Fishing Guide Service and Tours Hiking
We are the oldest established shop in the Rangeley Region, being here since 1945. Our goal is to offer you the best products at a fair price with unmatched customer service.
In the late 1800s sportsmen discovered the abundant fish and game offered by the woods and waters of this land. It is still regarded by some as the best fishing for landlocked salmon and native brook trout in Maine.
We wish to continue the tradition of serving sportsmen to make fishing the historic waters of the Rangeley Lakes area a memorable experience.
Tied and Tested
We feature locally tied flies made to match the area hatches. We desire to serve you by stocking quality products. With over 20,000 flies in stock the fisherman can be sure to find what they need. Most flies are tied locally by my wife, myself, or other locals. Our trolling streamers are tied by Ken Grimes who started tying for the shop in the mid 1980′s. Ken’s tandems are as good as they get and are a major staple in the tackle boxes of the lake fishermen that visit Rangeley every spring.
The streamer fly has an important place in Rangeley history: names like Grey Ghost, Black Ghost, Colonel Bates and more. We have all the favorites and some you may have never heard of such as the Dr. Grantham or Gravel Gertie. Nymph fishing is popular here with lots of pocket water and fast runs to explore in the area rivers. I stock all the favorite nymphs in bead and non-bead and can always give advice on what to use since I guide the waters also.
At the shop we stock all the essential fly tying supplies that a tier might need and if we don’t have it, will try to get it for you. A well tied fly starts with quality materials so we will always help you get the good stuff.
Fly fishing is our primary business. Along with a large selection of flies we have everything to outfit the beginner or upgrade the seasoned fisherman. We carry Simms waders and Sage, Douglas and Echo flyrods and great reels from Sage, Ross, and others, quality Rio and Airflo lines and leaders, and much more.
We also book guided fishing trips through the shop. The guiding/flyshop connection that we have allows us to give up to date info and advice to all our customers. Most fly fishing in the area is wade fishing. People come from all over the country to fish for our famous landlocked salmon and native brook trout.
Steep Bank Pool on the Kennebago River is the first stop for many fishermen, a deep, dark pool surrounded by towering spruce. It’s a good walk to reach the runs below Middle Dam on the Rapid River but well worth the effort. The Magalloway has good access and lots of swift boulder strewn pocket water – a nymph fisherman’s dream. There are also dozens of ponds of all sizes for those who prefer to cast to rising trout in the cool of the evening. Most fishermen coming to the area will find their way to the famous Upper Dam Pool at some point. The pool offers plenty of room to spread out and maybe hook a big salmon on a Grey Ghost.
Trolling on the area lakes, starting at ice out, is another way to catch big salmon and brookies. Tandem flies and sewn-on smelt work well as the fish are feeding on the spawning smelt.