Good news friends. As of Thursday, January 14th, all employees are out of quarantine and cleared for work! We are getting back after it and could not be more excited. Here are just a few notes about our return:
1. The online store did OPEN last night at 6:00 p.m. and we are processing and shipping orders as normal today.
2. The store was "Sani-Steamed" on Monday and is as clean as it's ever been!!!
3. All employees are healthy, safe and back to work!
4. The retail store will OPEN to the public on Saturday, January 16th from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
5. We will resume normal business hours next week
We would all like to THANK YOU for the amazing outpouring of support during this challenging time. It was no small decision to shut the operation down but we feel we did the right thing for our staff and customers. We really appreciate your support and friendship.
As Brian says here: "Stay tuned....2021 is going to be a GREAT year!"
Please know that as of Monday, January 4th, our store is completely closed due to a bit of a COVID situation amongst our staff. Both the retail store and the online store will be completely closed. Of course it pains us to do so, but the health and safety of customers and staff comes first.
We will be unable to respond as we normally do as this situation will require our full attention. For full details on what is going on, and for updates, please check our Social Media pages and stay tuned here.
We hope to be back to full operations as soon as humanly possible.
If you have an emergency or an issue with a previous order, we will do our best to get back to you and assist as best we can.
In the Spring of 1990, Mad River Outfitters founder and owner Brian Flechsig ran his first guide trip on our home waters of the Mad River, here in Ohio. It was later that year, that he hosted his first Trip to the Pere Marquette River in Michigan.
Fast forward to the Fall of 1994. He quit his job as the manager of a fly shop in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 1st. Moved to Columbus on November 1st and first opened the doors of Mad River Outfitters on December 1st.
He tells the story often of how he and his Dad pretty much built the first store themselves.
4 storefronts and 26 years later, here we are. One of the largest fly shops and outfitters in the United States....and still going strong. Actually, according to Brian, we are just "Getting Started".
Hopefully one day we can get Brian to tell us the whole story. We'd love to share it and would certainly be an interesting one.
To Brian, his family and the entire team at Mad River Outfitters.....
HAPPY 26th ANNIVERSARY MRO.....here's to many more!
Very speical thanks to all of the friends, employees, subscribers and customers who have made this milestone possible. We could not have done any of this without YOU!!!
Temple Fork Outfitters has released four new rods that we couldn't be more excited to share with you. Let's begin with the LK Legacy rods which pay homage to great angler, Lefty Kreh.
TFO LK Legacy Fly Rods
The LK Legacy series pays homage to
TFO’s founding rod designer Lefty Kreh by incorporating all his wisdom
in the creation of the ultimate “big water” trout rod for intermediate
to advanced anglers. Whether casting dries, nymphs, or streamers, the LK
Legacy’s perfect tracking and a crisp, smooth recovery make them very
powerful and responsive. LK Legacy series lighter line weights will
easily protect 5x tippet when fishing to highly selective trout. And the
mid to heavier line weights are excellent for windy conditions or
distance casting as they are designed to efficiently generate high line
speed and very tight loops. The combination of light weight and
durability make these rods perfect to fish from first light to sundown
in the high mountain west where conditions can include wind and big
water.
From a
delicate 3-weight to the very popular 8-weight, 11 models allow the LK
Legacy series to perfectly match a broad range of conditions,
techniques, and species. All models feature alignment dots color coded
by line weight and LK Legacy rods come packaged in a labeled rod sock
and a TFO rod tube.
The
LK Legacy series puts unsurpassed power and responsiveness in the hands
of the freshwater angler. Combined with TFO’s no-fault lifetime
warranty against defects, these rods are the perfect choice for the
wide-open space of broad rivers and other big water worldwide. Fish the
Original.
However, Temple Fork Outfitters didn't stop there. They took this new legendary rod and crafted a one-of-a-kind two handed version.
TFO LK Legacy Two Handed Fly Rods
The LK Legacy TH series was designed
by Temple Fork Outfitters for intermediate to advanced anglers seeking
faster blanks that deliver more efficient line movement and more
recovery crispness. These rods can pick up longer, heavier fly lines and
tips with minimal effort and a unique touch-and-go feel. The five rod
LK Legacy TH series features the 6-weight for trout spey or overhead
casting off the beach and longer 8-weight rods for steelhead and salmon.
