Fifteen years ago today, I became the new owner of Trouts Fly Fishing. I was 25 at the time, had worked in the fly fishing industry in various capacities, but knew little about running my own business. Trouts was the fly shop that I had learned to fly fish out of, so I was very familiar with the brand and what made Trouts a unique and special fly shop. I will be candid that at the time I had no particular aspirations as to what Trouts was going to become, as my primary concern out of the gate was just keeping the lights on.
Looking back over the years a lot has happened during my tenure at Trouts. We moved to our current location in 2007, purchased our Outfitting business back in 2015, and opened our Frisco, CO location in 2016. And what started as a small neighborhood fly shop has morphed into what Trouts is today.
2020 has certainly been an interesting year so far, a far departure from what I was anticipating back in January. But as I’ve always said, the only constant is change, so we have adapted as our world has momentarily changed, and I will tell you that while the last 60 days have been the most unique of my life, it has been a pleasure and honor to serve our loyal customers. While fishing wasn’t deemed essential, you all have proven otherwise, and we greatly appreciate all of the support and kind words and wishes we have received.
In the end, Trouts wouldn’t be the fly shop we are today without the continued support and patronage of our customers. And to say THANK YOU for the years of support, we are thrilled to be in the final stages of the build-out of our new Denver location. Behind the scenes over the past 3 months, I have been working feverishly with a team of skilled designers, fabricators, retail specialists, and our key brand partners to design a retail experience that does not currently exist in the fly fishing industry. It has been a long process, but it is a project that I have been dreaming about undertaking for over a decade, so there is plenty to cover and ensure we get right. And while we don’t have an exact open date yet, we do want to start sharing updates of our progress. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more with you all, but in the interim know that we are working fast and hard to get the new store open for you all.
I want to close by thanking all of our customers who have visited us at both of our retail locations since we have been allowed to re-open. Your patience as we adapt to this new retail landscape is greatly appreciated, and the feedback we have received is invaluable to us in offering the most ideal retail experience as possible. I want to remind you that we are offering Store Appointments if you are interested in booking a time to visit, and our Curbside Pickup and Staff Picks are great ways to get what you need without having to wait to come into the shop. As always, if there is anything we can do to assist you in your angling needs, please do not hesitate in reaching out. We look forward to welcoming you all to our new digs this summer, but in the interim maybe we’ll see you out on the water.
