My Fly Shop - T. Hargrove Fly Fishing
Where do you even start when writing your opus about your favorite place in the whole wide world…
T Hargrove Fly fishing shop has become my second home in St. Louis when Sara and I aren’t traveling in our RV “Doris The Slow Loris”
“The Shop” as I’ve come to call it has become the hangout of hundreds of local fishermen and women and a destination for anglers passing through the show me state. The best part about my fly shop, is how welcoming it is for everyone that passes through its doors. It’s a throwback to days past of incredible customer service, an inviting atmosphere we now call “Culture” and a coffee urn with bottles of whiskey sitting casually by…
There is a quiet hum to the store, even when no one is talking, the soft rhythm of records and CD’s jamming classic rock and blues tunes, curated daily by the owner Tom and General Manager Craig. In colder months, the wood burning stove cranks out a warming heat, and provides fuel for a pot of chili or beef stew for the staff.
The ceiling is lined with old advertising posters, brands like Hardy and Sage, old maps and outdated charts. The church pew inside the door, along with the tying table, make for an inviting place to sit down, and listen to the chatter that fill the walls. Fishing stories that couldn’t have happened, questions from other customers about various situations and planning done by old friends all make for an education that can’t be gained on Youtube or in books.
I’ve watched the manager sit down on a busy Saturday afternoon with a 7 year old kid and show him how to tie up a highway safety leach. The patience and the presence the shop guys have is uncanny. I’ve learned more then I can recount while sitting quietly in the shop on a Saturday morning as has become my recent tradition.
Community has become a bigger and bigger part of my mission with this channel and the folks at T Hargrove are a big part of my community. I’ll be forever grateful to the guys, the shop and the customers that have all become such good friends.
