I’m not so sure the biggest fly shop on the planet isn’t our old friend eBay.

Been busy with mundane tasks this weekend, none of them fishing related – but managed to reacquaint  myself with the eBay phenomenon and how it’s morphed over time.

So few people selling rods and tackle and so many shops – makes perfect sense as the season is closed for many of the little “destination” shops, and they can use eBay to hawk their tackle and flies year round. I think that’s great.

They claimed the Internet was going to change everything, while it may not have done so completely, it’s clear evidence of an option we never had before.

It’s clear that the seller’s know what they have – but it’s still fun to wander through the catalog looking for an extra spool for a 10 year old reel, a replacement tube for a rod, or some vendor trying to get rid of last year’s fly lines so he can restock.

An odd mix of fly shop, flea market and caveat emptor. I can certainly see why the tales of junk collecting are true. The temptation to buy that shattered Leonard rod so that you can salvage a ferrule off it can lead to a garage full of crap.

I have my eye on a couple items, and we’re not averse to throwing a elbow at some faceless stranger. See you on the sniping line.