Silver Bow Fly Shop
Silver Bow Fly Shop is a single-location, privately held fly fishing outfitter in Spokane Valley, Washington, selling retail gear, delivering guided trips on the Spokane River and North Idaho waters, and teaching fly tying and casting classes to regional recreational anglers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersSpokane, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Silver Bow Fly Shop does
Silver Bow Fly Shop is a privately held, single-location fly fishing outfitter based in Spokane Valley, Washington, that has operated continuously since 1988 under the tagline "Making Fish Nervous Since 1988." The company was acquired by owner Sean Visintainer on August 31, 2005, and runs with 1–10 employees from a retail showroom at 13210 E Indiana Avenue. Its function is to serve regional fly anglers — both Spokane-area residents and visitors to North Idaho fisheries — with a one-stop combination of gear retail, on-river guided services, and instructional classes. The product mix spans fly rods, reels, lines, waders, footwear, men's and women's apparel, fly tying materials and tools, packs and slings, nets, boats/rafts, eyewear, and accessories, carried under premium third-party brands such as Sage, Simms, Skwala, Outcast, Korkers, Lamson, Costa, and Scientific Anglers; the company explicitly has no proprietary technology and resells other manufacturers' gear rather than building its own.
The business model is multi-pronged: (1) one-time retail product sales through both the physical storefront and the e-commerce site at silverbowflyshop.com, with free ground shipping over $100 in the contiguous US and in-store same day pickup; (2) professional guided float and walk/wade services priced around $550 per standard 6-hour trip (with pre-season specials of $375/$500 on Spokane River float trips) on the Spokane River, NF Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, Grande Ronde, and Clearwater waters, often delivered through outfitting relationships such as with ROW Adventures; and (3) paid fly fishing education including intro fly tying, casting lessons, spey/steelhead instruction, and steelhead clinics. Reaching the customer relies on a community-centric marketing mix — a content blog with regular fishing reports, an Instagram presence with user-generated content (#silverbowflyshop), email newsletters, and event-driven sponsorship of the annual International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) alongside Spokane Riverkeeper. Strategic moats derive from longevity (37 years), local brand recognition, recurring conservation partnerships, and a guide team of active regional anglers, rather than from any technological differentiation.
Silver Bow Fly Shop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silver Bow Fly Shop
- Legal name
- Silver Bow Fly Shop
- Website
- https://silverbowflyshop.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Silver Bow Fly Shop is a single-location, privately held fly fishing outfitter in Spokane Valley, Washington, selling retail gear, delivering guided trips on the Spokane River and North Idaho waters, and teaching fly tying and casting classes to regional recreational anglers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silver Bow Fly Shop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fly Fishing Retail and Outfitting Services
- NAICS
- Other Miscellaneous Retailers (4599)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fly Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Fishing Tackle & Bait Retail (CRAMALAA), Waders, Apparel & Footwear for Fishing Retail (CRAMALAL), Fishing Charters & Angling Experiences (Deep Sea, Sportfishing, Fly Fishing) (THAJAJAC)
Keywords
Where Silver Bow Fly Shop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spokane
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Silver Bow Fly Shop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Sale of fly fishing equipment, apparel, and accessories through both physical retail store and e-commerce website. Products include rods, reels, fly lines, waders, footwear, accessories, fly tying materials, boats and rafts, and related gear.
- Guided Fishing Trips: Professional guided fly fishing float trips on the Spokane River and regional fisheries. Trips include equipment, flies, leader/tippet, snacks and drinks. Approximately 6 hours in duration.
- Education Classes: Fly fishing education including fly tying classes (intro fly tying, steelhead tying, dry fly tying, streamer tying, euro nymph tying), casting lessons, and spey/steelhead casting instruction.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard float trip rate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-season special rate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail merchandise |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fly tying and casting classes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Silver Bow Fly Shop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silver Bow Fly Shop is a traditional fly fishing outfitter operating a physical storefront and e-commerce site that sells fly fishing equipment (rods, reels, lines, waders, apparel, footwear, fly tying materials, boats and accessories) from multiple brands. The company complements retail with professional guided float and walk/wade fly fishing trips on the Spokane River and regional Inland Northwest fisheries, plus fly fishing education classes covering casting, fly tying, and Spey/steelhead techniques.
