Calgary Fly Shops

[Ian B]

Well I just came back from Calgary,

 

I went to 3 of the Fly shops in town:

 

Country Pleasures

Russells

Fish Tales Fly Shop

 

 

Yesterday the first one I went to was Russells.

 

We went there early, and there prices were really really good, and on top of that there was a sale the day we went there, 20 % off all tying tools and materials.

They had a very good selection, clerks don't notice you though unless your looking at the expensive stuff.... But on a side note(not Flyfishing related), We also bought some ammo, that is half the price of what Wholesale Sports sells

 

Then I made my way to Fish Tales fly shop.

 

They had some things that I couldn't find in other store's, but customer(sp?) service sucked... I was talking to one of the guys, about flies, and he just left halfway through my sentence to talk to a guy looking at the expensive sage rods...

 

And Finally there was Country Pleasures...

 

Country Pleasures, what is there to say about that store... I know, If I were to ever live in calgary, I would want to work at that shop. Customer service was great, One guy drew me Diagrams of Bow river Nymph rigs, Another guy told me what he knew about the Dyna King vises when I asked about them, and They had the hard to find tying materials.

 

 

 

Final Verdict

Russells 7/10

Fish Tales 4/10

Country Pleasures 9/10

 

If anyone has any different opinions about those shops tell me, or opinions about other shops in calgary please feel free to post!

 

-Ian

[King Salmon]

Did ya go fishing at all in those 10 days down there?

[King Salmon]

Oh yea, I forgot to say that I have always found the Fish Tales guys to be very friendly and helpful. David Blair and Seamus Toner were really great to talk to, and were very knowledgeable.

[Ian B]

Nope didn't go fishing, the bow is a little itimidating for me yet, but the guy at Country Pleasures gave me a map of all the access points, that had a hatch chart on it, So I will be better prepared for the summer.

 

And maybe it was an off day at Fish tales, now I feel guility about giving them a low mark, because they did help me out last october or november, when I couldn't find any alberta stores with affordable rod building supplies...

[SilverHilton]

Ian,

 

Just wondering about the metrics for your rating system. What exactly are you rating the stores on? Price? Selection? Service?

 

Here's how I rate the three stores you visited:

 

Russell's: fair pricing on products (8); fair selection (I'm a steelhead/salmon guy so my needs definately vary from yours) (6); hideous service (2)

 

FishTales: relatively expensive (6); great selection of materials, literature, and miscellany (9); great customer service (David and his crew really personalize the service once you get to know them a bit) (9)

 

Country Pleasures: very expensive relative to other stores and the competitive market in Calgary (3); fair selection (I'm not really an Orvis guy though (7); marginal customer service (I find these guys a bit arrogant) (4)

 

Just my opinion and I don't mind if people disagree. I've been cruising these shops for years now.

 

I'd like to see how others rate the Calgary shops.

 

Robin

[Ian B]

The guys at Country Pleasures, for me anyways, weren't arrogant, quite the opposite.

 

I was going to go in on how I agree with parts of what you said, but I think it would make more sense(to me anyways) on if I rated each shop with what you said

 

 

Russells

Well, this one it would be pretty much the exact same... I do love there prices though

 

Fishtales

 

Price- 6/10

Selection- 5/10

Customer service-3/10(Maybe I don't know the guys well enough, or like I said it was a off day, but whatever it was I didn't find customer service to be the greatest, on that day)

 

Country Pleasures-

Price 5/10 It was expensive,

Selection 8/10 They had items that I can't usually find in other stores

Customer Service- 9/10 They were fantastic, they were the best out all 3 during my short time in calgary.

 

 

Robin, you are probable the expert, because you have been going to these stores for years, and this was only my first time in 2 of the stores(I had been to russells before). But next time In calgary I will visit all of them again, and maybe it won't be the same as this time.

[SilverHilton]

Ian,

 

Don't forget to check out Hansen's, West Wynds, and Bow River Troutfitters when you are there next.

 

Wholesale in Calgary also has a good selection with standard pricing, however, the customer service is repugnant.

