Since adding our online web store in December we’ve been pleasantly surprised not only by the volume of online sales we’ve been doing but also by the wide range of locations from which we’ve been receiving orders.

It’s not a big surprise when a deeply discounted item like a rod or reel gets ordered by someone on the other side of the country but getting an order for a Wolf Creek Angler Trucker Hat or T shirt from Nowhereseville MN, WI, PA, GA, SC etc. sure puts a smile on my face.

It’s got me thinking a little differently about retail.

When we decided to build an online store we had originally intended on limiting it to WCA Logo gear as that is what we get the most calls about, but as we’ve worked to add additional items we’ve been overwhelmed by the response. I never expected anyone would go to www.wolfcreekangler.com to buy a spool of 4X tippet or a dozen Rainbow Czechs but people actually do and we couldn’t be more pleased.

So while my focus has always been on in-store sales I’m seeing now that having such a limited focus has hurt us, or at least prevented us from reaching our retail sales potential.

We’ve always had the perfect set up during the season with a captive clientele made up of all the folks staying with us. It’s what separates us from the rest. We are truly a one stop shop with lodging, guides, shuttles, drift boat rentals and a quality fly shop all in one place and closer to Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge than any other shop.
That’s a dream during the season but truth be told, there aren’t a lot of folks traveling to Wolf Creek or Craig to go to a fly shop this time of year, despite what you may have read elsewhere.

Sure, we get the occasional visit from folks passing by on the Interstate who swing in simply out of curiosity and we do of course have people staying with us most of the winter, at least on the weekends but generally speaking our retail volume is drastically reduced during the winter months.

There are plenty of days during the heart of winter where we don’t see anyone darken our door which has always had me contemplating the merits of closing for a month or two. But there’s a lot more to WCA than retail alone and much of that happens in the winter with people booking for the coming season. It’s office work which could obviously be done elsewhere but truth be told, I don’t work well from home so that is why we’re open all year.

But the question has always been…how can we increase retail during the off season?

Enter the web store.

Now we have a way to truly be your fly shop 24/7 365 wherever you are, and I’ll be honest, I never really thought about retail that way. I’ve always figured we’re here for you when you’re here with a shop full of everything you need during your visit. But why not be here for you anywhere you are, anytime with everything fly fishing you need period?

Like each of our competitors we have a loyal following, a cadre of fans who would rather purchase from us than anyone. It’s for this reason that we’ve battled from the start to expand our product offerings to meet the needs of our customers because while it may be the case that they’d RATHER buy from us, if we don’t have what they need we’re forcing them to go elsewhere.

We’ve more than tripled our product offerings from the time we opened in 2014, stepping up our game along the way with the addition of A List brands like Simms, Rio, Echo, Smith, Airflo, Lamson, Korkers and more. We’ve steadily built our fly selection with top quality flies from the likes of Montana Fly Company and Umpqua to the point where we boast a selection that rivals that of any of our competitors. We’ve brought in niche products, some of which have done well, some of which haven’t. The point is, our focus is and always will be on providing you, our customer, with the very best products offered by the top brands in the industry. As Industry Ambassadors we personally use the products we sell and we believe in and stand behind all of the brands we carry. 

And while we’ve come a LONG way, it’s still an uphill battle trying to assemble all of the brands we’d like to offer you. The politics of proximity are complicated and are a huge hurdle but we’re not backing down until we have all of the things you’re asking to purchase from us.

In the meantime, we are honored and humbled to be not only your Missouri River Fly Shop but your Fly Shop in general…wherever you are.

We’ll continue to add products to our online store and we encourage you to contact us if you don’t see what you’re looking for because we’ve obviously got a lot of products not yet listed in the web store. And when it comes to products from any of the brands we carry, if we don’t stock the particular item you are looking for we are always more than happy to get it for you and have it drop shipped to your door.

Thank you for making us your fly shop and for trusting us to provide you with the products, the services and most importantly the customer service that sold you on us in the first place. We rely solely on you to be able to what we do and you can rest assured that we are committed to doing everything we can to exceed your expectations. Whether it’s upgrades to our lodging, expanded services or the aforementioned addition of the brands and products you demand, you are our number one priority.