The
LK Legacy TH series is constructed with high modulus carbon fiber
material and finished in a matte grey color tipped with hunter green
thread wraps. Componentry includes up-locking, anodized cut-out reel
seats with braided carbon fiber inserts. All rods feature black frame
stainless steel stripping guides
and anodized, double-foot, stainless
steel snake guides. LK Legacy TH rods are finished with a thinly
tapered, composite cork handle for more ergonomic handling and
durability in the foulest fishing conditions. All models feature both
grain window and gram weighting for easy line pairings, as well as
alignment dots color coded by line weight. LK Legacy TH rods are
packaged in a labeled rod sock and a TFO rod tube.
The LK Legacy
TH series is uncompromising in performance and quality when compared to
any other rod on the market. Add TFO’s no-fault lifetime warranty
against defects and they are clearly a benchmark by which to judge all
advanced two-handed rods regardless of price.
From here, we move onto the new Temple Fork Outfitters Blue Ribbon Fly Rods. Fly rods that we here at Mad River Outfitters are very excited about.
TFO Blue Ribbon Fly Rods
The Blue Ribbon series is perfect for
the freshwater angler who needs to effectively cover water with repeated
casts over the course of the day. In these situations, the successful
angler is the one whose fly is in the water the most. For this reason,
the Blue Ribbon series is designed to load easily with minimal back cast
allowing the angler to make quick accurate casts with very little
effort. So, whether its casting indicators, or multi-fly rigs from a
drift boat, or bait fish patterns to the bank all day the Blue Ribbon
series is engineered to deliver cast after cast with ease.
The
Blue Ribbon series is constructed with intermediate modulus carbon fiber
material and finished in a chestnut brown color with premium cork
grips. The light weight up-locking solid brushed aluminum reel seats
include an integrated hook keeper and have carbon fiber inserts. The
11-rod series is finished with SiC stripping guides and
ultra-lightweight chromium-impregnated stainless-steel snake guides. All
models feature TFO’s line weight ID system on the handle and alignment
dots color coded by line weight. Blue Ribbon rods are packaged in a
labeled rod sock and TFO rod tube.
The Blue Ribbon series is all
about efficient casting when keeping the fly in the water is key. And
when combined with TFO’s no-fault lifetime warranty against defects,
these rods are the perfect choice for covering lots of water in search
of your favorite freshwater species. Fish the Original.
Finally, the new Temple Fork Outfitters Stealth Fly Rod series. We bet you didn't see this coming.
TFO Stealth Fly Rods
The Stealth series was designed by TFO
National Advisor Jason Randall specifically for European, high-stick
and tight-line nymphing techniques that require drag-free drifts and
ultra-sensitive strike detection. This rod series is engineered to
powerfully deliver accurate multi-fly presentations yet to be extremely
light and perfectly balanced as necessary for comfortable fishing and
extreme sensitivity. Every decision in the creation of these rods has
been driven by the goal of maximizing direct-contact fishing performance
and, as a result, there is no better set of tools than the Stealth
series if that is your focus.
The Stealth series is constructed
with high modulus carbon fiber material and is finished in a matte green
color. Two models are available – a 10’ 2-weight weighing an incredibly
lite 2.8oz and a slightly longer 10’6” 3-weight offering slightly more
reach and weighing 3.0oz. The series has down-locking machined aluminum
reel seats and feature black single-foot stripping guides for weight
savings and black single-foot snake guides. The Stealth series comes in a
cloth rod sock and a TFO rod tube.
The Stealth series was
designed with singular goal of creating the most direct connection
possible between fish and angler. Then we covered each one with TFO’s
no-fault lifetime warranty against defects, making them perfect for the
angler dedicated to the art of direct contact fishing.
So there you have it. All the new fly rod series from our friends at Temple Fork Outfitters. These rods are sure to leave a lasting impact on the fly fishing industry as a whole and for that, we couldn't be more excited.
Make sure you head over and check out the full collection of Temple Fork Outfitters fly rods over on our website at www.madriveroutfitters.com
Josh McQueen recently took on the new role at Ohio Fly Fishing Guides as head guide. So we sat down with him and asked him a few important questions.
You’ve taken on the role as head guide for Mad River Outfitters Ohio Fly Fishing Guides, what’s your goal for the guide services?
