McCoy’s Tackle & Gift Shop
Stanley is a place of hobbies. Mountain bikers, back-country skiers and birders all find their way to the basin. But it is the angler, undeterred by weather and chance, who truly captures a piece of the valley.
The Mission
Godsend to fisherwoman and mountain man, McCoy’s Tackle & Gift Shop has been outfitting visitors with fishing tips and pastel fleeces since 1972. Inside the retired 1919 mercantile, holographic lures and hiking books mingle with the building’s original stove and hefty gold scale nesting behind the counter.
The Gear
The back of the store houses a surplus of books on wild flowers, clothing to fit the whole family and souvenir gifts to commemorate one’s stay in Stanley.
The front of the store specializes in fly and spin fishing, and is a certified retailer of Orvis products. With over five hundred patterns available, McCoy’s keeps track of the river’s daily hatching patterns. Meaning that McCoy’s can direct each angler to a fly seamlessly tailored to the area and fish he or she is after on any given day.
The Know-How
McCoy’s employees are well versed in the ins and outs of cold water trout, native cut-throats, rainbow trout and bull trout catch and release. They also know the little details and big facts belonging to the Salmon and Middle Fork river. Furthermore as true stewards of the wilderness they are able to educate customers in the area’s fishing regulations and protocol.
Definitely not a half stocked retailer, McCoy’s inventory provides both quintessential fishing gear and last minute items. One can leave McCoy’s dressed in new Orvis boots, wool sock and Endura waders with a spin or fly rod in hand. Additionally, patrons can purchase a cargo boat-load of accessories including: fly tying kits, nite crawlers and spawn nets.
Beyond the side wall’s smorgasbord of sunscreens and mosquito repellents, there is tall shelf of topographical maps of the basin and mountain ranges, for the hearty soul interesting in diving beyond the surface of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Guides
Rookie and Sawtooth adventurers are invited to book a guided drift boat or walk and wide trip. Local guides lead ¾ and full day expeditions on the Salmon River and alpine lakes. Moreover, McCoy’s shelves are stocked with beginning books and periodically offers casting clinics.
But perhaps the best item in the store is one of achievement. Each customer has the hope of flashing across McCoy’s digital picture frame grinning ear to ear with his or her own colossal catch.
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Kailynn
Sawtooth Sojourner
Photos by Chamber Photographer Aron Ames
Tags: Stanley Store
