Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company

What Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company does

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company is a privately held, Dallas-based specialty fly fishing retailer and full-service angling travel agency founded in 2007. The company operates a physical retail fly shop at 1933 E. Levee St. in Dallas alongside an e-commerce storefront, and books worldwide fly fishing travel to freshwater destinations (Alaska, Argentina, Russia/Kamchatka, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, US West, Arkansas) and saltwater destinations (Belize, Bahamas, Seychelles, Mexico, Honduras, Louisiana). It serves fly fishing enthusiasts across all skill levels, from first-time casters to experienced anglers, and has reportedly outfitted thousands of anglers for travel worldwide.

The company runs three distinct revenue streams: (1) retail merchandise sales of premium gear (rods, reels, lines, wading gear, apparel, flies, packs, luggage, fly tying supplies) priced from sub-$5 accessories to $1,335+ premium rods; (2) travel agency services acting as a full-service booking agent for international angling expeditions; and (3) education and instruction including private lessons, advanced casting, Fly Fishing 101/201, and fly tying schools. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through a physical store, e-commerce, private outfitting appointments (virtual or in-store), and hosted destination events. The company has built a differentiated destination shopping experience that maps ~16 destination pages to curated gear assortments, sells peer-picked premium brands (Patagonia, Simms, Sage, Scott, Abel, Fishpond, RIO Products, Howler Brothers), and runs community programs (Tailwaters Ladies Club, Dallas Tyers Club, Reel Rewards loyalty, Rising Tide Charitable Partnerships).

Tailwaters is independently owned and bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds or institutional investors identified. The company is expanding to a second location in Fort Worth in early 2027, co-located with a new food and beverage concept called The Levee Porch. Core technology is a Shopify-based e-commerce platform; no proprietary AI/ML systems, apps, or APIs are disclosed. The business model is primarily transactional (retail sales and travel commissions) with a smaller recurring education component, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company

Legal name

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co.

Website

https://tailwatersflyfishing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company is a Dallas-based, privately held fly fishing retailer and travel agency founded in 2007, selling premium gear and booking worldwide angling expeditions for anglers of all skill levels, with a second Fort Worth location slated for early 2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sporting Goods Retail & Fly Fishing Travel Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

akta.pro primary industry

Fly Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fishing Charters & Angling Experiences (Deep Sea, Sportfishing, Fly Fishing) (THAJAJAC), Lures, Flies & Terminal Tackle Specialty Retail (CRAMALAJ)

Keywords

• Fly fishing tackle
• Fly fishing travel
• Outdoor retail store
• Fishing instruction
• Premium fly gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Merchandise Sales: Sells premium fly fishing gear, tackle, apparel, and accessories through physical retail store and online e-commerce platform. Products range from flies ($4.74+) to high-end fly rods ($1,335+).
2. Travel Agency Services: Books worldwide angling travel to destinations including Alaska, Argentina, Belize, Bahamas, Seychelles, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Russia (Kamchatka), Louisiana, and US West. Acts as a full-service travel agency for fly fishing expeditions.
3. Education and Instruction: Provides fly fishing instruction including Private Lessons, Advanced Casting Class, Fly Fishing 101, Fly Fishing 201, Fly Tying 101, and Bass Fly Tying School.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company is a full-service fly fishing retailer and worldwide angling travel agency that sells premium fly fishing tackle, gear, apparel, accessories, and fly tying supplies through a Dallas retail store and e-commerce site. Beyond retail, it books fly fishing trips to global freshwater and saltwater destinations and provides structured instruction (private lessons, casting classes, Fly Fishing 101/201, and fly tying schools) along with hosted guided experiences.

