Ryan switched my fly reels from left to right retrieve at no charge. GREAT customer service. Nice folks. Well stocked store. Highly recommend read more

I know that some folks think fly fishing is some snooty way to fish that's populated by a bunch of snooty folks. Furthest thing from the truth. Just visit The Avid Angler. These guys are the nicest bunch of fly fishing nerds you'll ever meet who deliver too notch customer service. They are curious and passionate about what they do and want to share the best of what they know. I was in there the other day to buy some flies that I didn't have time to tie and materials for making a sand lance pattern. Jake (? Andy? I suck at names...) was so helpful and knowledgeable helping me find what I needed. He brought to bear what insects he knew were active where I was going to fish, as well as the nuances of sand lance colors, so I could make the best choices in tying materials and how to tie the pattern. We even geeked out talking about my using feathers from my hens for tying materials. What fun! Hats off to shop owner, Ryan Smith, and Team Avid. Every time I've gone to shop there, I've been blown-away pleased at the kindness, generosity, knowledge, humor, sincerity, and patience of the people working there. No machismo. Just real people. read more

Best customer service I've ever received at any fly angling store. The staff is very knowledgeable and are more than happy to provide info etc on our local rivers and lakes. Also a great place to buy your tackle from at very reasonable prices. read more

These guys are great. No pretentiousness or BS, just passionate anglers willing to share their passion. I highly recommend them and the classes/clinics are badass. read more

We've taken 3 trips over the last few years and Avid Angler (AA) does not disappoint! I recommend AA to anyone Local or Visiting the Seattle Area. From fishing with Brita on the sound for Salmon, or Rainbows on the Upper Yakama with Whitey or the Lower Yakama with Mike all of the Guides at AA know what they're doing. Ryan was helpful and adjusted his Guides schedule to fit our timeline. The trip yesterday on the Yak was the most beautiful trip we've ever taken on a float. Thank you for taking the time to make this trip work, we can wait to return to the area to fish again. Thanks also to the Guides, they made the trips fun and interesting learning some local history of the areas we fished. The trips are so much fun and very affordable, the guides experienced and patient to both seasoned anglers and beginners. We'll Be Back ! read more

The Avid Angler is a great fly fishing shop. Not only do they stock a range of gear from quality affordable starter gear to high end stuff for those who've got the money to spend, but they are a great bunch of people. Seriously...I've been in specialty shops like this before. In a previous town I lived in, the people who worked in the local fly fishing shop would essentially case out customers to determine whether they merited their attention. That happens in specialty stores, sometimes. It's also a huge deterrent to wanting to go to them again. The Avid Angler crew is the polar opposite of that. They are friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, interested in what you're looking specifically to do, experienced, generous with information, not interested in selling you something you don't really need, and just an all-round great bunch of people. It is absolutely my go-to shop for fly fishing, and I wish them nothing but continued success! read more

We are from Texas and wanted a five star experience of fly fishing. Ryan was a great guide and we really enjoyed his enthusiasm! The ride on the Yakima River was an amazing! I would highly recommend Ryan. read more

The Avid Angler - Ryan getting us ready to fly fish! - Sports Wear Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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No snobs, no luffers, no guff. Come in here for real info from real experts like Ryan Smith. While you're in there, annoy him for as long as you can before he kicks you out. That's what I do. :-) read more

Great little fly shop! Well-stocked with all the flies, tying materials, and gear you need for all your Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest fishing ventures. Stopped in on 9/28 to ask about sea-run cutthroat and coho fishing. Young, tall blonde worker (didn't get a name) was professional and informative. Bought some material and good looking flies! Would stop in again if in the area Only con was the employee could have asked a few more questions to tailor information. He was quick to share knowledge and advice and typically what you need was in there. So it's a net positive. read more

I've been visiting the Avid Angler for years. They are a very good shop with excellent people. I like shopping here.

