Pat McCabe just opened a fly shop.

Sorry, that’s not quite right. Pat, along with his brother Pete and his brother-in-law Chuck — not to mention their families — just took the massive financial gamble to open a new fly shop.

Which got me thinking about fly shops in general, and Pat’s shop in particular … and which left me with a few questions.

For example, why, in an age when brick-and-mortar retail stores are struggling and anglers can make their next fly fishing purchase on their phones and wait for UPS or FedEx to swing by a few days later, would someone open a fly shop? Why opt for long hours in the store and the headaches of dealing with an angling public that’s been conditioned to prioritize discounted prices over everything else? Why compete with fly fishing manufacturers who use a direct-to-consumer business model? Why sign up for shoplifters, and for folks who walk into your establishment for no other reason than to use the bathroom?

Seems a little crazy, right?

Then again, maybe not. Pete and Chuck are skilled anglers with a ton of business experience. And Pat, who I’ve known since 1992, is one of the most talented and enthusiastic fly fishers I’ve ever met. For the 30+ years we’ve fished together, Pat has lived and breathed the sport. He cut his teeth back in the ‘80s working for Andy Puyans in Andy’s iconic Creative Sports fly shop, and he’s also spent time as a fly fishing guide on the Henry’s Fork, as well as an instructor at the School of Trout.

More than anything else, though, Pat has the one thing going for him that every successful fly shop owner or manager carries in their hip pocket.

Passion.

When I look back at the fly shops that have impressed me over the years, and at the equally impressive folks who run them, passion is the common denominator. It just radiates from Hilary Hutcheson, who owns Lary’s Fly & Supply in Columbia Falls, Montana — how could you possibly talk to Hilary and not walk away with a smile on your face? — and from Rich Paini and Jon Stiehl at TroutHunter on the Henry’s Fork, and from Dave McCoy of Emerald Water Anglers in Seattle.

The same was true of angling legends Craig Mathews and John Juracek when they were the first faces you saw when you opened the door to Blue Ribbon Flies. Or Brant Oswald, when he greeted you at the Yellowstone Angler. Passion, which Brant and Craig and John all have in spades, is the secret sauce for great fly shops. And it’s not something you can fake.

Photo: Christa McCabe.

I should also point out that everything else flows from passion. Knowledge, skill, generosity, empathy, respect … they all arise from our passion for the sport.

At the same time, passion is the rich, fertile soil that grows something so special and so unique that, no matter how hard you look, you simply can’t find it on a website, or in a big box store’s fishing section.

I’m talking, of course, about community.

And that’s why fly shops, which can seem like an analog anachronism in a digital age, might just manage to succeed in this modern era. It’s because so many of us are looking for community. We seek out folks who share our interests and our love for the outdoors, and who are enchanted by water both moving and still. We connect with other anglers who see beauty in the ring of the rise — or a perfect cast — and who care deeply about a culture that, at its best, lifts us up and makes us smile; that makes us truly happy.

Long story short, we’re looking for our people. And where better to find them than in a fly shop where the owner, manager and employees share our enthusiasm, not to mention our unbridled passion, for fly fishing.

So maybe Pat isn’t crazy after all. And maybe Pete and Chuck are as savvy as I’ve always imagined them to be. Perhaps they’ve come to understand that a truly stellar fly shop can provide what so many of us have been searching for over the years; a place to spend time with our people; a place where we belong.

Photo: Christa McCabe.

If you ever find yourself near Lafayette, California, be sure to swing by Pat’s new shop — it’s called CrossWater Creek Outfitters — and introduce yourself. I have no doubt you’ll enjoy yourself immensely. And if you’re fortunate enough to have a fly shop that serves as the hub for your local fly fishing community, make sure you take advantage of that particular blessing. Not everyone is so lucky.

PS — Be sure to share the name and location of your favorite fly shops down in the comment section. They deserve a little extra love right now.

Todd Tanner writes about fly fishing, the natural world, conservation and politics from his home in northwestern Montana. He also runs the School of Trout and Conservation Hawks. And full disclosure … he fished with Pat for years before he was fortunate enough to marry Pat’s sister.