The customers will soon be coming. Are you ready? Keep the faith, because many states are about to reopen retail—including fly shops—with some important guidelines in place. And we expect a pretty strong sales boom in this sector for the shops that have been fortunate enough to ride things out during the pandemic. Because when people do get released from “stay-at-home” orders, one of the first things many will turn to will be fishing. People won’t be going to movie theaters, or bowling alleys, or baseball games, or many other places they might normally go. Just a hunch, but it’s a pretty solid one… do please keep us in the loop when you reopen and let us know how things are going.
THANK YOU to all the many, many shops, guides, manufacturers and others who have handled the situation with dignity and class. We know it has been tough, but the fly-fishing community has been a positive example for others. No surprise there.
Please keep it up. When things do loosen up, maintain the social distancing, and heed all the recommendations from your local health authorities. Be thinking how guide trips should take shape in the “new normal.” If we jump the gun, the pandemic could spike again, and we start all this over. Please be respectful of small communities—places like the Catskills or the Driftless Area will decide when they’re ready for visitors from the cities. And during the months ahead, please realize that the doctors, nurses, and other front-line responders are still going to be deeply stressed by COVID-19. So please keep them in your thoughts.