My son and I attended the introduction to fly fishing class this morning. Mark was an excellent instructor. He took the time to answer all of our questions. His techniques for casting certainly has set us up for success when we get out on the water. 5 our of 5 stars. read more

I just moved to Seattle and needed to replace all my tying materials. I came in here and was immediately greeted and asked what I needed help with. The shop is fully stocked and the prices were great. All of that paired with great customer service has made me a repeat customer. Highly recommend this place! Looking forward to coming back in to replace my reel and other gear. read more

I'm a new fly fisher, and needed advice on where to go and buy a few small supplies. Jacob helped me out and gave me two good leads on where to try out later this week. I even asked a very naïve question about a fish species, and it didn't even phase him. No pushy sales, just a few helpful suggestions on flies and line. As a woman, a lot of times I experience noticeable gender bias in male-dominated environments. I even commented on this to him and thanked him for his willingness to help me out, and he kindly responded that he loves to see more women out on the water. Overall, Great customer service, decent selection of gear, good prices even for a small business. Will be back. read more

Super friendly (non-intimidating) staff. From beginner to seasoned vet, they will square you away. Support your local fly shop. read more

The staff here are friendly, down to earth, and knowledgeable. The place is often busy, but someone always takes the time to make sure I find everything I need and to answer all of my questions. No condescension that sometimes comes with fly fishing experts - the staff seem like they just love to fish and love to help other people fish. They're willing to start from scratch if you don't know anything, and they're just as enthusiastic about more well-informed questions. read more

This the most amazing place to get fly fishing equipment in Western Washington. Best customer service, super knowledgeable and one of those fishing stores that you just get lost in! read more

This is a great shop - super friendly and helpful for anyone who comes through their doors. I see lots of customers coming in here before setting off on trips well beyond the PNW. They are undoubtedly well respected. read more

They are the Nordstrom of fishing stores! They specialize in fly fishing. The staff is quite helpful and very knowledgable. They aren't fishing snobs and will get you into the right gear for your budget! read more

I seldom write reviews and like many have only done so if I had a less than ideal customer experience. This review is the opposite. I have recently got back into fly fishing after a 20+ year hiatus. The technology has changed significantly. I have gone into Avid Angler about 6 times in the last 6 mos. Every individual that I have encountered there to include Ryan the owner have been friendly, helpful, and quite knowledgeable. I am one of those people where when I get into something, I am "all in" and to their credit have not tried to sell me only the high end products, in fact they have done the opposite. Today I attended a spey casting class that was for free, taught by Ryan and his staff that was fantastic. I have never had this good of a customer experience ever! I am a business owner and would only hope that my employees were this good. Please support this shop rather than taking the easy route and purchasing things on line. You will not regret it. read more

Went with Mark on the Yakima June 5. My first time with fly fishing. Had a great time and great day with Mark Shimazu. He was very patient and a great teacher. Wonderful first time experience. I couldn't have been happier. We didnt catch a lot and I didnt and any landed, but Mark was persistent and constantly working with us, he didnt give up and we didnt either. I am more than excited to go again and again. Without any hesitation I would recommend The Avid Angler. read more

A little expensive but the sport is also a bit expensive. The staff is friendly and helpful and quick to point out where you can take lessons if this style of fishing interests you. read more

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. As a beginner a little intimidated by the expense, I was relieved when they didn't try to up-sell me, and was impressed that they even told me when they thought that I wouldn't need something that I had grabbed off the shelf (based on my reading). Now that I'm geared up, I look forward to going back for flies and supplies. It is more expensive than Cabelas in Olympia, but I'd rather support a more specialized shop like Avid Angler. read more

Just moved to The area. Went over to avid angler as it's not far from my new home. The shop was extremely clean, the products were well priced and the staff were exceptional! John Took the time to answer my questions enthusiastically and really helped me out as a new angler to this area. This is definitely my new toy shopping home! read more

Got Burkais!!!! And wonderful selection of fly reals. Ask Britta about Pass Lake, she is and expert!

Just excellent staff and service! Team is knowledgeable, and friendly. I brought my broken rod in (dog literally thought it was a stick and bit through it) and I was a little bummed because I was practicing my cast in the backyard when it happened. They took the rod in for repair and then gave me a "loaner" rod to keep practicing or do some fishing free while mine is in for repair. Wow! Who does that? Super nice to see that kind of service still exists. I will be a long time customer for sure! read more

Vary friendly staff. Always willing to answer questions. They have great classes and I love browsing around.

