By Andrew A. Cox
The holiday season has rolled around once again. Finding gifts for people who enjoy angling can be a dilemma; it can be easy yet difficult to locate such gifts. Some anglers have a multitude of angling items and gadgets, so finding something that they do not already have can be difficult. Finding a fishing item that they may actually use over the course of a fishing season can be another dilemma.
As you search for holiday gift purchases, consider shopping at locally owned angling and sporting goods stores. These are many times small businesses that are the foundation of America’s economy and seem to be having a difficult time competing with the large, so called “big box” stores, as well as online sales outlets. Browsing around these stores may provide some gifting ideas for those sportspersons in your life. Most of these smaller stores have knowledgeable sales staff and carry tackle and product brands not found at big box tackle outlets. Another advantage is that you can actually see and touch the item to be purchased to judge its quality and features.
Another thing that I enjoy about local sporting goods outlets is sometimes you can find classic leftover stocks of lures and similar products no longer available at the big box or online sales outlets. Finding original balsa Bang-a-Lures, Big Os, or other discontinued tackle lines have been discoveries for me more than one time over the course of my browsing.
I seem to be doing more and more of my angling purchases through angling websites and vendors. Multiple purchases can be made from your computer allowing completion of gift purchases without leaving your office or home. This certainly saves time and the frustration dealing with crowds at various shopping areas. A disadvantage is that you can read about an item to be purchased, yet not able to view it until the item arrives. Sometimes the quality or nature of the purchased item does not meet your expectations, requiring time and expense to initiate an item return.
Like many anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts, I enjoy browsing around the big box outdoor stores. They have a large selection of items that can be picked up and viewed by the potential purchaser. Sometimes, though not always, sales and customer service staff are knowledgeable and can provide guidance relative to a particular product line or angling style. A disadvantage is that these outlets only carry selected product lines. Accordingly, you may not find the specialty or niche fishing items found at smaller, locally owned sporting goods stores.
Don’t forget about homemade angling or angling oriented items. If you tie flies or jigs, making these in various color or size combinations are nice gifts. These handcrafted flies and jigs can be packaged into a nice box for presentation purposes. Fishing also seems to stimulate one’s appetite. Prepared specialty and snack foods such as deer or beef jerky or similar foods that can be consumed while on the water are good gift items.
If all else fails relative to gifts for that hard to please outdoors person, you cannot go wrong with a gift certificate. This allows the receiver to choose his own items for purchase.
Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.