Shops I Like: All About the Fly

Gotta give the fellas at All About the Fly their props. With their Sunday casting clinics, endless selection of demo lines and rods they're probably responsible for getting many of us around the Puget Sound started. The shop always has a good selection of tying materials, good advice and an all around cool vibe. Normally when I go in there's already a few people there, sitting in the back shooting the shit, working on a rod or tying flies. Ron Torda, the owner is a hell of a nice guy and a few years ago when I was getting started on the path towards total steelhead ruin he and Brian Paige gave me plenty of help. Being that I live in another country now I've not gotten into the shop as much as I'd like to, but this past week I've been fishing up around there and its been nice to get in there again. Even bought a closeout SA short spey line from their sale bin for 25 clams. After cutting it back 15 feet it should be a buttery shooting head around 510 grains for my 6/7/8 CND Solstice.

Another added perk of All About the Fly is that Mike Kinney, Yoda to many Puget Sound Steelhead Jedis works the shop a few days a week and runs their casting clinic on Sunday. Mike is opinionated and ornery, but he's also a great teacher, mentor and generally an OG of skagit casting and fishing. He's collaborated with Meiser, TFO and others in the industry to really push the envelope on skagit rods and line development. You might even say I'm sort of a Kinney casting disciple indirectly. While I haven't spent more than about an hour at their casting clinic lifetime, most of what I know about casting came from my good friend Rick Witta. He's learned and perfected the trade working with Mike and others so alot of the lessons I've gotten have been second hand Kinney knowledge.

Next time you're in Monroe stop at All About the Fly. The guys are always chill, there's lots to look at/BS about and there's a tasty taco truck parked right across the street. Now if there were only some fish in the Big Empty River we'd be set.