Deschutes Angler Fly Shop

Amy and John Hazel, owners of Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin, Oregon, are committed to consistency. “I’ve never had anybody fish a single-handed rod, and we’ve never had anyone nymph fish for steelhead,” says Amy. “It’s always been swinging, it’s always been a floating line, and it’s always been small surface-flies that are no deeper than a couple inches.” For more than twenty-five years the couple has guided the Deschutes the way they wanted to, mainly because they feel it’s the most effective way to target the river’s summer-run steelhead. 

In the early 2000s, it wasn’t always easy for the couple to find those small surface-flies they insisted on fishing. Each morning, she’d take her clients to the local fly shop in Maupin to load up on bugs for the day, but the shop often didn’t stick to its posted hours. “We would call the owner and say, ‘Hey, we’re in front of your shop with a bunch of customers. Could you come down and open?’ And he just didn’t seem super enthused to do that.” So, Amy and John wondered why they weren’t the ones selling flies to their clients.

Amy & John Hazel on the Deschutes River

A few years later, Amy says, John came home and said, “‘We’re opening a fly shop.’ And I was like, ‘We’re what?!’” Without telling Amy, John had leased commercial space on Maupin’s Main Street. And in 2002, Deschutes Angler Fly Shop opened its doors to the Hazels’ clients and the fishing public at large.

It wasn’t an easy start. At the time, Amy says, before selling online was really a thing, manufacturers were very protective of their area because any new shop in the region would threaten existing ones. “They’d tell a sales rep, ‘If you don’t give me the exclusivity for this whole area, then I’m gonna chuck your products out the door.’” It took a few years of carrying a smaller number of manufacturers than they would have liked, but eventually Deschutes Angler proved its worth and established its own following. Their rod, reel, and fly selection grew, and in 2005 they knocked down some walls to expand into the four-thousand-square-foot shop that stands to this day.

The results of the Hazels’ perseverance is evident by taking a peek inside the shop. “Everybody that comes into the shop goes, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe how much inventory you guys have.’” Amy explained that their massive stock of fishing gear is in part due to their location, two hours east of Portland: “When you’re a destination shop, you don’t have the option of saying, ‘Oh, I’ll order that for you.’” The brands they carry tend to be higher end, but that’s because they sell the gear they have faith in. Plus, Amy hates dealing with returns. The shop also stocks extra tips for several popular Euro-nymphing rods, because a broken tip can end a trip. “I’m sure we’ll get stuck eating them when those rods are discontinued, but we have them for customers because it’s important to them to get back out on the water.”

Whenever a traveling flyfisher arrives at Deschutes Angler, the first thing Amy asks is to see his or her fly box. From there, she can assess what flies will be needed while offering instructions on how to best fish the flies they already have. She’s worth listening to. Thanks in part to strong relationships with guides and trusted locals, Amy claims she has the best intel on the river. “I’m talking to people whose waders are dripping wet when they come in, and they want to buy more of a fly because they just hooked a dozen fish on that one fly. My information is minutes old, not days old.”

Inventory indeed

Each Friday morning, Amy summarizes the previous week’s fishing conditions and predicts what should work through the coming weekend. These fishing reports are incredibly thorough, filled with cited explanations of hydrology, guide-provided intel, and a time-specific breakdown of when to fish what. She somehow manages to do this without giving away too much information. “We never draw them a map or tell them a spot,” Amy says. “But we’ll give them the type of water they want to fish. And that opens up the whole river to them.” 

In addition to being a one-stop resource for traveling salmonid anglers on the Deschutes, the shop also caters to those preparing for their next destination fishing adventure. Amy and John both spend a month each year hosting trips around the world, and the shop has all the gear a person might need to join them or go at it alone.

I asked Amy what she likes best about owning a fly shop, even after more than twenty years. “I just like seeing all the people who get happy when they catch fish,” she says. “And I get happy when they come in and say, ‘I caught a fish on that fly you sold me yesterday!’”

You can visit Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin, Oregon, or at deschutesangler.com.