Dear Fellow Anglers,

Based on the numbers of angler's participating on fly fishing forums these days, there seems to be a significant and apparently growing interest in them. For example in addition to the numerous national forums, most states (Maine included!) are served by a half a dozen or more local and/or regional forums. While they may take some time to get off the ground, in most cases these forums seem to attract more than enough traffic to warrant keeping them running.

Based on my experience, forums come in two flavors, i.e., "Independent" (usually run by anglers) and "Affiliated" (usually run by Fly Shops). While Independent forums have the luxury of not being tied to any specific products, watersheds, or businesses, they often have a less than ideal level of support from "Industry Insiders". In many cases, this makes them somewhat weak from a "Technical" standpoint (i.e., make no mistake about it - no one knows tackle better than those whom make their living selling and/or using it!)

Based on personal experience, I believe that this lack of support from the industry is due to the hostile environment that often results from competing fly shops, guides, etc., jockeying for the same air space! As such, while most industry insider's attempt in good faith to participate and share their knowledge (that is why they are in this business!), they eventually drop off rather than allow themselves to become the targets of attacks that can negatively impact their businesses.

As for "Affiliated" forums, although run by "Industry Insiders" they are only as effective as the business that sponsors them. As such, they run from excellent to marginal. For example, if a shop sold only Redington products, I'm pretty sure I know what the answer would be to most technical inquiries, i.e., "Redington"! This applies not only the shop staff, but often to the anglers who frequent the shop and as such, the forum. While this serves a purpose, it can be somewhat limiting to the angler looking for a broader picture.

In addition to equipment bias, "Affiliated" forums often promote a single watershed, and equally as often, a particular stretch of water. Much like the vendor scenario, while this provides invaluable information in regard to that specific piece of water, it may not be the best place to go for regional or national information. Although the seasoned angler can most often sort through the bias and narrow focus, the new entry to the world of Fly Fishing often suffers (i.e., they get only part of the story).

With that said, let me tell you what we are and are not. First, let me state up front that we are clearly an "Affiliated" forum (i.e., Kennebec River Outfitters!) However, our business sells products from well over seventy-five manufacturers including 4 brands of fly rods, 11 brands of fly reels, 4 brands of fly lines, 4 brands of tippets and leaders, 3 brands of waders and boots, etc. As such, while by no means representative of the entire industry, our focus is in no way narrow.

In addition, while our primary focus is the middle and upper Kennebec River (i.e., from Skowhegan to Harris Dam), we also routinely fish and guide on the Dead River, East Outlet and West Branch, along with many remote ponds north of the shop. Our staff is also well traveled having fished extensively throughout New England (MA, NH, VT, ME) as well as a significant amount of time in the west (MT, ID, WY), southwest (AZ, NM), middle Atlantic (NY, PA, VA), and Canada (Labrador, Quebec, New Brunswick).

We sincerely hope that you find our forum helpful and will do everything in our power to make your visit a productive one! While we do have strong opinions and product loyalties, I think you will find us open minded and well informed. While we may love brand "A" fly rods, we may not feel as strongly about their reels (and are not afraid to say so!) The same holds true for brand "B" entry-level versus high-end rods (we may like one but not the other). As a "Pro Shop" with a broad range of products, we can afford to (and need to) do so…

Regards,

Bob Mallard - Owner / Kennebec River Outfitters