Product overview
Silver Bow Fly Shop is a traditional retail fly fishing outfitter offering a comprehensive range of fishing gear and services. The core product portfolio centers on fly fishing equipment including fly rods, reels, fly lines, waders, and apparel from multiple outdoor brands. Supporting products include fly tying materials and tools, footwear, bags, packs, boats/rafts, and accessories. The company provides complementary service offerings including guided fly fishing trips on regional rivers (Spokane River, North Fork Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe River, Grande Ronde River) and fly fishing education classes covering casting, tying, and specialized techniques.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fly Rods Fly fishing rods including freshwater, saltwater, two-handed Spey/Switch, Euro Nymph, and kit configurations from brands such as Sage, St. Croix, and Thomas & Thomas, for individual fly fishing anglers.
- Fly Reels Fly fishing reels including the Lamson Purist II and other branded options for individual fly fishing anglers.
- Fly Lines Fly fishing lines including freshwater, saltwater, Spey, Trout Spey, and accessories such as Scientific Anglers Amplitude and Sonar lines.
- Waders Waterproof fishing waders including the Simms G3 Guide Stockingfoot Waders for fly anglers.
- Fly Tying Materials and Tools Fly tying supplies including cements and epoxies, hooks, tools, vises, beads, cones, heads, and eyes from brands such as Loon Outdoors, Griffin Enterprises, and Stonfo.
- Footwear Fishing footwear including wading shoes such as Korkers All Axis Wading Shoes with felt soles.
- Men's Fly Fishing Apparel Men's fishing clothing including rain jackets, insulated jackets and vests, pants, shorts, fleece, shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and tees from various outdoor brands.
- Women's Fly Fishing Apparel Women's fishing and outdoor clothing and gear.
- Boats and Rafts Fishing boats, rafts, and accessories including the Outcast Fish Cat 4 float tube and Outcast OSG Clearwater frameless raft.
- Fishing Accessories Various fishing accessories including eyewear, gloves, socks, hats, leaders, tips, tippet, vests, packs, slings, nets, and bags.
- Guided Fly Fishing Trips Professional guided fly fishing float and walk/wade trips on regional rivers including the Spokane River, North Fork Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe River, and Grande Ronde River for trout and steelhead. Includes all equipment, flies, leader/tippet, snacks, and drinks at approximately $550 per trip (regular season) or $375 for pre-season 4-hour floats.
- Fly Fishing Education Classes Educational classes including Intro Fly Fishing, Fly Casting Lessons, Private Lessons, Spey Casting Lessons, Steelhead Clinic, Spey Casting Clinic, and Intro Fly Tying taught by experienced instructors.
Companies that use Silver Bow Fly Shop
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Silver Bow Fly Shop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Silver Bow Fly Shop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Spokane RiverkeepercoreSilver Bow Fly Shop is the primary sponsor of the annual International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) in Spokane. The shop provides raffle prizes and all proceeds from ticket sales and raffles go directly to Spokane Riverkeeper to support their efforts protecting the Spokane River watershed. This ongoing partnership spans multiple years and includes annual events.
- Spokane Falls Trout UnlimitedcorePartner on Spokane River Benefit events raising funds for Redband trout conservation and river access projects. Events have raised over $7,000 to $10,000+ annually for Spokane River conservation projects including signage, habitat study, and boat access improvements.
- Spokane River ForumminorPartner for Spokane River Benefit events to raise funds for public drift boat access improvements on the Upper Spokane River. Helped fund the Island's Trailhead boat slide project.
- ROW AdventuresminorOutfitting partner in Idaho providing guided fly fishing trips on St. Joe and NF Coeur d'Alene Rivers. Silver Bow refers customers for these out-of-area guided experiences.
- The Lands CouncilminorAnnual partner for Spokane River Cleanup events, joining forces with hundreds of volunteers to remove trash along the Spokane River banks.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Silver Bow Fly Shop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ROW Adventures: Idaho-based fly fishing outfitter that already partners with Silver Bow for guided trips on St. Joe and NF Coeur d'Alene. Directly comparable guided service offering on shared regional rivers and a natural consolidation candidate.
