Silver Creek Outfitters

What Silver Creek Outfitters does

Silver Creek Outfitters is a family-owned specialty fly fishing outfitter and retailer headquartered in Ketchum, Idaho, operating continuously since 1962 (originally as Dick Alfs Fly Shop, rebranded in 1979). The company runs a flagship log cabin retail showroom at 500 North Main Street in Ketchum and an e-commerce storefront at shop.silver-creek.com, selling men's and women's outdoor apparel, footwear, fly fishing equipment, hunting apparel and gear, and home/gift items.

The business generates revenue across five primary streams: guided fly fishing trips (priced $450-$895 depending on duration and waterway), retail merchandise (apparel, gear, accessories), equipment rentals ($15-$40 per 24-hour period), Fly Fishing 101 instruction ($165 per student), and ancillary services including tackle trade-in, firearms consignment, and gift cards. The technology stack consists of standard e-commerce and point-of-sale systems with no proprietary platform; competitive differentiation is delivered through 32 certified casting instructors (including 4 Master Casting Instructors), 60+ years of operational brand history, exclusive government-permitted access to 8 major Idaho waterways (Silver Creek, Big Wood, Salmon River, etc.), and a proprietary multi-decade Fishing Forecast content library.

Customers are exclusively individual recreational consumers, segmented into fly fishing enthusiasts (primary), hunters and outdoor shooters, outdoor lifestyle apparel shoppers, and fly fishing beginners. Marketing relies on the weekly Fishing Forecast blog, organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter), email newsletters, and word-of-mouth referrals amplified by an active community/conservation program that donates $65,000+ annually to Wood River Valley organizations. The company operates exclusively within the United States, serving both walk-in destination customers in Sun Valley and nationwide e-commerce shoppers.

Name

Silver Creek Outfitters

Legal name

Silver Creek Outfitters

Website

http://www.silver-creek.com/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Silver Creek Outfitters is surrounded by many of the finest and most breathtaking trout streams in the world.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Retail and Guided Fly Fishing Services

NAICS

Fishing (11411)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing & Angling Charters / Guides (THAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fly Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAD), Waders, Apparel & Footwear for Fishing Retail (CRAMALAL), Camping, Hiking & Climbing Specialty Retail (CRAMABAM)

Keywords

• Guided fly fishing
• Outdoor apparel retail
• Fishing equipment rentals
• Hunting gear and apparel
• Fly casting instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Ketchum

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Guided Fly Fishing Services: Full-service guided fishing trips including full-day ($695), 3/4 day ($525), half-day ($450), drift boat ($895), and steelhead ($795) trips. Revenue from guide fees, with additional revenue from equipment rental and licenses to anglers.
2. Retail Merchandise: Sale of outdoor apparel, footwear, fly fishing gear, hunting equipment, accessories, and home gifts through both physical store and e-commerce platform. Includes men's and women's clothing, fishing rods/reels, waders, boots, and gift items.
3. Equipment Rentals: Rental of waders/boots ($25), fly rods/reels ($25-$40), float tubes ($15), and steelhead rods ($30) for 24-hour periods. Discounts available for rentals of 5+ consecutive days.
4. Instruction and Classes: Fly Fishing 101 classes taught by Master Casting Instructor Jim Sommercorn at $165 per student (minimum 3, maximum 8 students). Additional revenue from fishing instruction embedded in guided trips.
5. Trade-In and Consignment Services: Tackle trade-up program where customers exchange used rods/reels for store credit toward new equipment. Gun consignment program with consignment fee structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Silver Creek Outfitters operates a physical retail store and e-commerce shop in Ketchum, Idaho, selling men's and women's outdoor apparel, fly fishing rods/reels/waders, hunting apparel and optics, and home/gift merchandise. It also sells guided fly fishing trip services on 8 premier Idaho trout streams, equipment rentals, beginner fly fishing classes, tackle trade-in credit, and gun consignment. The company serves individual anglers, hunters, and outdoor lifestyle consumers seeking expert local knowledge and quality gear.

Product overview

Silver Creek Outfitters operates as a dual-platform business combining a retail e-commerce store (shop.silver-creek.com) with physical-store and guided-service operations. The retail arm offers men's and women's apparel, fly fishing gear (rods, reels, waders, accessories), hunting equipment, and home/gift items. The service arm provides guided fly fishing trips ranging from half-day ($450) to full-day ($695) and drift boat excursions ($895), along with equipment rentals, fly fishing instruction classes, tackle trade-in, gun consignment, and gift cards. The company holds permits from the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service and employs 28 Certified Casting Instructors and 4 Master Casting Instructors through Fly Fisher's International.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Fly Fishing Trips

Quantifiable outcome

• Good Time Guarantee: If not satisfied with guide service, customer does not have to pay
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Trout UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership with Trout Unlimited, supporting coldwater conservation and fishing habitat restoration efforts in the Wood River Valley and beyond.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting The Nature Conservancy's Silver Creek Preserve and associated conservation efforts. Idaho Fish and Game conducts fish surveys within Preserve waters.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating partnership under special use permit allowing guided fishing operations on public lands managed by BLM.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating partnership under special use permit for guided fishing operations on National Forest lands.
• Fly Fisher's InternationalcoreOthersCertification partnership for instructor training and accreditation. All Silver Creek guides receive casting instructor certification through FFI.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Fly Shop: Long-established fly fishing retailer and outfitter based in Redding, California, offering both mail-order retail and guided trips on multiple Western rivers—directly comparable dual retail-plus-guides model to Silver Creek Outfitters.
• Blue Quill Angler: Colorado-based fly fishing outfitter offering guided trips, retail, classes, and travel packages—directly comparable combination of guided services, retail, and instruction in a single destination operation.
• Kingfisher Fly Shop: Montana fly shop and outfitter offering guided trips, retail, and schools on the Missouri River and other Western waters—comparable dual retail-and-guide service model in a destination fly fishing market.
• Trout's Fly Fishing: Multi-location fly fishing retailer and guide service in Colorado offering classes, guided trips, retail, and travel—closely mirrors Silver Creek's blend of education, retail, and guided experiences.
• Frontiers Travel: Specialty fly fishing travel outfitter arranging hosted trips and guided fishing adventures worldwide—comparable high-end guided fly fishing service model targeting traveling anglers.

Broad incumbents

• Orvis: Iconic American fly fishing and outdoor lifestyle brand offering retail, guided trips, fly schools, and apparel. Overlaps heavily with Silver Creek's fly fishing retail, classes, and guided service offerings, but at vastly larger scale across multiple locations.
• Bass Pro Shops: Mass-market outdoor retailer offering fishing gear, apparel, and guide services across the U.S. Overlaps with Silver Creek's fishing retail and apparel lines but at far larger scale and with broader category focus.
• REI: Cooperative outdoor retailer selling apparel, fishing gear, and outdoor equipment. Competes with Silver Creek on outdoor apparel and fishing equipment retail, but without the destination-specific guided service layer.

Others

• Simms Fishing Products: Leading manufacturer of waders, fishing apparel, and gear whose products (Simms, Sage) are stocked by Silver Creek. Comparable through the fly fishing gear category but is a brand/supplier rather than a direct retail competitor.
• Patagonia: Outdoor apparel and gear brand whose products are carried by Silver Creek. Compares on the outdoor apparel/wearables retail category but is a supplier/brand rather than a competing outfitter operation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SilverCreekSV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SilverCreekFilms
• Facebookfacebook.com/silvercreekoutfitters
• Instagraminstagram.com/silvercreekoutfitters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silver-creek-outfitters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 Silver Creek Outfitters