Big wholesale places are bad in one way, but if you know what you want already they are fine. Whats sorta creepy is most fly shops I have been in. They all seem to have the one guy... who don't work there... is always there... Is something of an ass... wants to give you his opinion.. and never buys anything. Just sort of stops in every day to talk and waste time. His time, your time, the guys who run the places time. Wants to tell you all about the great day on the upper SlapaHoh river when 30 inch browns were jumping all over size 28 gerardea fly tied by a monk in Nepal using only the pubic hair from virgins.....etc etc etc.... You don't see "that guy" at sportsmans warehouse, or any other place that has crappie jigs and night crawlers.. its a fly shop thing