Orvis

[Cane Pole]

I was in Pigeon Forge last week and and they have a huge Orvis store there. I stoped thinking I would pick up some new materials, man was I ever dissapointed!!!! Only a small part of the store even had fishing equipment and the fly tying section was worse. MY wife thought they had some nice looking clothes untill she saw the prices. I guess Orvis is for a different class of fishermen, looking good is first and fishing is just a after thought. How sad.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

That is sad, I know what you mean. I had an Orvis fly rod but slipped and fell,landed on the rod and broke it. Prices aren't for middleclass folk,however recently I picked up an Orvis tackle bag at a good price. It was clearance,75% off.

 

[StumpHunter]

I hate to walk into a store that caters to people with to much money. Been in there also and didn't buy anything.

 

[ScottV]

They cater to the yuppie fishermen, not the redneck ones like me. Lol

 

[AtticaFish]

You would think a company based totaly around the idea of fishing would carry more fishing items! Have looked through their catalog and it is a joke. Their motto should go something like..... It doesn't matter if you actually catch the fish, it is all about how you look while you are fishing.' Have to see if i can find a picture i used to have on my computer - it sums up what vision comes to mind when i think of the 'Orvis Fisherman'.

...not the redneck ones like me. Lol

I will raise my hand there as well - too rich for my blood! I am not above using roadkill..... as long as it is fairly fresh.

 

[jjsjigs]

Orvis is good for flasks, dog beds, overpriced clothing, and tweedy flyfishing snobbery. Go ahead, ask Orvis for a bass tapered flyline... they will just about chase you out of the store.

Thank God I don't consider myself a tweed trout snob anymore. I used to like Orvis. not I call them WhOrvi$$.

 

[crappiecripplerjigs]

Our local shop also catered to the elite crowd. If you weren't looking to spend $$$ on archery equipment or overpriced Loomis rods, they followed you around the store like you were stealing from them. Buy a bag or two of feathers and some powder paint and they would roll their eyes at you. It was a shame to see it destroyed by the tornado, but I wiould rather purchase from online suppliers anyway.

 

[AtticaFish]

Way to go everyone...... here i had convinced Orvis to give us 'Jiggers' a fair shake, and they were all lined up to become our 1st paying sponsor here at JigCraft.com. Then i get a phone call from the owner today (we sniff wine together on occasion) and he was very frustrated after reading this post and noted our 'listing subservience' (his words, not mine) for the top 1% clients that sustain his business. All the time and $$$ he had spent showering me with gifts was thrown out the window with a quick stroke of the pen.... he even pulled my privelages on his private jet. Biggest loss though was that i have to return my season tickets for the box seats at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Oh wait a second, i forgot to start my post with:
'Once upon a time, in a land far far away...............................'

 

[ScottV]

I am not above using roadkill..... as long as it is fairly fresh.

Ha Ha, I hope you're not following too close behind me if I see a freshly ran over fox or deer cause I'm hitting the brakes.

 

[Squeakyboatcaptain]

Part redneck, part coona$$ Guess that makes me a halfa$$.. Orvis is too pricey and snooty for me!

 

[Cane Pole]

I guess they figured out I'm a hillbilly when they heard my wife ask me why they didn't sell minners worms or nuth'n like that.

 

[Fatman]

Unless you can get the stuff at a big discount the materials they sell are priced really high!!!!

 

[Pup]

Looks like I'm in the minority here.

I like Orvis. Frequently, they send me a very good coupon for $25 off a purchase of $50 or more. If I were to buy around $50 worth of their materials with that coupon, not only would I get a good price, but I'd wind up with a lot of some of the very best craft fur (Polar Fiber) available.

Orvis customer service is excellent. When I purchased my 3-Wt. outfit, I was allowed to cast the very rod and reel I was purchasing outside in their parking lot. The salesman helped me by pointing out and correcting the flaws in my casting that day. Made for a better decision as I now cast that outfit with a 4-Wt. line.

If you go and price some of the rods and reels sold to bass fishermen nowadays, you might not notice much difference in the prices paid by "high end" bass casters and "Orvis Model" fly fishermen. Not discussing function here, just simply price. Many, if not most, major "big box" sporting goods stores carry "high end" rods and reels.

Frankly, I don't see much of a difference between Orvis and the "big box" stores nowadays. Except, they do carry tying tools and materials while many of the "big box" don't.

 

[LedHed]

Hey it ain't only Orvis - its almost the whole fly fishing genre. Me and Noel went to a fly fishing show hosted in Pasadena. Kinda chilly and I like tying flies and fly fishing...

 

[quivira kid]

Orvis has some great sales every now and then. I'm on their mailing list just to keep an eye out for a deal...

 

[Fatman]

Pup now that's a great deal!!! The last time I bought anything from them was when my wife and I were in New Hampshire for one of her Drs appts. I found some really nice olive maribou and also a weird shade of orange. Now... I just have to find it in all the mess - still have a few box's to straighten out.

 

[Fatman]

This is what I think of your re-write buddy!!!!!!

 

[Fatman]

Smart Alec!!!!!!! LOL

 

[BigDave1]

Yep, I was in that Pigeon Forgestore in July. Very disappointed. The tying materials would fit in about 6 feet of wall space in the corner of the store. :dodgy::dodgy:

 

[deathb4disco]

There are two Orvis shops here in Atlanta. Although both stores are mostly clothes, the fly shops are very well-stocked. You could go to either and walk out half an hour later geared up for everything from trout to tarpon.

I think their rods and reels are good. Are they overpriced? Well, their prices are about "par for the course" when it comes to fly fishing. Although they make good lower-range gear, their top of the line rods are in the $700-$800 range, along with everybody else. That's just the fly fishing industry.

FWIW, I have two older model Orvis rods. I inherited one and got the other off Ebay. The only Orvis gear that I regularly buy is their Super Strong tippet.