With a lot of responses to the recent 'decline in local tackle shops', I wondered about a different spin on the question....how about some recommendations to other forum members of good tackle shops still going who provide an excellent service....my personal recommendation is the Fly Fishing Shop in Bakewell Bakewell Flyfishing
This is an independent, small shop with loads of local knowledge and plenty of tackle...

John Norris at Penrith.
www.johnnorris.co.uk/
Manage to run an internet business and a quality shop. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.
I bought a couple of budget rods in a sale for pennies. One tip snapped and one reel seat ring jammed. They replaced one rod and replaced the entire butt on the other, foc and without query. Most places would give you a "what do you expect?"
(Price of the clothing though, terrifies me. I mean, wellies for £295? Who can afford to buy this stuff?)

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"Take not out your 'ounds on a werry windy day" Surtees.

Now long gone, but Leach's in Chelmsford was the place when I was starting out. Veal's in Bristol is pretty good, but preferred their Old Market branch to the new one, as a shop that is.

bakewell have another shop in stockport called stockport fly fishing shop a great shop really helpful with all needs and waters around the north west

Didn't know they were the same company. Nice bloke at Stockport and as you say, very informative about local waters.

Do you happen to know what happened to that shop in Hale or Hale Barns?

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"Take not out your 'ounds on a werry windy day" Surtees.

Echo that for Bakewell Fly Fishing. Not great but still good is Orvis in Bakewell upstairs they have knowledgable assistants who actually fish.

Walkers of Trowell still gets a vote from me, even though John Walker died years ago. Good stock and having incorporated Tom Saville's they are pretty good for fly tying materials too, especially capes. They let you rummage through boxes full of top grade capes, if you are seriously looking for something unusual or special.

Is Gerry's of Wimbledon still in existence? That was always very good. My big game mates used to go there for Rapala type lures that were about the size of wine bottles...

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

The shop in hale wasnt doing so well so he sold up and got another job was a good little shop with great back ground information on the areas around for fishing shame really

hi
just my twopence ,worth
has to be -angler,s choice [DUNDEE] nothing ,is to much trouble , bend over backward,s ?? to help you out , honestly ,i am just a happy customer and nothing else..
harry.

Gerrys is still operating. Not great for game fishing equipment but ideal for carp gear etc.

Here are my favourites for what it is worth.

Both the Orvis shop and Robjents in Stockbridge, Wilts - they clearly don't like each other much (!) but both offer broadly the same "old world" atmospheric shopping experience whilst still stocking some excellent stuff, and are both staffed by people who really know something about customer service. To top it all, just twenty yards down the road is a tributary of the nearby Test which comes out from under the high street which is regularly inhabited by huge browns, rainbows and grayling that will show a spectacular display for the price of throwing in a few pieces of (hookless!) bread. What better appetite whetter of a spending spree in a fly shop! I stop off at both of these places once a year to treat myself.

For locality, wide-ranging and up-to-date stock and again truly excellent service, Garry Evans in Cardiff. These chaps really pull the stops out on the customer service front when required and the prices are often very keen to boot.

Lastly, I personally don't think that any "great tackle shop" thread could be complete without a mention of Sweet's in Usk. It is hard to describe to those who have never been, and to be honest I think to do so would spoil the experience! This is a truly unique little place, and I mean little! Go there expecting encyclopaedic knowledge of the Usk, its fish and flylife, a very nice chat with Jean and perhaps a very good cup of tea. Buscuits and toys have appeared when I have had my boys in tow. The physical stock is somewhat limited, but this place makes up for it in so many other ways. In amongst the rather eclectic stock lie a few hidden treasures for thse who take the trouble to look.

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strikealight


Dynamite fishing is always effective.