Boutique Vs. Function

In the summers, I am fortunate enough to work at two local fly shops in Ennis, Montana.  Due to the unseen politics of the fly fishing industry, it is rare for shop employees to work in more than one shop at a time.  To make a long story short, this past summer my boss (who already owns a shop called Montana Trout Stalkers) purchased another local fly shop in Ennis, thus now we have two entities to manage. Coincidentally enough I used to be employed at the store we purchased, the Madison River Fishing Company.   For me, it has been extremely interesting to see the acquisition and transition of power in the Madison River Fishing Company.

Some background on the Madison River Fishing Company: MRFC has always been seen as the fly fishing "super store".  MRFC carried literally all of the latest products and gear and had the knowledgeable staff to boot.  It was and still is revered as an extremely comprehensive fly shop. Though it's layout was difficult to navigate in nature, customers were still able to locate or be directed to the products that they needed.  MRFC was never intended to be a boutique establishment, it's function is pure utility.

Some background on Montana Trout Stalkers: MTS was founded three years ago.  When we set out to design MTS, we wanted to create a type of "clubhouse" atmosphere. While we still wanted to carry a comprehensive line of fishing gear and supplies, we were not focussed on filling the shop to the gills with everything that any angler anywhere in the world might need.  We wanted to give it a "boutique" feel.

Tying it all together: Now that we own and manage both MTS and MRFC,  we are able to provide customers with the best of both worlds.  Those customers wanting a unique fly shop experience are now ushered down to MTS to grab some flies, a beer from the bar literally 10 feet from the porch and can sit on the porch and enjoy the sights of main street all the while listening to welcoming music playing from our speakers.  Also, those customers wanting more of a utilitarian experience or just wanting the latest and greatest fishing gear can be directed toward MRFC for all of their fly fishing needs and questions.