 

Robin

 

PS - I'd give Fish Tales another chance. They did that to me before and I didn't shop there for 3 years. It's a different story when I walk in the store now. Maybe you should call David Blair and let him know how you feel. rmm

[Ian B]

I only went to the ones( I knew of) in the SW of the city, because I was staying in the SW, those stores were so close, only a bus ride and a C train and a bit of a walk.

 

I dunno about calling, that would just be socially ackward for me... but I will give it another try.

 

I am going to look up the address's for the other stores, in a couple of minutes, and I will visit them when I go to Calgary in the summer(with a fishing rod)

 

The customer service in edmontons wholesale is pretty good for me.

 

-Ian

[SilverHilton]

- I know the C-train stops right behind Bow River Troutfitters at the Stadium station.

 

- Hansen's is downtown.

 

- Wholesale is a short walk from Chinook mall.

 

- West Wynds is on Southland Dr. as you head to the dog park.

[John Schneider]

On a side note, I went in to Wholesale's new "flyfishing cabin" in their new store. Fairly impressive selection of tying materials...better than I am used to at The Fishin Hole (not saying that The Fishin Hole is bad...just that Wholesale is better). Customer service was non-existent, but then again, I would rather not have anyone bugging me when I'm trying to remember what I need....it would be too smart for me to make lists!

Interesting that they have an entirely different section dedicated to flyfishing only.

[Ian B]

I found address's for West Winds and Bow River trout outfitters, but I couldn't find anything on Hansens, but I'll keep searching.

[Ian B]

John, I was thinking of going to the new wholesale this wed. The guys there are friendly to me, but the older fellow, was a bit itimidating for a few months...

[Llama Leach]

Hansens is in the south west, about 9 avenue and 2 street

 

if you get a chance stop in at the store in Cochrane

 

I was going to rate the stores in Calgary, but since it has been a while, I had better not.

 

I always enjoyed Bow River Troutfitters, freindly, and when they had a sale it was great.

[Ian B]

Thanks!

[John Schneider]

Ian...what you have to remember is that it is a bit of Canadian heritage to treat people with poor customer service and contempt!LOL Don't worry about it...it is supposed to be that way! Only half kidding...but in my travels I have found Cdn. customer service to be among the worst. Try walking into a fishing shop almost anywhere in the U.S. or Mexico and you will feel inundated with attention. It is sometimes hard to get used to. I think it mostly has to do with the increased competition down south and in other, more populated countries. It is starting to come-around, but has been slow. I am glad that there are more and more shops out there that have good service...can't help but think that only a few years ago there wasn't the "instant communication" that happens now to report good and bad service to a peer group.

[Ian B]

I didn't reliase that that, is how canadian service is, personally I have never been out of country, except when I was 3 or 4 and I went to montana. But after High School grad, I will be able to know how fishing shops are out of country

[Llama Leach]

you will noyice it is not just the fly shops, but the restaurants to.

[John Schneider]

No, you are right, it is not just fly shops I am talking about. It is all service companies and especially restaurants! It is funny to see how in Canada, the waiter is doing you a favour by waiting on you and in the U.S. they have 18 other people lined up waiting to take the waiters job away from him/her. I imagine you learn to be friendly real quick!

[Inconnu]

I have been to Russels, Wholesale Sports and Country Pleasures. I would have to rate Country Pleasures as number one of the three, but then I was with a guide and thus spending money, so it could be an unfair comparison.

I like Russells, they were always good to talk to and well, I won't talk about the other, though the Calgary branch seems better than the one here in Edmonton.....sort of.

What I wonder is "How much help do we want/expect?" Also 'how much can we expect from people who are not being paid that much to work there? The observation I have is that quite a few of the people that work at the shops we frequent, are quite sure they are better than the rest of the customers that come to do business there and tend to have that "I'm doing you a favour by even noticing you.

Myself, I like to wander in, look around and if I have a question about an item it is nice to get an answer. I also wouldn't mind talking fishing if the person is not overly busy, just for a few minutes. Kind of like the shops that were around when I was a kid.

Anyway my $.02 worth.

[HepCat_]

I'm a little less picky when it comes to fly shops. I just want to go in, have a look around at the tying materials, find what I need (yeah right... want) and get out. Conversation is not a requirement. I realize that retail stores can get busy and that there may be other customers in the store that need help as well. I for one will check out any flyshop I come across, regardless if I heard they are arrogant or not.