I guess if by "extra" you mean dealing with someone who knows what the hell they're doing and doesn't act like it's an inconvenience that you walked throug the door, then yep, I'll take the small shop any day.

It's worth it to me to have someone actually recognize me and say "hey Chad, what's up?" as I walk through the door (now I'm talking gun shops here, not many fly shops in western Oklahoma but the concept's the same).

They know who I am, they know what I like and I trust them. There's a mutual relationship there.

Now contrast that with the 100,000-square-foot-fake-log-siding artfully decorated warehouse staffed by sullen teens who can't be bothered to answer questions because they're too busy texting.
And of course you wouldn't want their help, anyway.

It's a common misconception among the clueless souls who choose to shop there that just because someone works in say, a Bass Pro or a Cabela's they actually know what they're talking about.

Most times, they know just enough of the parlance to be truly dangerous.
I could fill a 3,000-word feature with some of the sublimely ridiculous, patently false and woefully misguided advice I've either received or overheard being received from some the big-box sporting goods experts...

Most of them are simply service economy drones who work there because it sounded better than cleaning the greasetraps at Jack-in-the-Box.

The unfortunate thing is, that's the future. It's apparently what we want. Small shops, especially tackle shops, are disappearing because no one wants to pay a few cents more for ambiance and personal service.

My hometown is a perfect example. Typical college town, with a non-student population exceeding 100,000 in the area. Lots of hunters. Even more anglers. Zero tackle shops. Zero gun stores. If you want to buy something you either take what Wal-Mart offers or you drive up into OKC to Bass Pro or Sportsman's Warehouse or one of the few remaining independents still around.

Back in the day (well, the early to mid 80s) we had several small tackle shops, we had a couple decent gun shops and a combination pawn/bow shop where you could have your arrows re-fletched, new cables, etc. as the guy shot the bull with you.

No more. Modern American outdoors retailing simply reflects our larger culture: Cold, impersonal, perfunctory and generic. But hey, I just saved 13 cents on this package of swimbaits! Hooray, multi-national corporate ownership is good for me and good for you, too!

I was that kids at 14 who loved to hang out in my local fly shop ad hear the stories and learned as much as I could. Since I was there so much i eventually got a job there. Im 19 now and know a lot more than i should about all kinds of fly fishing and i love every minute i spent in that shop.

I'd love to hang out at shops etc... but who has the time while chasing kids? So i have to admit to buying a lot of gear online from LL Bean. Any free-time i get is going to be on the stream.

Whatever I finds, I likes, I buys.

I would hang out at a fly shop if there were any...and it is hard for me to get any gear.

If you wonder why shop help seems snotty, imagine a line of people all day everyday that come in, hang around, pick your brain for info, then tell you they bought everything off cheapskate.com, and waltz out the door.
I feel guilty walking into a shop and buying something, and admit it, you should have the pocket change to buy a couple of flies, or a new spool of tippet or tying thread. If not, you should have taken up cathair macreme. Fly fishing is not a cheap sport, although it's filled with some of the cheapest people I've ever met.
I was at a tying and lying gathering one afternoon at the local shop, and the guy tying was telling everyone gathered around to buy all their materials at craft stores because it's so much cheaper. I still can't believe the shop owner didn't deck him.
The local shop owner is the guy who will do a nail knot for free, teach you how to tie a blood, for free, show you all the proper flies and tell you where to go, even if you bought it from Cabela's, with the vain hope that you may someday return to buy something more than a liscence that the state pays him $.50 for.
I learned how to cast and tie by hanging around a shop, riding my bike there weekly, and made lifelong friends in the process. Paying $.50 a fly on-line does not get you those things.
It gets you cheap gear that will, at some point, fail you miserably, and, if you have any pride, you will swallow it and go to the local shop, hat in hand, and beg forgiveness and begin again.

Alex is right. There are no fly-shops around the area we're at. Sure, Bass Pro has a fly shop, but is doesn't have that small, dinky fly shoppy feel to it. Nobody hangs out there, no stories are told.
A cryin' shame, I tell youse.

Few dollars? Few cents? The price difference is rarely that small. If one goes to the box stores and establishes a relationship, then good experiences result as well. Potato, pahtahto in my book.

I would rather have a fork in the eye than shop at a big box store...of any kind, for fly gear or groceries or anything. We live in a pretty small town and we are lucky to have a great outdoor store that has a small fly shop. These are the people that have helped me learn the most about fly fishing. Every Wednesday is "fly night" and we have a women's fly night once a month. The selection is fairly limited, but I have found two great local shops that have great websites that I purchase from when I need something that I can't get here.

Joe,

I am sure your shop ties local patterns, but do they carry any flies from Umpqua, Montana Fly, Raineys etc. etc.? Where do you think those flies are tied? I manage a fly tying factory with over 200 employees, that all make more than the national average income for this country. They work in a very modern 6 story office buliding that is only 2 years old, with air conditioning in every department, and a cafateria. All of them get their social security paid, and after 2 years of employment they get their retirement fund opened for them. I totaly agree with you about the atmosphere and knowledge from the small pro shops, witch I have hung out in for the last 35 years. We watched how many shops get closed down in the Denver area because of the Big Box stores. At least 7 or 8!! Now with that being said, the manufacturers in this industry decided to start selling their products to the Big Boxes, witch includes all of the major Fly Companies. I feel that your comments and knowledge of the commercial Fly Tying industry is misguided and not up to par!! I know for sure that I nor any other Fly company manager in this part of the world Don't own a rusty 9mm!!!!

One of my favorite local fly shops just went belly-up here in the 'Nati. Guys would come in all the time for asking for help with tying, casting, what's up with the tailwater......then leave without buying anything. Now it's gone. I'm not perfect, I've bought plenty from the big boxes in the past, but I always try to buy something from the local shops, even if it's just some hooks or thread. I've actually gone on a crusade in the last two years and now only buy from my locals. In the end, I don't spend a statistically significant amount more, especially when you factor in shipping. To each his own, but once their gone, they ain't comin' back!!!