this has come about since Bill's passing. It was kept up well at all when Bill had it. I plan on stoping by more often now, because I never could find anything in the place in the more recent past.

 

[fishngun]

Chaz, that's great news. I'm glad to hear she's headed in the right direction with it. I knew she had planned to keep it open, somehow, but I also know she wasn't sure how or what to do with it. Sounds to me like she either got or found some good suggestions or direction. I'm very pleased to hear about the fly and tying selection. When Bill was still alive he let the fly selection get pretty slim due to lack of people going in and buying them.

I wonder if some kind of event held there wouldn't bring more awareness to the shops existence as well as potential future customers? Maybe something to explore with the current owner.

 

[poopdeck]

This is why small shops close. Of course you can order it in, and maybe save a couple of bucks. BUT, if you like the shop and want it to be there to answer your questions and have the small things you need immediately, you let them order it for you. This increases the revenues needed to continue to provide you the full service that you want. And no one in small business in this day and age can afford to keep every expensive item in stock. Companies are less likely to consign those items to the shop as they used to be.

Support the shop, even when you can order it in yourself. The shop can then continue to provide you with stream advice, hatch reports, casting advice, and helping you decide on what equipment will work for you. That is the service everyone complains is no longer present in the American market place these days. We often fail to see why that kind of customer service has disappeared and the role we likely played in it.

Food for thought. Support the new shop owner and he'll be there for years to come.

Why when a small shop closes do people always seem to think its because customers are not supporting the shop. I feel a business should support the customers if they want to stay open. If you want to have customers offer a full inventory all the time and customers will come. I was going to go there today but they were closed. I don't need anything but if it is a well stocked shop I would have bought some things I didn't need. I will head there next Saturday, needing nothing, and ill see what I come home with. I frequently go into shops with moey in my pocket and I leave with money in my pocket because of a lack of inventory.

If you want return customers offer a service that makes them come in in first place. This shop use to have a friendly tying night. People would go there, tie, chit chat, and buy materials. I'm pretty sure my dad started tying because of this service so it expanded the businesses customer base. Now everybody wants to sell you a 7 week fly tying course. How about free casting lessons to increase your customer base? Not anymore buy an exspensive getup and then we will sell you a casting lesson.

People find starting out fly fishing difficult. This is largely do to the superiority among anglers FFmen use to hold themselves. Wouldn't it make sense to mainstream FFing and make it easy for beginners to get involved in?

This location has no destination streams. In fact I can't think of one stream in souderton. However, there is a significant increased interest in fly fishing in the area and it has an good dense population of outdoorsey types. It can work but it needs a new old way of doing things.

 

[jrmyln]

Hours are 12-5 On Saturday until Spring

 

[Sylvaneous]

I was interesed in this thread. I used to live in the Lehigh Valley. I think I went there once. Being in the person-dense part of PA that it is, that will help. But it's in the 'burbs and maybe, what, 1/2 hour from the Lehigh Valley and the Tulley, which already have their own fly shops.
BTW, are there any fly shops left in the Lehigh Valley? Back at the turn of the century (the 21st, not the 20th) when I was there, there were 3. I don't really have any around me up here in the NW of PA. Not many people and what are here are not making much $$$. The only one I know of being consistently open and stocked is Neshannock. Other than Erie's 2 big box stores, I don't have anywhere to pick anything up that is at all convenient. So be happy you have some nearby to frequent.

syl

 

[Chaz]

For those interested the Shop has restarted the Thursday evening Fly Tying.
As for why shops fail there is a myriad of cause it's never just one thing. I'n my opinion if this shop failed it was because the past owner didn't have regular hours. That and the inventory was old and tired.
Other shops that I've seen fail just had a lack of ownership personality, or lack of inventory at the wrong time of the year, too small to support a large customer base, they were hobbyist trying to start a retail business, obviously under capitalized, or some other thing. Location enters into the equation, but I'd say a lack of understanding how the retail industry works is the major reason shops fail. Of course internet sales enter into the equation too, but a person with a good knowledge of how the I-net works and how retail works can succeed.

 

[codym21]

So they will be doing tying every Thursday night now? I've heard different. They had a good thing going with this.

 

[Chaz]

codym21 wrote:
So they will be doing tying every Thursday night now? I've heard different. They had a good thing going with this.

I can only report what I was told by the owner. Give the shop a call if you worry that you'll show up and they aren't having it.

 

[poopdeck]

I remember when they built the building. I have family that still lives on cherry street a few blocks away from the shop. My father was from Telford and when he retired he moved back to Telford just on the other side of 113. The stire was nice when it first opened but very quickly turned into a dump. For years it looked decrepit and empty. This shop can make it since the area has a lot of people who will spend money in a local shop as they prepare to head to their destination stream for a fishing trip. I know when i take a trip to a particular area to fish i try to go with everythjng i need so as not to leave things to chance. I'm excited to visit the shop.

 

[Bamboozle]

Sylvaneous wrote:BTW, are there any fly shops left in the Lehigh Valley?

Depending on your definition of “fly shop”, the Lehigh Valley (proper) has .54 or none.

In recent history, there were two Nestor’s shops, an Orvis store at three different locations, L.L. Bean (when they first opened) and of course the Little Lehigh Fly Shop which purposely had a very limited selection of everything.

Since that time, Nestor’s went out of business, the final Orvis location closed, L.L. Bean reduced inventory to the point where it is not much better than Wal-Mart’s fly fishing selection and the Little Lehigh Fly Shop became the Heritage Fly Shop still with a very limited selection of everything but a wiliness to order anything.

Fortunately, at this point in my life I buy almost 100% online and almost never need to walk into a fly shop to “see” something. When I do, I just wait until I end up somewhere where there IS a fly shop (Delco, Poconos, Virginia) although most of them are just OK at best.

I will stop at Angler’s Pro Shop if I get down that way.