Brita is the best! Joel is great too, he's just not there as often. Love (buy stuff from) your local fly shop.

Excellent fly shop, the staff is very friendly and helpful. I attended the basic fly fishing class in the spring and have been going here ever since for my fly fishing needs. The prices are fair and the customer service is awesome especially for a newbie. read more

This is a great shop. Being new to the Pacific Northwest, salmon fishing and fishing big water, the folks at this shop have been very helpful to me every time I get out on the water. There is a good selection of fly tying materials to get creative with they do a good job of posting short reports to get me thinking about fishing at the change of every season. The spey casting classes they offer are an excellent resource for both beginners and experts. read more

I'm only giving 4 stars because it's the first guided trip I've ever taken. Nothing to compare it to. BUT, our guide, Ryan, was knowledgeable, friendly, hard working and really seemed to care that we had a good time, learned what he could teach, and caught fish. And we did all 3. Thanks very much, the price was competitive and the experience was excellent. read more

This shop is amazing. The staff are knowledgable, enthusiastic and welcoming to beginners like myself. Ryan, the owner, shared a ton of great info to get me started without a hint of sales pressure. After I asked about casting instruction, we scheduled a one hour private lesson with Dave, one of his instructors. I'd tried to teach myself casting from books and YouTube videos without much success; Dave had me casting like a boss inside of 15 minutes. Very rewarding experience. I've been using Yelp for years and I love supporting local businesses, but my experience at The Avid Angler was impressive enough that I overcame my laziness and created an account :) Wonderful experience all around - I'm sure I'll be spending plenty of time at this shop! read more

The service representatives and advisers are very patient and helpful to the customers and have access to lots of information. The product-line is very complete for a smaller space and the layout is very skillfully arranged. I appreciate their help in finding fly-tying materials that are not regularly requested. The young employees are full-of-life and very upbeat; it is a pleasure to see their vitality and spirit. read more

This shop is absolutely fantastic. I've been fishing for 8 years and I still feel like an idiot at some stores where the staff give off a "smarter than you" vibe. This store is the exact opposite of that. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. They helped me find everything I needed in under 5 minutes. They had everything I needed, and were unbelievably knowledgeable. I will *absolutely* be coming back here. This is my new favorite fly fishing shop in the area. read more

Great staff and great selection. After years of being away from the sport - super excited to have a local shop with amazing service and knowledge. Ive come in a few times with novice questions and they make you feel at ease, and are quick with help and pointers. Thanks guys! read more

Great shop. Personable. Knowledgeable without being snotty. They don't make a novice like me feel "unworthy". and didn't try to up-sell me. Great knowledge over many locales. Brita is a gem. Knows Alaska rivers as well Washington, and I am sure many other places as well. Had solid recommendations on lures for the conditions and rivers we were headed to. read more

Great store and staff. Owner and staff is very personable compared to other shops in Seattle. I am new to the area and they have been nice and helpful, never pressuring me to buy new equipment. They have a large assortment of fly tying and various brands of hooks and capes. Very comfortable atmosphere. Prices are average for a fly shop, buying local may not be the cheapest but the support is worth It. Can't ask for better staff than these people, worth the visit to the shop. Plus there are multiple stores next door (Ross, Book store) so a spouse can kill time there while you shop. read more

Great shop, great staff! They downsized a few years ago and don't carry as much stuff, but what they still carry is top notch!

Hands-down my favorite fly shop. Avid Angler always goes above and beyond. Whether it's helping you pick out fly tying materials, gear, and merchandise, or instructional classes and guided trips on the water, these guys are as good as it gets. They're passionate about the sport, genuinely want to help you out, and always point people in the right direction. If you're into fly fishing, the Avid Angler is your fly shop. read more

I'm new to fly fishing and I saw good reviews for Avid Angler and Orvis. I visited both stores and Orvis has Avid Angler beat in several areas - sales staff, fair prices for quality merchandise, credit card with great benefits, free seminars (with beer and pizza). I'm a Orvis customer for life and know all the sales staff by name at the Bellevue store and most at the Portland store. Check out Orvis, you won't be disappointed. read more