- Trident Fly Fishing: Online fly fishing retailer with deep product catalog, content-driven marketing (fishing reports, blog), and gear curation. Competes with Silver Bow's e-commerce channel for national fly fishing customers while sharing the same merchandising model and brand portfolio.
- Big Y Fly Fishing: Independent fly fishing retailer combining e-commerce, curated premium gear assortment, and guided trip services. Direct competition for Silver Bow's online customers and similar business model blending retail and experiences.
Regional players
- Madison River Fishing Company: Montana-based fly shop and outfitter offering retail, guided trips on the Madison and other Montana rivers, and lodging/travel packages. Comparable fly shop plus guided service model focused on a distinct regional fishery rather than Spokane-area rivers.
- The Fly Shop (Redding, CA): California-based fly shop offering retail, guided trips on multiple regional rivers (including Sacramento, Trinity, Hat Creek), and travel services. Highly comparable multi-stream business model and outdoor lifestyle brand positioning, but serving West Coast rather than Inland Northwest anglers.
Broad incumbents
- Orvis: Long-established, multi-channel fly fishing and outdoor retailer with national retail stores, e-commerce, guided trips, and owned schools of fly fishing. Directly comparable fly fishing assortment, guided trip services, and education classes make Orvis the closest large-scale incumbent peer to Silver Bow.
- Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's: Largest outdoor recreation retailer in North America with broad fishing tackle assortment, in-store experiences, and destination travel. Indirect competition for Silver Bow's casual and entry-level angler segments; incidental fly fishing assortment rather than specialty focus.
Others
- Simms Fishing Products: Premium waders and apparel manufacturer and key Silver Bow supplier. Comparable target end customer but acts as a brand/partner rather than a retailer competitor; channel dynamics affect Silver Bow when Simms pushes DTC sales.
- Sage Fly Fishing: Premium fly rod and reel manufacturer whose products are core inventory for Silver Bow. Not a competitor in retail but a key supplier and potential acquisition partner if Silver Bow were to vertically integrate or seek exit via brand acquisition.
- Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited: Local conservation nonprofit partner of Silver Bow focused on Redband trout conservation and river access on the Spokane River. Not a commercial competitor but a key ecosystem partner whose activities directly support Silver Bow's conservation brand positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Silver Bow Fly Shop social profiles
Digital presenceSilver Bow Fly Shop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silver Bow Fly Shop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Silver Bow Fly Shop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silver Bow Fly Shop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silver Bow Fly Shop
What does Silver Bow Fly Shop do?
Silver Bow Fly Shop is a traditional fly fishing outfitter operating a physical storefront and e-commerce site that sells fly fishing equipment (rods, reels, lines, waders, apparel, footwear, fly tying materials, boats and accessories) from multiple brands. The company complements retail with professional guided float and walk/wade fly fishing trips on the Spokane River and regional Inland Northwest fisheries, plus fly fishing education classes covering casting, fly tying, and Spey/steelhead techniques.
Is Silver Bow Fly Shop a public or private company?
Silver Bow Fly Shop is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Silver Bow Fly Shop founded?
Silver Bow Fly Shop was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Silver Bow Fly Shop based?
Silver Bow Fly Shop is headquartered in Spokane, United States, in the North America region.
How does Silver Bow Fly Shop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are guided Fishing Trips and education Classes.
Who are Silver Bow Fly Shop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ROW Adventures, Trident Fly Fishing and Big Y Fly Fishing. Regional players are Madison River Fishing Company and The Fly Shop (Redding, CA). Broad incumbents are Orvis and Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's. Others are Simms Fishing Products, Sage Fly Fishing and Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited.
Does Silver Bow Fly Shop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silver Bow Fly Shop.
What industry is Silver Bow Fly Shop in?
Silver Bow Fly Shop's product category is Fly Fishing Retail and Outfitting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMALAD, Fly Fishing Specialty Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMALAA, General Fishing Tackle & Bait Retail. Its NAICS code is 4599.