Sure, you can buy flies, tippet and a new pair of waders at Arbor Anglers. But if that’s all you came for, you’re going to leave with a little more than you bargained for.
For eight years, yes can you believe it, we’ve been sitting right there on the main drag in Lafayette. And for eight years, people have walked in and said, “I didn’t even know you were here!” We love that moment, because what happens next is the part that matters. Somebody pours you a coffee. Somebody asks where you’ve been fishing. And before long you’re part of the conversation.
That’s what we really are: a community that happens to sell fishing gear.
WHERE THE FISH GET BIGGER EVERY TIME.
Let’s be honest. Every angler who walks through our door is a little bit of a liar, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
That brown trout you caught last Saturday? It was 16 inches when you told us on Monday. By Thursday it’s pushing 20, and by spring it’ll be the stuff of legend. We’ll nod along. We’ll ask what fly you were using. And then one of our guides will tell you about the one they lost, which was obviously bigger.
The stories aren’t really about the fish. They’re about the cold morning, the friend who netted it for you, and the rush you still feel telling it. That’s what we’re here to celebrate.
WHERE YOUR THOUGHTS DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT
Nobody here has it all figured out, including us. Ask a question you think is silly and you’ll get a real answer, plus three opinions you didn’t ask for.
Maybe you’re brand new and don’t know a nymph from a streamer. Maybe you’ve fished for 40 years and have strong feelings about 5X tippet. Maybe you just want to talk through a tough week while you look at reels. All of it is welcome.
That’s why we’ve worked so hard to make the shop a place where women, kids, beginners and old-timers all feel comfortable. Our fly-tying classes with Jason are a good example: half the fun is the flies that come out looking a little wonky. Perfect is overrated. Showing up is what counts.
WHERE WE’LL ALWAYS (TRY TO) REMEMBER YOUR NAME
Big-box stores can sell you a rod. They can’t tell you which run on the St. Vrain your kid finally landed a fish in, or ask how your dad’s knee is doing. We can, because we remember.
Arbor Anglers is a family business. Lisa, our daughter Mak and I run it alongside a crew who genuinely love this sport and the people in it. When you walk in, we want you to hear your name before you’ve even shut the door.
That’s not a sales tactic. It’s just how we were raised, and it’s the kind of place we always wanted to fish out of.
COME TELL US A STORY
So come on in. Bring your fish story, the bigger the better. Bring your questions, your half-formed ideas and your kids. Stay a while.
We’ll have the coffee on, and by the time you leave, we’ll know your name.
See you at the shop, James
