The Government has published a study about the decline of high street shops alongside a report by Mary Portas (she of the Mary Queen of Shops TV programme). At a time when increasing numbers of us have been getting our Christmas shopping done online, I wondered what sort of things would keep anglers going to bricks-and-mortar tackle shops. The ability to see tackle in the flesh (as it were) or even have a practice cast? The personality of the owner? The ability to have a face-to-face chat? Loyalty? Habit? Location? Prestige? Price? Comprehensive stock covering absolutely everything you might need? Objective advice? After-sales service?

Have any of you abandoned brick-and-mortar tackle shops pretty much entirely for the internet? What made you stop? What sort of things might get you to go back?

BTW, I have no current or intended future involvement in the tackle trade – I would just be interested to hear what other people think about this.

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strikealight


Dynamite fishing is always effective.

I still love the bricks-and-mortar tackle shops John Norris being one of my favorites at Penrith. I only have three decent tackle shops near where I live and I patronize them all. However it's all to easy these days to order stuff on line. Also the price of rods. reels, and lines are generally cheaper on line.

Many items of fishing tackle really are down to personal preference and where someting is so tactile, such as a rod, reel etc where we will hold it for hours at a time I still prefer to try before I buy; if not at the shop, then through a mate etc.

A

Bricks and mortar for me cant beat a jaunt to Foxons or Orvis

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Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

Unfortunately here in Lincs there is a serious lack of tackle shops unless you're into to coarse of sea fishing,so I'm forced to shop online.I do however go out my way if looking for say a rod

Neil

Internet is cheaper ,(usually), more convinient and allows for easy shopping around. No brainer for me. If i knew a shop nearby that offered the same choice and matched the prices then id go there. I reckon it all comes down to overheads, the shop has to pay them, internet guy has far fewer, a simplistc view but i believe true none the less.

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i was walking far from home, where the names are not burned along the wall, saw a building, high as heaven, but the door was so small

All my shopping done on line now, have 3 tackle shops within 3 miles and only of any use if you fish for carp. I would love to be able to drop in to a local tackle shop that sells what I need, and happy to pay a bit more for the privilege

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Jeff

We are spoiled in Edinburgh with Country Life,Gamefish,Orvis,Craftye and on the outskirts Mikes in Penicuik,with Glasgow and Stirling Angling Centres only a 45min drive away i tend only to use the net for those "irresistible" bargains,John Norris mail me and I am a sucker....always seem to order something.
I like the banter and news you get from a tackle shop and we are lucky as the Edinburgh ones are very much "Game" orientated.

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BROWN TROUT:THE RED SPOTS HAND PAINTED BY GOD

My local tackle shop is almost non existent. Only opened Fridays and Saturdays for coarse tackle. Several 5 to 6 miles away, non do fly gear. It's a 15 mile jaunt to my nearest fly tackle shop. The internet it mostly is though I have been able to purchase and try at fishing fairs/shows etc and at some trout fishing venues.

I think fly gear is increasingly moving online, especially for the bricks and mortar generic fishing shops. Specialists such as Orvis and well known names etc will manage to keep their market share. Smaller shops tend to sell what they make the most money on; which at the moment is carp gear. I do have a local tackle shop that I go to for any coarse floats/hooks that I require from time to time, but they have almost entirely stopped stocking all fly gear. When I was younger, the back of the store had a whole wall of fly tying kit. Now that same wall is covered in hair rigs, boilie needles, camoflouged hooks (!!!), glug, you-name-it some-carp-addict-will-buy-it..!

In short, I now do 90% of my fly gear buying online. Cheaper, easier, generally very quick, usually very helpful if email a query.

Things that make me go to a local shop:

1. Friendliness of owner. If they tell me the updates on the counties fly fisheries, I'll go. If they tell me that 'Big Bertha' came out at 49lb and with a few more kgs of artificial bait chucked at her she'll come out at 50lb+ soon, I won't. Unfortunately, my local is the latter.

2. Price - second to the above. Usually save a few ££'s online, but if you can go and have a good chat, get some invaluable advice, try before you buy, and find out what is fishing well where, I'd support the local shop.

3. Localilty - if more than about 20 mins drive away, unless I'm after a specialist piece of kit, I'll ask about it on here/google search, then buy online. There is a great old fishing shop about 40 minutes away, which I'll go to if I'm passing, very knowledgeable old chap, but just a bit to far to go for some new hooks.

There is such a range of great fly kit available on line now, and a wealth of great advice from here, blogs and google, that unless you have a good local fly fishing shop, most people will be making the most of.

N