Product overview

Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co. is a full-service fly shop and worldwide angling travel agency based in Dallas, Texas, operating since 2007. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio consisting of fly fishing tackle (rods, reels, lines, leaders, tippet, flies), wading gear, accessories, packs & vests, coolers & drinkware, luggage & gear bags, fly tying supplies, and apparel. Beyond retail, they provide fly fishing travel services to destinations worldwide and educational instruction including lessons and schools. The company also operates a Reel Rewards loyalty program and offers event space rental at their Dallas location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fly Fishing Tackle Core fly fishing equipment including fly rods, fly reels, fly lines, backing, leaders, tippet, and custom fly selections, sold to fly fishing anglers of all levels.
• Flies Artificial flies for various species including trout flies and custom fly selections curated for specific destinations, sold to anglers building their fly boxes.
• Wading Gear Water-resistant equipment for wading including waders, wading boots, wading accessories, footwear, and women's wading gear.
• Accessories Angling accessories including tools, gadgets, nets, sun and bug protection, gloves, stripping guards, knives, pliers, fly boxes, streamside accessories, and sunglasses.
• Packs & Vests Storage and carrying solutions including sling packs, chest packs, hip packs, vests, and backpacks designed for fly fishing.
• Coolers & Drinkware Insulated coolers and beverage containers for keeping drinks cold during fishing trips.
• Luggage & Gear Bags Travel and storage bags including luggage, gear bags, rod cases, and duffels purpose-built for fly fishing travel.
• Fly Tying Supplies Fly tying supplies including vises, tools, materials, hooks, threads, feathers, and accessories for creating custom flies.
• Apparel Fishing apparel including shirts, pants, shorts, outerwear, hats, layering pieces, and women's specific apparel.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable for any products or services at Tailwaters Fly Fishing.
• Fly Fishing Travel Services Worldwide angling travel agency offering trips to freshwater destinations (Alaska, Argentina, Russia, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, US West, Arkansas) and saltwater destinations (Belize, Bahamas, Seychelles, Mexico, Honduras, Louisiana).
• Education & Instruction Instructional services including Private Lessons, Advanced Casting Class, Fly Fishing 101, Fly Fishing 201, Fly Tying 101, and Bass Fly Tying School, for anglers at all skill levels.
• Tailwaters Experiences (Guided Trips & Hosted Events) Guided experiences including Redfish & White-Winged Dove, Redfish & Ducks, POC Redfish Camp, Local Guided Trips, and Trinity Trout Classic, combining travel with curated hosted angling events.
• Event Space Rental Event space rental for private parties, birthdays, and company events at the Dallas location.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PatagoniacoreOthersPremium outdoor apparel brand featured in Tailwaters' retail store. Patagonia products are handpicked by Tailwaters staff for performance and reliability.
• Simms FishingcoreOthersPremium fishing apparel and gear brand. Simms products including waders, wading boots, shirts, and accessories are featured in the store and online.
• Howler BrotherscoreOthersPremium outdoor apparel brand. Howler Brothers products including shirts, pants, shorts, outerwear, and hats are prominently featured in the store.
• Sage Fly RodscoreOthersPremium fly rod manufacturer. Sage products are handpicked by staff for performance and reliability.
• Scott Fly RodscoreOthersPremium fly rod manufacturer. Scott Rod Company products are featured as part of the curated premium gear selection.
• AbelcoreOthersPremium fly reel manufacturer. Abel products including SDS, SDX, and ROVE reels are sold through the store.
• FishpondcoreOthersPremium fly fishing gear and luggage brand. Fishpond products including packs, vests, fly boxes, and luggage are featured.
• RIO ProductscoreOthersPremium fly lines, leaders, and tippet manufacturer. RIO Products are prominently featured in the fly fishing tackle section.
• Rising Tide Charitable PartnershipsminorOthersCommunity-based charitable partnership program. Win-win community efforts and charitable contributions program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Orvis: Long-established fly fishing retailer, travel agency, and school operator with a nationwide retail footprint and dedicated travel division. Competes with Tailwaters directly across premium gear retail, hosted travel, and instruction, but at materially larger scale and a broader audience.
• Bass Pro Shops: National outdoor superstore chain with fly fishing assortment within a much broader hunting, fishing, and camping portfolio. Indirect competitor to Tailwaters' retail stream, but at substantially larger scale and with no specialty travel agency.
• Cabela's: Outdoor retailer (now a Bass Pro subsidiary) stocking fly fishing gear, apparel, and supplies. Competes with Tailwaters on general fly fishing merchandise but lacks curated destination assortments and a dedicated travel agency.

Direct peers

• The Fly Shop (Sacramento): California-based full-service fly fishing retailer and worldwide destination travel agency operating since the 1970s. Closest analogue to Tailwaters' retail-plus-travel-plus-instruction model, with similar premium brand assortments and hosted trip schedules.
• Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures: Bozeman, Montana-based fly fishing travel agency that books trips to worldwide destinations. Comparable to Tailwaters' travel agency stream and destination expertise, though pure-play in travel with no retail storefront.
• Frontiers Travel | Angling Adventures: Specialty travel agency focused on worldwide fly fishing and sporting destinations. Comparable to Tailwaters' angling travel agency business, with overlapping destination coverage (Bahamas, Belize, Seychelles, Alaska, etc.).
• Trout's Fly Fishing: Denver-based full-service fly shop offering retail, travel, classes, and guided trips. Direct competitor to Tailwaters' integrated retail/travel/education model, with comparable premium brand mix and educational programming.
• Kingfisher Fly Shop: Bozeman, Montana fly fishing retailer and travel outfitter serving destination anglers. Comparable to Tailwaters via its curated premium gear assortment and hosted travel to Montana and global destinations.

Emerging players

• AvidMax: Online-only fly fishing retailer with broader SKU breadth and aggressive pricing. Competes with Tailwaters primarily on the e-commerce leg, but lacks the physical store, travel agency, and education components.

Others

• Patagonia: Premium outdoor apparel brand and existing Tailwaters retail partner. Not a competitor but a key supplier and co-marketing partner whose brand reputation reinforces Tailwaters' premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/tailwaters
• Facebookfacebook.com/tailwatersflyfishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/tailwaters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company