I'm most excited about offering a guide program that gives our clients the best fly fishing experience possible. By not only offering them guide services that help them catch great fish, but also experiencing what Ohio has to offer through our fleet of unique watercraft, the nature they're around and learning along the way. My number one goal is to offer a guide service that's better than anything you can find in the country. A guide service that is on par or better than anything you can find in Montana and Alaska. I want each angler to be in a comfortable and safe environment where we're having fun, learn and catch great fish.
So, what’s your top fish to fly fish for and why?
I don't know if I can state just one... I mean, obviously, I think as far as Ohio goes, the three main things that I fish for are Ohio Pike, Steelhead and Smallmouth Bass. Honestly, I love them all and it's hard to pick just one. The reason why is that they are all so different. Steelhead gives you great fights with great action and hits. Smallmouth is the same only in the summer, with a mean fight and Ohio Pike, last but not least… Honestly, they’re probably first on the list. They are fierce, fast and shocking when they go for a fly. They really get you excited and get your blood pumping. So how about a top three? It's way too hard to pick just one!
What should people know about Pike in Ohio and Protecting them?
It takes 18 years to grow a trophy Pike in Ohio. That's a really long time. So obviously if you mishandle or kill a fish, that's not a resource that's easily recoverable. The other thing that's tied into handling that people don't realise is how tender and sensitive that fish is. Even though they are large predators and tough looking, which, in their environment they are, when you're handling a Pike, you have to be incredibly gentle. We need to also fight for them legally, as they are not protected by the State of Ohio. If you want to go out and keep 100 Pike a day that are between 18"-40" long you can take as many as you like legally, and that is just not right. This is a fish that definitely should be protected, that have to be careful with and educate anglers on.
Your top three pieces of fly fishing paraphernalia that you can't go without?
That's definitely tough. Can't go without my buff. I gotta have that. Can't go without my pliers, I always have to have a great pair of pliers. Last, definitely my Size 6 Beadhead White Wooly Bugger. Won't leave home without it. Won't do it. I mean, if that's the last fly you have, you can catch a Crappie on that and use it as Pike bait. You can always start with the food chain at the bottom and work our way up with one of those!
The move is complete and we are ready to go here at 833 Bethel Rd.
The online store opens back up tonight, Monday July 27th at 6:00 p.m.
The retail store opens to the public at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, July 28th. We will be back to normal business hours and exceptional customer service. **Please know that Covid-19 "Safe Practices" will be in place and of course, in accord with the Governor's Mandate, masks will be required to enter the shop.
We should be back to filming regular YouTube episodes within the next week as well.
Thanks for your patience and support during this transition time. We think you will agree that it was worth the wait!!!
It's July 7th, 2020 and we have now entered our final week here at 813 Bethel
Rd. Moving containers have arrived and the shop is gradually being packed away
for the big move. The end of an era for sure, but an exciting beginning to a
new one as well.
We wanted to touch base here and let you know that we are going away for a
bit, but will be back soon and better than ever. Mad River Outfitters
2.0!!!
Here is the schedule of what is happening this week:
• The online store will shut down this Thursday, July 9th at 6:00 p.m. EST.
The website will still be there to browse, but you won't be able to buy
anything until we get the new location operational.
• All standard orders and curbside orders placed
before that time will be processed and shipped as normal.
• All curbside pick-ups must be picked up by
Saturday, July 11th as 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday will be our official "last day" of
business and we will not be available at all via phone or e-mail on a
"normal" basis until we re-open. It will simply take time to get the systems
in place in the new shop.
• If you have an emergency, or a problem with an
order, please send an e-mail. We will be checking as we can from home in the
evenings and will do our best to help in any way that we can.
We are anticipating that the new store, located at 833 Bethel Rd. in the
Olentangy Plaza will open it's doors to the public on Monday, July
27th.
We are anticipating that the online store will
re-open for orders on Sunday night, July 26th.
Stay tuned here, YouTube and Social Media for updates as we go.
7/25/20 UPDATE- We will be taking Monday to finalize the merchandising of the shop and for Orientation/Training for our employees. The online store will re-open at 6:00 p.m. on Monday night and we will open our doors to the public at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28th.
If you have any questions or need to contact us, please do so before
Saturday, July 11th at 5:00 p.m.
We appreciate your patience and understanding here while we make this
transition. We look forward to getting back to Exceptional Customer Service
and can't wait for you all to experience Mad River Outfitters 2.0.
