Southern Berkshire County residents and visitors have a new option for fly-fishing and outdoor activity equipment. Housatonic River Outfitters opened its doors in Great Barrington on Labor Day weekend, said the store's owner, Harold D. McMillan Jr. Located at 684 South Main St., just south of downtown, the store is in the space previously occupied by Appalachian Mountain Gear.
Equipment for hiking, backpacking and fly-fishing is sold at the 960-square-foot store, as well as camping equipment, such as sleeping bags, tents and stoves, McMillan said. He also sells technical clothing for those outdoor activities: snowshoes, hiking shoes, layering, shell jackets, hats, gloves and socks. Kayaks are for sale as well.
Housatonic River Outfitters also carries binoculars, water bottles and hydrators, as well as a large selection of travel books, how-to guides, fiction, cookbooks and books about backpacking. Power bars and power gels are available, as well as some gourmet foods, like jams, and many gift items and greeting cards. About half of the inventory is from the previous store, which was open for six years and owned by Rick Donovan, who decided to sell the store because he wanted to be outdoors more, McMillan said.
He owns another store of the same name in Cornwall Bridge, Conn. It's been open for eight years and, with 2,800 square feet of retail space, is nearly three times the size of the new store, he said. McMillan, who has lived in Canaan, Conn. for two years and that state's northwest corner for 8 years, said he had been wanting to expand in the Berkshires for years. Besides the local terrain, he cited the character and population of Great Barrington as reasons for moving there.
A fly-fishing guide, employed at his other store, told him that Appalachian Mountain Gear was for sale, McMillan said. He agreed on a price with Donovan, and three weeks later, the transaction was complete. "I thought it was most cost-effective to buy an existing business than start from scratch," he said. McMillan then reorganized and rearranged the store and, dollar-wise, doubled the size of its inventory, he said.
The bulk of his business comes from the sale of equipment for fly-fishing, backpacking, hiking and other outdoor activities, he said. His typical customer is a recreational hiker and backpacker, he said. McMillan estimates that half of his customers are local residents, and half are weekenders, adding that many of his customers have second homes in the area. Prices at the store range from $5 to $1,000, which is the price of some fly-fishing rods. Average store items, like backpacks and tents, are priced in the $200 to $300 range, he said.
Besides size, his two stores are different in many other ways. His new store is 80 percent backpacking and outdoor activity equipment and 20 percent fly-fishing equipment; his Connecticut store, on the other hand, is just the opposite. He attributes that store's large fly-fishing inventory to market demand in Northwest Connecticut, one of the top fly-fishing areas in the country, he said. In addition his older store has inventory not available in his new one: historical pieces, like antiquated fly-fishing gear, reels and bamboo rods, and artwork — painting and prints of fishing and hunting scenes and old Adirondack artwork.
Another difference between the two stores is the number of employees each has. McMillan employs two part-time employees at his new store, while his Connecticut store has a full-time manager, two part-time employees and six fly-fishing guides, who take customers out for day lessons and reveal the "hot spots" and local patterns of fishing areas.
Although currently in the retail lull between the summer and the holiday shopping season, he said business at his new store has been very good so far. He said he plans on renting out kayaks — maybe canoes — at his new store in the spring.
McMillan gave a resounding "oh, yes" when asked if he planned on expanding again in the future. "I will be expanding as quick as the space and economics allows," he said.
Where might his next store be? "Anywhere along the Housatonic is fair game," he said.
After leaving his job as an investment advisor on Wall Street nine years ago, McMillan opened a fly-fishing and outdoor activity store in Fairfield County, Conn. "I always had a passion for fly-fishing, so I opened a retail store," said McMillan, who has practiced the sport for 30 years and attributes his interest to his father.
A Central Illinois native, McMillan subsequently sold that store to an investment group and opened his Cornwall Bridge store, he said. His dog, Max, keeping him company, McMillan divides his time evenly between his two stores — three days per week in each one.
Housatonic River Outfitters in Great Barrington is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The store is closed on Tuesday. For more information, call 528-8811 or access www.dryflies.com.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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