Fly fishing shop recasts image under new ownership

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Jeff Wright worked at Alpharetta Outfitters for more than 10 years before he bought the business in December. He began work there in 2010 as a new college graduate and worked his way up until he decided to purchase the shop from its founder.

The ownership has changed, but Wright wants customers to know “the spirit of the shop remains.”

Today, Alpharetta Outfitters on Main Street is a full-service fly fishing destination. The retail store offers a variety of gear from Yeti cups to fishing rods. It also hosts fly fishing excursions, guided trips and community events.

Wright has been with the business from nearly the start. The store opened in 2009, and he hired on a year later. He majored in biology in college, but originally planned to pursue a career in dentistry or nursing. At Alpharetta Outfitters, Wright realized a desk job wasn’t for him.

“I needed to kind of be able to move around and talk with people,” Wright said.

He loved fly fishing, a hobby he practiced with his father. Wright also cared deeply about water health and natural resources. Together, his interests created a “perfect storm,” and Wright knew he would be at Alpharetta Outfitters for the long haul.

The business looked different when it began. Chuck Palmer, the founder and original owner, sold all kinds of outdoor equipment, like backpacking gear, hammocks and fly fishing supplies.

As similar businesses popped up around Alpharetta, the store shifted focus.

“We decided to go ahead and specialize with larger businesses coming in town, like REI,” Wright said. “We needed to branch away from that kind of (shop).”

The store doubled down on fly fishing, becoming a one-stop shop offering trips, equipment and events like “Bugs and Suds,” a fly-tying night when the store serves pizza and beer. Wright said the decision made sense, because Alpharetta had an interested and affluent customer base.

“People that are going fly fishing typically have some disposable income,” Wright said. “Its not a cheap hobby.”

In Alpharetta, where the store has most of its customers, the average household income is about $119,000, according to U.S. census data.

Wright said a beginner can buy the necessary equipment for a few hundred dollars, but the higher-end pieces and additional gear can add up to the thousands. A single fishing rod can range from $200$1,000.

“A lot of guys get into it and love getting gear, and they’re fine spending money on higher-end stuff,” Wright said.

The costs increase with things like guided trips and excursions.

Alpharetta

Outfitters offers trips to Idaho, Alaska, Patagonia, Argentina and Belize. Wright said the trips can cost anywhere from $4,500 to $9,000, depending on the destination.

Alpharetta Outfitters spent 12 years in business operating on a different business model than most shops of its kind. Palmer founded the store as a “not-for-profit” business.

After expenses were covered, any additional income the store brought in was donated to organizations and individuals. One year, the store gave $1,000 to an organization or person in need every day of December.

When Wright bought the store, he knew the model would change.

“I don’t have pockets as deep as Chuck,” Wright joked.

The store moved to a for-profit model at the start of 2023, but Wright said he will continue to donate to charitable organizations at a smaller level.

A key focus for Wright is the preservation of the “natural treasures” in the environment around Alpharetta Outfitters. The store sponsors organizations in the area, including Upper Chattahoochee Trout Unlimited.

Wright said the store also donates to specific environmental projects the organization does, like its work on Crayfish Creek, the first feeder stream on the Chattahoochee River.

Alpharetta Outfitters donated $5,000 help reduce silt that comes into the streams from nearby development. The silt coats the rocks on the creek floor, which trout need to spawn.

The contributions are about protecting natural resources, but water health also helps the business. The better shape the streams and rivers are in, the easier it is to catch a prize trout.

“Trout don’t survive well in warm, stagnant water and polluted water, so they’re a pretty good indicator of general water health,” Wright said.

The store owner hopes his work on natural resources will raise awareness, especially for his customer base. Wright said when people get out in the field, they notice their environment more, and ask questions about its condition.

“They start to kind of understand their resources, what’s at stake and how to get involved,” Wright said.

In the future, Wright hopes to expand the store to create a dedicated community space for events, where people can hang out and share their love for fishing.

“Those bonds that are created at those events and on those trips, they’re so fun,” Wright said. “You see these guards drop, and you see these men and women really ultimately having fun and enjoying each other.”